There's One Out There for Everybody

Choosing a skateboard can seem a daunting task, especially for the uninitiated. Who knew there were so many styles, sizes, and parts? Here are a few examples of the different kinds of available styles and boards:

Vert: Vertical skating or "Vert" is performed in pools and half-pipes, or any terrain where transitions lead to a vertical surface. Skaters get "air" and use the coping to do tricks. It's an exciting style to watch. Vert boards are typically longer and wider than street boards, and come in different shapes based on an individual's preference.   You can find these and other great Vert boards here ––>KonaSports.Com

   

Street: Skaters use the urban landscape as their "skatepark." Park benches, hand rails, curbs, stairs...you get the idea. The boards resemble the freestyle boards of the 1980s, but today, they're a little longer. Street skaters use "popsicle stick" boards with kicktails on both ends. These are typically 1 to 2 inches smaller than the average Street board.   Hundreds of Street boards can be found at  KonaSports.Com. Be sure to checkout the complete skateboards for greater value.

   

Longboard: Simulates surfing. It's for casual carving, sidewalk surfing, and cruising down hills. To be considered a longboard, it has to be at least 38" or longer. Believe it or not, some boards are 16 feet in length!   Visit Kona Sports online store at:   KonaSports.Com to access a huge variety of Longboards and Longboard Completes.

     

Slalom: A form of skating that entails weaving in and out of cones, typically at high speeds. There are two types of slalom: tight slalom (ts) and giant slalom (gs). The boards usually have a pointed or stubbed nose and no kicktail. They have specialized trucks, soft wide wheels, and they turn on a dime. In tight slalom, the cones are usually 3-5 feet apart; in giant slalom, the cones are about 8-10 feet apart, or relative to the speed and shape of the track. It's not uncommon for GS racers to weave in and out of cones at 30 and 40 miles per hour!  Visit the SK8KINGS.COM online store were you'll find a variety of Slalom boards ridden by top slalom riders.   THE AXE SERIES DESIGN IS UNMATCHED: The race-proven concept that revolutionized modern slalom deck design -- racking up championship wins year after year.  SK8KINGS.COM also carries some great Freestyle Boards.   Be sure to check them out.

  

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What We Recommend for a Beginner

Choose a professional quality skateboard. Avoid "toy quality" boards. It really makes a difference!   Purchasing a "complete" board is probably the best bet for a beginner.  It's more cost-effective and everything is already put together for you.   Check out hundreds of completes for all levels of skating, including hard-to-find "Micro" sized decks (for very small skaters) at  Kona Sports online store:  KonaSports.Com .

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The only thing a beginner might want to change on a complete board are the truck bushings.  
Many standard truck bushings are not ideal for beginners, or for pros for that matter.  We recommend purchasing softer bushings for better maneuverability.   Bushings come in many hardnesses (73D to 100D), shapes (Cone, Barrel, Hour Glass, etc....), and sizes (Low, Medium, Tall).   Select the bushings that are the same in size and shape as the ones that came with your board.   The bushing hardness scale is 73D to 100D.   Manufactures such as 'Khiro', 'Reflex' and 'Venom' have the largest variety and best quality bushings on the market.   Greater benefits are that these bushings can be mixed and matched based on your riding style to vastley improve performance.   There are other bushing manufactureres to choose from, just be sure you're able to find the correct hardness bushing.  Here is a good rule of thumb when selecting the right hardness bushings for your trucks: 100 lbs or less, 73D-83D ;101-150 lbs, 84D-92D; for heavier weights or extreme speeds, 89D-97D. (The lower the number, the softer the bushings, and better the turning).   Visit  KonaSports.Com . were you'll find a huge variety of replacement bushings and hardware.

     

Here are some other popular bushings that can help tune your trucks for a better ride:

     

Check out our Skate Mechanic page for the breakdown of a skateboard's parts.

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