Where to Buy a Skateboard

Not everyone is born knowing all the cool skater lingo. And you don’t have to tell anyone that you came here for the inside info. We won’t tell either.

Here’s what you need to know to not get beat up at the skateboard park.

MONGO – To push the skateboard forward, most people use the back-most foot to push. Some people push mongo or push with their forward foot. This is not only awkward but very dangerous. If you find yourself included to push mongo, change your ways.

GOOFY – Most people are right handed and ride with their dominant (right) foot toward the front of the board. Those people that are left handed, ride with their left foot forward. “Goofy-footed” is a term surfers used to describe the same situation on a surf board. Skaters just shortened it.

POSER – Everyone wants to be cool but with skaters, only those that are cool can be cool. In other words, you have to prove yourself before you appear on the scene with a custom board. So even if you own one and you’re not yet at the cool level, bring your complete to the skate park and practice with your custom board at home.

COMPLETE – Just like it sounds, a complete is a complete skateboard that is purchased with the trucks already installed on the deck. It’s all together.

DECK – The board itself.

TRUCKS – The part that connects the board to the wheels. Trucks come in different widths to fit different widths of decks. A 7.5 truck is 7.5 inches wide.

STREET – “Street” or sidewalk surfing as it was called as early as 1940 before skateboards went into general manufacture. Today is simply means skating as transportation.

SKATE VERT – Riding a board on a vertical ramp that is a larger version of a halfpipe.

LONGBOARD – A skateboard that measures from 33 to 59 inches with a width that varies from 9.0 to 10.0 inches. Longboards are designed for downhill, slalom and crusing. Gives more of a “surfing” feel.

CLASSIC – Old school skateboards from the eighties.

GRIND – A good grind on a bearing allows for a spin of the wheel to continue for at least five seconds. A spin is just a gentle push with a finger.

TECHNICAL SKATER – Skaters who incorporate advanced flip tricks.

GO BIG SKATER – Skaters who prefer the wider, longer boards for stability. These skater usually prefer boards that are 8.0 and up.

GOOD POP – The ability to snap the tail of the skateboard down while sliding the front foot up along the skateboard and jumping. This takes a lot of practice to get the technique, but once learned it opens the door for the bulk of common skateboarding tricks.

IN IT FOR THE TRICKS – A boarder can be “in it for the tricks”, “in it for the chicks” or just cruising…

GOOD CONCAVE – A dip in the middle of the board from left to right that provides stability.

GRIP GUM – Cleans the dirt and gunk off your grip tape.

GRIP TAPE – Tape with a gritty surface to improve the grip on your board and to keep your feet from slipping around.

CRUISER or STREET CRUISE – A longboard with trucks that turn pretty easily. As the term implies, board that is primarily for street use as opposed to park or trick use.

GNARLY – Nu-uh. Don’t go there. Only cool if you are in your 60′s.

DUDE – (See “GNARLY”)

BASIC TRICKS – The Ollie, Kickflip, 10 sec Manual, Boardslide, pop shuvit and Heelfip

UBER BOARDS – Uber boards are 2 boards inside another board so its whole lot smoother so you gotta have balance.

POSER BOARDS – According to dedicated skaters, boards bought at any retial store are really bad and are not good for skating. Fortunately, we have the internet and can find anything we need.

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OTHER MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION:

With frequent skating, a board will only last 6 to 8 months. If you use it harder than that (extreme tricks and long runs), the board won’t last even that long.

Don’t show fear or hesitation; the other skaters will pick up on this, and the meaner ones will torture you.

Don’t blame your failures on anyone other than yourself.

No one will dis you for practicing a lot.

Don’t wear “Phat Farm,” or “Southpole” at all unless you want the gangster look, which is not skater.

Dress in what is most comfortable for you. If you wear brand names then you will be expected to live up to them as if they were your sponsors.