We decided to help you a little here because we're going to tell each other, when you're not a great connoisseur, it can quickly become complicated to shop for a skateboard! We therefore want to try to enlighten you as much as possible in order to make your task easier, or at least give you the necessary basis to fully understand your purchase!
FIRST OF ALL, WHAT MAKES UP A SKATEBOARD?
For your skate equipment to be complete, you need to be aware of all the elements that make up a skateboard deck:
- the skateboard (that one, you probably saw it coming);
- a pair of trucks;
- the bearings (this is what allows the wheel to roll);
- the wheels;
- the screws;
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR BOARD WELL?
To have a board that suits you perfectly, there are a few things to consider. The first thing is the size of the skate. When we talk about skate size, we are talking about the width of the deck. This is what will allow you to be comfortable or not. There are different sizes of skateboards, but the important thing is to choose the one that will be ideal for you and that, above all, will correspond to what you want to do. In theory, we won't recommend the same size of board to go megaramp as to become a technical skater, do you understand?
Here are the sizes we recommend to skaters depending on the use, skatepark or street:
- Technical skater: 7,75 to 8,25
- Aggressive skater: 8,25 to 9
- Ramp skater: 8,5 to 9
- Cruiser: 8,25 to 9
Of course, these recommendations are theoretical, because when skateboarding, no one is better placed than ourselves to choose the width of the skate that suits us. This is often a matter of preference.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE TRUCKS?
You have a board. That's all well and good, but you need something underneath. Trucks are the two 'T' shaped pieces of steel that connect your skateboard to the wheels. For everything to work perfectly, we recommend choosing trucks according to the width of the skate. The width of the trucks should be as close as possible to the width of your board.
Here things get a little complicated, as the companies that make the skate trucks all have different measurements. Feel free to ask us questions if you want to be sure of the width of your trucks!
HIGH OR LOW? :
truck high: Ideal for a skater who skates loose, so the wheels are less likely to bite into the board;
truck low: ideal for technical skaters, as it offers the most stability (watch out for the wheels bite).
HOW TO CHOOSE BEARINGS?
The bearings are the mechanical system made of balls that allows rapid rotation thanks to a minimum of friction. They are inserted into the wheels of the skateboard, and the axle of the truck is housed in the middle. There are two per wheel.
In general, the size of skateboard bearings is universal. What will change the quality of the bearings is the quality of the steel used during manufacture. Otherwise, the most high-end bearings are made of ceramic. This material does not heat up when rolling and does not swell. The good rolling is therefore guaranteed, even if you drive fast and for a long time.
HOW TO CHOOSE SKATE WHEELS?
The size of wheels of skateboard is between 50 and 58 millimeters. Again, your choice will be guided by what you want to do. For example, for street skating, you will need smaller wheels, because you want to pick up speed quickly. If you want to skate park, prioritize the wheels a little bigger: they will allow you to keep your speed longer and roll well.
The hardness of the wheels also comes into play. It is represented by a number and a letter. The higher the number, the harder your wheel. Soft wheels will provide a softer, smoother ride while harder wheels will be stiffer on the ground but will also slide more.
You can read our article on How to choose your skate wheels to learn more.
PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
To perform your future prowess, he will fallsee that you are protecting yourself. Because we're going to be honest with you: there's a good chance that before you succeed in a trick, there will be a few falls (read between the lines here and understand "a shit load of landings")...
HELMET
You have to protect your head! To choose your helmet, there are a few things to consider:
- size;
- the design: it must completely cover the forehead, the temples and the entire back part of the skater's head;
- the fit: it must be easy to adjust and comfortable. The main point is safety, but don't forget that you have to be comfortable!
ALL OTHER PROTECTIONS
Knee pads, elbow pads and wrist pads are all highly recommended protective gear for all skaters, even more so for beginners!. You have to keep in mind that you practice a "concrete" sport and that, in general, a fall on concrete is never smooth. Be ready to absorb the shocks!
WHERE TO SKATE?
Now that you are equipped from head to toe, you can go! But, you always ask yourself THE question: where can you skateboard? Skateboarding is easy to do anywhere. You leave with your board and you see where the wind takes you:
PUBLIC HIGHWAY
In general, the public road is very unwelcoming for us, dear skaters. The rules change depending on the municipality, however. We can't tell you explicitly that some spots in the middle of the city are very attractive and that the possibilities are endless, but...
SKATE PARK
The best place to skate is the skatepark! We are lucky in Chicoutimi. For a few years, we have had the basin skatepark, near the Little White House, a beautiful brand new concrete skatepark! If you have your car and like to go for a walk, you can visit the other parks in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, such as Hébertville for example.
