How To Skateboard
Skateboard - ‘How To’ Guide
By: Edgar Dapremont
How To Skateboard
I don’t remember skateboarding when I was young. We made our own scooters and we had the old type skates that you fastened to your shoes and had four wheels.
Skateboarding is definitely a modern day sport that has now jumped almost two generations because my neighbors and their kids are skateboarding down my street. Yes I even see some grandparents enjoying themselves. It looks dangerous to me and I can’t get interested in it at my age. There are obviously a lot of people who find it quite good exercise and a lot of fun as well as a way to spend time with their kids. There are plenty of grandparents and parents, who recognize the terms Quicksilver and half-pipe but I must admit I am not one of them.
The one thing you will notice, however, is that this is more expensive than it was 30 and 40 years ago. I thought stuff was expensive in the seventies but now if you want to enjoy this sport you have to pay quite a bit more. Of course, everything is a lot more expensive than it was 30 years ago. My first Ford Maverick was $2200 dollars fully loaded in 1970.
Skateboards are expensive and like everything else they break. If you remember the day when you just bought a new board if yours was damaged, then you are dreaming. New Boards are even more expensive. That’s exactly why an overall guide to setting up your board and repairing will save the skateboard owner (or his or her parents) money.
Skateboarding How To
By Pauline Stradlen
Skateboarding first started back in the 1940s. Pretty soon the handle was removed and the kids would ride just on the wooden board and wheels.
With the rise in professional skaters skateboard design is also improving. Skateboarding can be separated into two forms, street and ramp. Street skating is basically defined as skating carried out anywhere except on a ramp. Various tricks are carried out anywhere where there is a flat surface, this can be school grounds car parks, or on streets and roads.
Skate parks are custom-made for all these kinds of skating. There is also an extreme form of street skating called skateboard racing.
There are two types of skateboard ramps, vert ramps and mini ramps. Vert (short for vertical) skateboarding ramps are huge U-shaped structures between 3.5 and 4.5 m high. Mini ramps are much smaller and generally do not have any vertical transition. Skateboarding like any sport can be dangerous at times. To reduce the amount of risk skaters should follow these simple rules at all times:
1) when learning the basics stick to flat a safe ground
2) make sure you are in control of your board at all times
3) always wear protective gear, such as helmets, and knee and elbow pads
4) always stay with friends in case somebody has an accident
5) keep your board and gear maintained
You may also read Longboards, Skateboard Deck and Skateparks
