My soon-to-be 8 son has found a new interest, skateboarding. I'm looking for some helpful websites to learn the basics of skating and adjusting/maintaining the board.

And yes, I'm the "cool" dad. I peeled a layer off my elbow yesterday during a tumble and a drew a tasty scrape on my shin today, just above my foot. ROLL ON!

Pfft. You keep your silly boards. Dare yas to join me on the slick, hard ice. After having been skated on for about an hour, it becomes sandpaper, so if you put your hand down without gloves on, your fingers peel away. :S

On a brighter note, YAY Rabban! You have taken your first step to becoming... New?

I took the dare a couple years ago. Let's just say I'd need practice.

lol, pretty much the same above, though I learned a lesson... A man that weighs 220 lbs should not try crazy stunts, I still have the scar on my abdominal..... Then I did again but fire was involved the next time.

I used to skateboard, but I wasn't exceptional at it...
It's fun though so congrats to your kid :P

Hold on dad!!!! You want something cool for your son to do while summer gets him some blades! Blading is a ton more freestyle that skateboarding... You'll see once he starts doing grinds and ledges ;)

Links not working... Www.aggressivemall.com -or- inlinewarehouse.com

Last edited: Monday, March 20, 2006 at 6:36:24 PM

Thanks for the feedback, but I'm still needing some helpful skating websites. Actually I'm wondering how to adjust the wheel spin and the trucks' spring action.

@Monica - I say not bad for a typical conservative who opposes change. ;)

@ Rabban

THE V's ADVANCED STATEBOARDING TECHNIQUE

1. Start at the top of a small hill
2. Sit down on the board
3. Wrap both hands around the stateboard
4. Close eyes
5. Pick up feet
6. Scream MOMMY!!!
7. Fall over and scrape elbow

Any questions?

Way back in the day, fish was a poser. Truck's spring action can be adjusted by simply tighening the nut at top of truck, making the rubber cusion ("cloud") compress, making the boards "wobble" stiffer. I'm a big guy too, I needed them stiff. How well the wheels spin largely depends on the quality of the wheel, as I remember. I used to read "Thrasher" magazine, I'm sure they have a website...

Longboards are fun. Perfect in places like San Diego or Santa Barbara. I can cruise for hours on those things. I plan to save up and buy me a nice one. I am actually the opposite of fishtank and can set my trucks real loose considering I weigh virtually nothing. Two basic things for trucks: tight for turning/support, loose for speed/flexibility. ;)

I used to skate board....but heres a link to maintence and the basics...Hope this works Rabban link

Last edited: Monday, March 20, 2006 at 9:36:18 PM

Back in the 80s we had a half pipe in the backyard
I'll see if I can hunt down some pictures when I get home from work
Needless to say every kid in a 3 mile radius played at our house
Heh!
One time I came home from work and there was 75 kids in the yard
They had a competition going with trophies, an announcer with megaphone
and banners strewn thru the trees
I did a slow left to right panorama and got back in my car and went to my brother in laws
But I have to say "I always knew where my kids were and what was going down
and that they were safe"
Well as safe as you can be 20 feet in the air!!

Last edited: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 at 2:26:52 AM

@aztec - No offense, but it seems like blading would be easier than skating since the blades ARE attached whereas a board must somehow defy gravity and fly beneath the skater at certain times (which I've yet to comprehend).

Still, my son is interested in rollerskating at the local rink and we have discussed getting him some blades as well, so who knows?

Good for you, Rabban... Hang in there.

Fish's tips on the trucks are right on. As far as the wheels' resistance, a lot of that has to do with the quality of the bearings and the plastics used for the wheels. Harder compounds roll faster, but don't grip as much...

My brother and I got into skateboarding in the late 70's. I remember when my brother brought home his first board, a plastic yellow board shaped like a banana. Dad tried to be the "cool dad". Picture this-

•Dad, who was always trying to appear in control decides to try it out.
•Dad puts the board down in the middle of the garage floor.
•Dad jumps up in the air with both feet, and lands on the middle of the board.
•Board suddenly jets out from under his feet and sails across the garage
•Dad, with this surprised expression on his face, suddenly but briefly is suspended horizontally in midair
•Gravity take over and "cool" Dad slams to the floor, still horizontal.

Then of course, my brother and I try in vain not to bust out laughing.

Skateboard- $19... Ice pack- $1.50... Aspirin- 50¢... This story- Priceless

(I don't believe Dad has touched a skateboard since.)

^ been there. I was going down a little incline and I must have leaned back too far because the board quickly flew forward and I went down. Fortunately I had my gloves (now scuffed) and a heavy coat on, but I still managed to peel a layer of skin off my elbow. I laid there in the road for a few moments, gathering my thoughts. My son was concerned and I think amazed. When I got up I said I was going to watch awhile, but instead got back on the board. I knew I had to get back on for his sake, to demostrate some tenacity to keep trying even when you get hurt a little. One of my few shining moments.

And I remember those "banana boards". My neighbors had two. I asked my mom for one, but she wanted to up the ante, so she got me a nice, red translucent board that was longer with a nice tail. It was beautiful, but unfortunately I then discovered I didn't have good place to ride it in the country. Still, I reminds me of that SNL character, the old man. When we were kids, we had skinny boards with no pads or helmets, skated in pools and we LIKED IT!

I guess I'm wondering what the deal is with his new board. When we first started riding it, the wheels spun really well, but now they're starting to slow and even stick. When we hold the board and spin them with our finger, they don't spin hardly at all and when the board leaves us, it doesn't roll as far as it first did.

Last edited: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 at 8:05:15 AM

Dont try to ollie unless you have protective gear....

First time I tried I nearly broke my arm... Heh

Your bearings are probably shot. I think there's a nut at the wheel hub, that basically holds the wheel on and holds the wheel "guts" inside. Does the wheel seem loose? This nut probably came loose, exposing the bearings to dirt and excess wear, and possibly causing some to fall out. Maybe try to spay some WD40 in the guts, and tigthen the nut.
Like any hobby worth doing, quality equipment (deck,wheels, trucks) is expensive. I'm guessing your board was a bargain, quality equipment will definitely enhance your experience. Maybe you can find a good deal on eBay on a used board, or upgrade the one you have with replacement trucks/wheels.

Aztec nice pic.

^^ While you are shopping for used boards, get some used skate shoes too:
http://www.bestofebay.com/showitem.php?item=5619778517

I'll second that it sounds like the bearings are shot. Probably got some dirt in there. If they are beyond cleaning out you can always get new ones at a skateshop. Prepare to be hopelessly confused by the dizzying array of options.

This is a nice page about equipment and basics:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/skateboarding/

Last edited: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 at 9:29:00 AM

Another idea that I Know your son will love to do all the time is riding a dirtbike...he is the same age that I was when I started to ride one...They might cost more than skateboards and blades...but its really awesome to ride around in the backyard with one...Probally the best brands for dirtbikes are Honda And Yamaha think about getting him a Honda 70...make sure its a 4 stroke...since he's a beginner. I race in motocross so from experience I know he will have a blast!..Talk to him about it. And if there arent any of those stores around you tell me what other stores are around and I'll tell you what to get for him.

Æ

I can see it now. Rabban buys the bike then his son says huh? I didnt want to do that!

Make sure you check with him rabban.

^yer...Heh tell him you know a kid thats 3rd in eastern... :)

Actually, we wanted to get him a dirtbike for Christmas, but they were a little pricey for us right now. And while our backyard is big by comparison, we are in a residential area and I don't think it would be enough room for him. But its still a consideration (as well as 4 wheelers), so we'll have to see how things go. (And on a side note, "Honey, I had to get one as well so I could keep an eye on the boy and continue our father/son stuff. Right? You wanted us to bond, remember?)

