Customizing a skateboard is a way for a skater to express individual style and attitude. Learn how to customize a skateboard from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video series.
Being able to make adjustments to a skateboard will enable the board to perform exactly as the skater desires. Learn how to adjust a skateboard from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
Find some stickers that match the color of your board to continue customizing it. Learn how to apply stickers to a skateboard from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
One of the most important features of skate wear is durability. Learn how to choose skate wear from a professional skateboarder in this free extreme sports video.
Different skateboarding shoes will provide a different feel when riding. Learn how to choose skateboarding shoes from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
The great thing about picking out a skateboard is picking out all the certain parts that have the right feel. Learn about the components of a skateboard from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
Applying grip tape to a skateboard can take a toll on the hands. Learn how to apply skateboard grip tape from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
Choosing a skateboard deck can be the most important part of picking a complete setup. Learn how to choose a skateboard deck from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
It is important that the skateboard has tape that is grippy but is not filled with grit. Learn how to customize a skateboard with grip tape from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
Cutting small slits in the grip tape will help it to fit on the skateboard. Learn how to cut and polish skateboard grip tape from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
Getting the skateboard bearings into the wheel can be difficult due to the desired tight fit. Learn how to mount skateboard bearings to wheels from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
Turn the skateboard over and put four bolts through the board when you are ready to mount the trucks. Learn how to mount skateboard trucks from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
With the right tools and technique, mounting skateboard trucks can be a relatively fast job. Learn how to mount skateboard trucks from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
Most skateboard wheels are symmetrical, so it does not matter which direction you mount them. Learn how to mount skateboard wheels from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
It should not be difficult to find a general tool that will work on all the bolts of the skateboard. Learn about the assembly tools needed for a skateboard from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
Skateboard bearings support all the movement that is done on the board. