Buying Skateboards
There are big differences between skateboards - far more than one could expect. A skateboard is not just a random piece of wood with four wheels beneath. Therefore the durability, features and possibilities are going to be very different depending on if you buy your skateboard in the local market or from the range of skateboards offered at SkatePro.
There are five basic features that are essential when choosing a skateboard: of course the type of board, then the deck, trucks, wheels and finally bearings.
Type of skateboard
Your choice of board should depend on what you want to use the board for. Longboards are perfect for cruising or carving, while classic skateboards are made for stunts, tricks and skating ramps.
The oldschool/cruiser board is a mix between these two, its easy to control and is ideal for urban skating, but can not be used for ramps or real tricks.
Skateboard deck
The quality of skateboard decks depends a lot on the type of wood it is made of. Maple is the hardest wood used, and therefore good for rough use (Canadian maple is the hardest). If you have a small foot (size 35-40 European) you should choose a deck, that is a 7.25 to 7.8 inches wide. Euro sizes between 40 - 45 should go for 7.8 - 9 inches and above. If you are wearing 45 and above, you should choose a deck at least 7.8 inches else you risk not landing your tricks properly
Read more here: Guide to skateboard deck
Skateboard trucks
When buying trucks it is smart to go with a renowned brand, as these typically have a better quality. Known brands usually are more durable, but are at the same time more flexible and calibrated significantly better than cheaper comparisons. This means, that it will be easier for you to steer your skateboard precisely. Also, the weight of trucks is important. Heavy trucks can be hard to get into the air when doing tricks, but are usually better for grinding, as they are more stabile and durable.
Read more here: Guide to skateboard trucks
Skateboard bearings
Are you going to use your skateboard on streets, we recommend that you choose bearings in the range of Abec 3-5, whilst skateboards used on ramps should have bearings in the range of Abec 7-9.
Read more here: Buying bearings
Skateboard wheels
There are two properties of wheels you need to check when buying wheels for skateboards: size and hardness (durometer). Big wheels (55-65mm) are faster and used by skaters on ramps. Street skating prefers smaller wheels (50-55mm), as it brings you closer to the ground. The harder the wheels, the faster they go and the more durable they are. Hard wheels however also have less grip on the street, and don´t absorb shocks as good as soft wheels do. The hardness of wheels is shown like: 100A. The higher the number, the harder the wheel.
Read more here: Guide to skateboard wheels.