You Think You Can Skate?
By now you must have imagined what it would be like to get a board beneath your feet. There are so many board sports to choose from! We have skateboarding or longboarding (Land), surfing, skim boarding, wakeboarding (Sea), snowboarding (POW), air boarding (Air)… haha maybe one day. To get your feet wet, so to speak, let’s stick with land, for now. Skateboarding has been around since the 50s and its growth is not slowing down as we continue to see more and more people showing interest in the sport. Some of you may be pros, some may be excellent or consider yourselves intermediate. Either way, we’d like to welcome and congratulate all of you wherever you are in your journey!
For those of you that are new, you may be on the fence about starting to skate. What’s stopping you? Some thoughts may be running through your head like “It costs too much money…, I don’t have a skatepark close by…, or everybody else is good and I don’t want to embarrass myself…”
Out of all sports we have to choose from, Skateboarding & Longboarding are relatively inexpensive options in comparison. Let’s take a look at Basketball since the Golden State Warriors just won the 2022 NBA Finals. A basketball can be priced anywhere from around $20USD for a basic ball, and $80USD for a game ball. Let’s say you pay $40USD for a decent ball. Now you could just go out and shoot, but people competing need basketball shoes, and those could range from $100-$200 USD. And just like that you’re spending between $120-$280 USD on shoes and a ball. Now that’s in perspective, let’s take a look at Skateboards & Longboards. There is a similar range here depending on what size, deck material, trucks, wheels, and of course brand you choose that all play a role in the price. Stay away from the Boards sold at big box stores because most of them are junk. Spend your money on a board at a smaller store, dedicated skate shop, online at one of the front-running board websites, or pick one up used. For decent completions you can expect to pay between $70-$130 USD for a full-set skateboard (deck, trucks, wheels, bearings) and $120-$220 USD for a full-set longboard. There are tons of other sports that are several times more expensive so realistically they’re not a bad option. I would strongly urge that you pick up some safety gear as well because “You” are the most valuable asset so, protect yourself!
Nearly anywhere in the US could be utilized as a skate park! These parks are designed from things you would see when you casually go about your day anyway, with the exception of a half pipe or ramp. Another issue may be extremely rough pavement, which is much less preferred, but will still allow you to roll! Basically your imagination and dedication is the limit.
Most people are reluctant to try something new. Specifically, a sport that will have you hitting the floor in a wipeout in front of strangers and friends. Be sure to always remind yourself that everybody starts from the beginning and with practice, determination and a good attitude you can and will get better at skateboarding. A nice product you can get if you’re wanting to learn tricks while being stationary is Skate Trainers, which goes over the wheels to give them a sort of edge so your board doesn’t roll out from under you when attempting tricks. These would be great for both Pros and Joes. These ‘training wheels’ will help you get the most out of practicing tricks so you can show your friends how much you’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time. Practice Makes Progress, NOT Perfection. So get out there, get yourself a board, get back up when you fall, and enjoy yourself because that’s what it’s all about! Good Luck!
