How to choose your skateboard?

When you start skateboarding, choosing your first skateboard can be very complicated given the choice of brands and models. This is where you will find answers to all your questions!

Skateboarding to make figures

Skate "street"is a classic skate that everyone knows. This type of skateboard is used by riders to perform tricks in a skatepark or in the city. Often the skateboard board has both ends rounded so-called "kicks"of which one is slightly more pronounced forward.

Composition of a skateboard

The skateboard board consists of 7 plies of Canadian maple with fiberglass between each ply and epoxy resin. The grip above the skateboard is an anti-skid that allows you to have more control over the skateboard when making figures. Below a skateboard are the "trucks", the metal parts that fix the wheels on the board and allow the skate to turn. Inside the trucks are small erasers, "bushings"that allow more flexibility and turn more easily. For the pre-assembled skateboards with a semi-soft adjustment, the more one will tighten its trucks, the less the skate will turn and the more stable it will be.
Skateboard wheels made of polyurethane or urethane can have many diameters and hardnesses. The hardness of the wheels is measured with an American standard called "shore", and appears on the wheel with a number and a letter "A". The softer wheels will have the hardness index of 75A, and the tougher hardness of the wheels is 104A. The harder a wheel is, the faster it will roll and slide easily, which is perfect for skateboarding.
The diameters of the skate wheels are variable and are between 47mm and 60mm. The larger the wheel diameter, the better the skateboard rolls and resists imperfections of the ground. The wheels of small diameters are lighter and manageable. On the other hand, they can easily be blocked by small pebbles and asperities of the soil.
Thus, for the practice of skateboard street it is advisable to opt for the very small diameter wheels that allow riders to have a good impetus on the ground.

Different sizes of skateboard

One chooses his skateboard according to his size and the size of his feet. The width of the skateboards is expressed in inches and is between 8.25 "and 7.5". For a child or teenager who is not very tall one often takes a skateboard with a width ranging from 7.5 "to 7.75".
A classic full skateboard measuring 8 "would be suitable for a teenager or an adult, it is with a skateboard of this size that we start in most cases.When we start skateboarding, we tend to misposition and too much forwards or backwards, this is why we must favor skates of a large enough width because in this way we will be less likely to fall.
For tall people or those with big feet, we will opt for 8.125 "and 8.25".

Start with a pre-assembled skateboard

For someone who starts we recommend a pre-assembled skateboard that is much cheaper than a custom skateboard. On the price level, it is between 49.90 €and 129.90 €.
The skateboards of the Jart brand offer the best value for money on the market, with prices starting at 49.9 €for a standard size of 7.75 "The boards are made of maple wood from forests where the exploitation is controlled. which shows a strong environmental commitment of the brand.
The Baker brand, founded by skateboarder Andrew Reynolds and artist Jay Strickland in 1999, offers quality full skateboards with very competitive prices. They are available on our skateshop at 71.9 €.
Those wishing to start skateboarding street with good equipment could move towards skateboards of the brand Flip Skate. Thanks to P2 technology, the skateboards made by Flip offer a more durable "pop"so much wanted by the skaters (a good amplitude when performing a trick). Get your new Flip skateboard for €59.90!
At Birdhouse, pre-assembled skateboards will be found in the mid-range high end at 99.9 €.

Cruisers for a walk in the city

Dedicated to the skatepark, the skateboard "street"is not the best choice for the ride. Even if the road is very smooth, the smallest pebble can prevent the advancement of a classic skateboard because of its small wheels. The cruiser, the second category of skateboards, is best suited for walking around the city. The cruiser is a skateboard often shaped warhead with fairly large wheels and especially very soft. This allows the skate to have a good quality of gliding and take all the impurities of the road.
For cruisers there are no regulated sizes, just take a board with which you feel good.
In the ranges that we sell the best quality-price ratio is represented by the cruisers of the brand Mindless, models DAILY GRANDE II or STAINED DAILY. This is a board that suits those who start skateboarding or those who already know how to skate but want a board that is compact and comfortable to ride. At the Arbor brand we have models with Paris Street 88 mm trucks. There are also small cruisers found at the D-STREET and PENNY brands. These are mini plastic skates that are suitable for experienced riders, because these skates are really small which does not leave the right to the error.

Versatile skateboards

At Nomadeshop you will find models of the DB brand that allow you to go street and ride. These skateboards recover the shape of skate street and fairly soft cruiser wheels. This skateboard is comfortable enough to cruiser in town and at the same time you can do some skatepark.

Customized skateboards

For a person who wants to make some figures at all costs but does not want to go to a skatepark, it is advisable to make a montage. It is possible to go on a street deck and ride it cruiser with soft wheels. With this customized skateboard it is possible to perform tricks while keeping the pleasure of sliding. Rates level, for a street classic or a cruiser mount it must be at least 150 €, the price may vary depending on brands and ranges.

Find all the skateboard models and all our advice, on the website and at the Nomadeshop store in Paris Bastille.