How to Buy a Skateboard?

• How to buy a Skateboard Deck.
• How to buy Skateboard Trucks.
• How to buy Skateboard Wheels.
• How to buy Skateboard Accessories.
  • Bearings
  • Grip Tape
  • Hardware

Let's talk about skateboarding and break down exactly what all the terms mean. With Specialty Sports having over 5,000 different skateboard items in stock at any given time it can get a bit crazy. While buying a complete skateboard doesn't seem that complex, but if you're new to the sport or buying a skateboard as a gift for someone; you can easily get lost.

Now before we get started I just wanted to let you all know that we are always available to answer your questions by either clicking on the contact us link above, the live chat below that or simply calling us at the shop.

How to buy a skateboard deck:

So first let's have a look at decks; typically you'll see a skateboard deck listed like this:

Enjoi Sweet Candy Skateboard Deck - 7.6

Enjoi is the company name, Sweet Candy is the model, the 7.6 is actually how wide this deck is and easily the most important stat. The average width of a skateboard deck is around 7.5"- 8.25" and will vary depending on who you ask. A taller skater who mostly rides parks may want/like a wider board, while a total beginner may prefer a smaller board. A simple rule: width is influenced by the size of the rider and the type of skating. Currently in our shop located in New Jersey we see more and more skaters looking for wider skate decks, around the 7.75-8.25" range. Beginners may still go for 7.5's.

How do I find out the skateboard's length?

We get more calls about the length of a deck then we do about the width. If we measure a skateboard from one end to the other, the average length is about 29" - 33" with around 99% of them being at 32". Unless you see the words 'Micro', 'Mini' or 'Mid' our site carries full length decks. This is one of those stats most skaters don't really pay attention to once they realize they are all pretty much the same.

What does PLY mean?

If you look at the side of a skateboard you'll see layers of wood. Counting up those layers will give you the ply of a skateboard. So if you see something on the site like "Enjoi Panda Skateboard Deck - 7.75 - 7 Ply" , That means the skateboard has 7 layers of wood. Skateboard decks are made with thin veneers of wood glued together, like plywood. (wood-glue-wood-glue…) so 7 ply has 7 strips of wood and 8ply has 8 and so on....

Most skateboards we sell are either 7 or 8 ply's of a wood called 'Canadian maple'. The reason for that is Canadian maple is a more dense wood growing around the great lakes in North America (I've heard it has to do with the more abrupt growing season and moisture) and it is stronger than most other woods. This is also one of the main differences on a skateboard purchased from a skateboard shop and one from a big box retailer. The wood those boards use is often poor quality by comparison.

Have a look at our current listings for skateboard decks on sale.

How to Buy Skateboard Trucks:

What are Skateboard Trucks?

Attached to the deck are two metal (usually aluminum alloy) trucks, which connect to the wheels and deck. The trucks are further composed of two parts. The top part of the truck is screwed to the deck and is called the baseplate, and beneath it is the hanger. The axle runs through the hanger. Between the baseplate and the hanger are bushings, also rubbers or grommets, that provide the cushion mechanism for turning the skateboard. The bushings cushions the trucks when the board turns. The stiffer the bushings, the more resistant the skateboard is to turning. The softer the bushings, the easier it is to turn. A bolt called a kingpin holds these parts together and fits inside the bushings. Thus by tightening or loosening the kingpin nut, the trucks can be adjusted loosely for better turning and tighter for more stability.

How do I size the trucks to the skateboard deck, and how do I know they will fit the deck I picked?

First, all the skateboard decks we sell have standard mounting holes pre-drilled into the deck for the trucks to attach to. Second, a good rule of thumb is the truck size should be right around the same size as your deck. You can also use this chart to simplify things further.

What does Low, High, Medium/Mid mean in the truck title?

Truck height is the measured distance between the bottom of the skateboard deck and the truck hanger, or highest point of the truck. We currently sell mostly 'Low' trucks, but medium or mids are slowly catching up. As of right now it's less than 2% difference in sales. Low trucks are good for learning flip tricks and with the lower center of gravity provide better stability. Mids are perfect for all around skating. And if your ordering high's, you want them for a particular reason or just like the feel of them; it's really up to the skater.

So on our site, when you see:

Destructo Low 5.0 Sentinel II Silver/Black Skateboard Trucks (Set Of 2)

That breaks down to - Destructo is the company, low relates to the height and 5.0 is the width... the rest I think you can figure out.

Have a look at our current listings for skateboard trucks on sale.

How to buy Skateboard Wheels:

What are Skateboard Wheels?

Skateboard wheels, usually made of polyurethane (or more commonly just called urethane by most skateboarders), come in many different sizes and shapes to suit different types of skating. Smaller sizes like 48–54 mm keep the board closer to the ground, require less force to accelerate and produce a lower center of gravity, but also make for a slower top speed. Most street/park skaters prefer smaller wheels around 51–54 mm, as small wheels can make flip tricks easier by keeping the center of gravity of the skateboard closer to the deck, thus making the deck easier to spin. Street wheels are often quite hard as this allows the wheels to slide easier on waxed surfaces for bluntslides and nose/tailslides. Larger sizes like 54–85 mm roll faster, and also move more easily over cracks in pavement and are usually preferred by vert skaters or people using the skateboard just as a mode of transportation (I should also add old school skaters also like larger wheels). These wheels also tend to be softer, keeping them from sliding out at the higher speeds.