The board I crashed on was a $10 Walmart special. His new one was a $25 model from Dick's Sporting Goods. When I was on-line, I found some trucks for $30, so I knew then I had yet discovered another money pit. :D

Lol...Oh If you do get him a dirtbike I can get you a discount from Fox Racing inc....they have top of the line gear...They sponsor me when I race So I get free stuff...And I could hook you up with a discount.

http://www.skateboard-city.com/skateboard-trick-tips
http://www.drskateboard.com/instruction/trick_tips.htm

I learned a little something from both of those sites, and a good forum is http://www.skaterscafe.com/index2.php to get some help if you need it.
A little advise: Learn to ollie first, and do it well before going on to other tricks. It is the base for most other tricks. After you have that down, go onto the kickflip and learn it well also. I didn't follow my own advise, I learned to ollie (and can do it pretty good, I can clear 5+ stacked decks on a good day) but I never perfected my kickflip, so now when I go for 360 flips, 180 flips ect. I only hit them about 60% of the time because I never really perfected the kickflip. (which I am starting to work on again)
Just start slow with the small stuff, and always do it for fun. Half the people I skate with can only ollie/kickflip, but they are the ones usually having the most fun just riding around.

_{Blading is for pansies} ;)

EDIT: As far as cost goes, a good board will run you anywhere from $99-$160, but they will last 6+ months if you take care of them... At your skill level anyway, mine will last anywhere from 1 day to 4 months (depending on if it's a good deck or not).

Last edited: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 at 2:34:58 PM

Im most cases thats true rabb. If your going to compare an ollie to a simple jump on skates your right 100%. Thing is, theres more to blading than just jumping and rolling around. Once you start doing pro stuff its not a matter of 'well jumping is easier on skates than an ollie on a board.' Blading takes risk. One reason you might not wanna get your son into this sport is because if you fall on a, lets say, ledge you're screwed. On a skateboard you simply learn to bail and ledges are easier. Reason #2 why skating is a harsh sport: when grinding, never open your legs!!! The results aren't so good... So people shouldn't compare blading to boarding based on getting air on a flat surface. It should be by what inspires you most. Ya know?

Heres a site where you can buy skateboards and stuff I ran into on the web... Link is still not working!
www.skatesusa.com

Last edited: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 at 1:38:55 PM

Ever tried board sliding? Fall one way you get a broken tail bone, the other a broken shoulder blade, or concusion. Fall on blades, you can at least roll out as long as you're co-ordinated.

More risk? Puhlease.

Once you've tried blading and do a 360 fishbrain to BS 540 out maybe I'll bieleve your story sonny XD

And I was a skateboarder, sorry to say it though, and could do a boardslide on a 5ft flat rail, kickflip over 7 stair so don't start that crap with me micheal...

@ korn - I see your point. I have jumped off my board a few times when I needed to, so having the wheels attached to my feet would make that escape impossible. XD

Comparing spins on blades, and spins on a board is like comparing an elephant to a mouse.

5 foot long, high, what?
And to bad there are no 7 sets around here, would love to try.

(Yay for off-topic... And spell my name right.)

I'm done arguing with you micheal... You obviously are just trying to prove yourself right... And FYI theres more to blading than spinning (its not ice skating) such as in the pic above -- there are grinds, switchups, combos and vert tricks.

@Rabb, another suggestion I have is to look up skateboard websites on Google, its waaay easier that way. The websites normally have info on how to put on bearings and stuff

I see less go with someone that hurts less (sort of). How about break dancing! You can only snap your neck and die, while on a skateboard you could fall flat on your face and get some serious pain XD

-AO

^ LOL!

I still skate everyday (when it's not raining)
Personally, I think there is less risk involved in skateboarding. With a skateboard, at any time you can bail and kick it away. With roller blades they are stuck to your feet. Not to say there is no risk, but not as much. There is probably more of a chance of slipping out with a skateboard. Most of the time, falling does not result in injury, even down stairs. You usually just get a whacked shin or a scrape.
There are also many more tricks that you can do with a Skateboard than on Roller Blades.

Here's me. :)

I Love Skateboarding!

@ Rabban: Best thing for starters is get yourself a pair of vans, stack your board and head to the local pool and sneak in. This may be the best place to skate during the springtime in West Virginia. I used to do it years ago, what a blast!! The deep end of the pool makes for a good half pipe with a good entry ramp.

My first board was had the group "Agent Orange" label on the bottom, with bright orange ribs down the sides and huge yellow trucks. The more I think of it the wheels were a bit hard for doing many free style tricks, but I used my board (excuse me, my stick) as my primary source of transportation so harder wheels are better for that.
I never used safety equipment by I highly suggest it. GOOD LUCK!! XD