Durometer? What the heck does that mean?

Durometer is the degree of hardness of a wheel. The higher the number (i.e. 99a) the harder the wheels is. The lower the number (i.e. 78a) The softer the wheel is. We use the common Shore Scale A to measure hardness, so that's why you'll see the letter 'a' after each number. The maximum hardness for the Shore Scale is 100, and the softest you'll see most skateboard wheels is a 74a.

Have a look at our current listings for skateboard wheels on sale.

How to Buy Skateboard Accessories:

What are skateboard bearings?

Each skateboard wheel is mounted on its axle via two bearings, so 8 bearings make up a complete set of skateboard bearings. With few exceptions, the bearings are the industrial standard "608" size, with a bore of 8 mm, an outer diameter of 22 mm, and a width of 7 mm. These are usually made of steel, though silicon nitride, a high-tech ceramic, is sometimes used.

Please do not pick skateboard bearings based on ABEC alone!

The ABEC rating system has been around for the last 35 years. The purpose of the ABEC committee (Annular Bearing Engineers Committee) is not to test every manufacturer's bearings and proclaim them good or bad, but to establish dimensions, tolerances, geometry, and noise standards for bearings in an attempt to aid industrial bearing manufacturers and users in the production, comparison and selection of bearings for general applications. However, since every bearing is used in a different manner and environment, bearings should be redesigned or "customized" for special uses (like skating). The ABEC rating system is not intended to be the only criteria used for selecting bearings for use in specialized applications like skating. It is only one of the tools a bearing designer can use if it is appropriate for the application.

The ABEC rating system includes grades 1,3,5,7, and 9. The higher the ABEC rating, the tighter the tolerances are, making the bearing a more precision part. High precision and small tolerances are required for bearings to function at very high RPM, in products like high speed routers that must spin at 20 to 30,000 RPM. In an application like this, an ABEC - 7 or 9 bearing rating may be appropriate. However, a skateboard with 54mm wheels turning 20,000 RPM will be traveling about 127 MPH! Since virtually all skating is done under 30 MPH, the realistic maximum RPM your skate bearings will see is about 4700 RPM and probably 90% of skating occurs under 2000 RPM. Thus, very high precision is not required at skating speeds.

The dimensions and tolerances controlled by the ABEC standards include the diameters and widths of the raceways, their shapes to some extent and the smoothness of the running surfaces. The ABEC rating system ignores side loading, impact resistance, materials selection and grade, appropriateness of lubrication, ball retainer type, grade of ball, the clearance between the balls and the races, installation requirements, and the need for maintenance and cleaning. All these bearing design requirements are very important to the performance of your skate bearing, even though the ABEC rating says nothing about them.

Bones Bearings (easly one of the best skateboard bearing companies around has said:

We know that there can be a HUGE difference between the performance of two bearings that both have the same ABEC rating. Indeed, we have found that in many cases, bearings with high ABEC ratings don't perform as well as others with lower ABEC ratings in a skate wheel. Thus, reliance on ABEC ratings alone can lead skaters and dealers to choose a bad bearing for skating over a good bearing for skating. That is why we don't use the ABEC rating system at all. In essence, the ABEC rating is irrelevant to the performance of a skate bearing when it is used as the sole criteria for selection.

To explain this another way, choosing an ABEC-7 or 9 bearing for skating would be like choosing an Indy car to race in the "Baja 500" because Indy cars can go fast and are of high precision. It isn't that the Indy car isn't a good piece of equipment, just that it is not designed for off road use and so it would quickly fail when its suspension breaks and its engine clogs with dirt.

How many sets of bearings do I need for a complete skateboard and what size do I need?

All the skateboard bearing we sell fit all the wheels and trucks listed on this site so no need to worry about that. You will also only need one set of 8 bearings per skateboard. Almost all the bearing sets we sell contain all 8 bearings.

Have a look at our current listings for skateboard bearings on sale.

What is skateboard GripTape?

Griptape is the gritty, sand papery layer that's applied to the top of a skateboard deck, so that your shoes can grip the board. The sandpaper feel of grip tape is made with various materials, depending on the company that made it. Some black grip tape companies use silicon carbide - a very hard material that stays sharp for a good long time. Other companies use aluminum oxide, which is cheaper but loses its edge and grippyness quickly. Some black grip tape and most colored grip tape is made with this cheaper material. Usually, if you want colored grip tape, the trade off is that the board won't stick to your feet as well.

Currently in the store and on the web we have a near 4 way tie on what grip tape sells best and who likes what for what reasons. Jessup, Mob, Black Magic and FKD seem to be everybody's favorite, but it really depends on who you ask. The guys that skate Jessup don't like Mob, the guys that use Black Magic say Jessup has no grip... you get the idea. It's best to pick one and try it for yourself.

Have a look at our current listings for skateboard griptape on sale.

Set of skateboard hardware	Set of 2 skateboard risers

Last we have Hardware and the optional riser pads.

Risers increase the space between the truck and the deck. This allows the truck to turn further without causing wheel bite (when the wheel touches the deck and stops rotating).

Not many street skaters use riser/shock pads, so it is very common for us to sell nothing but 7/8 and 1 inch hardware on every 'build a board'. However if you are skating a bigger wheel (55mm+) on a low truck or if you are skating a very rough area and want to cut down on vibration, a good set of riser pads plus a longer set of hardware is what you will need.

Have a look at our current listings for skateboard hardware or skateboard risers on sale.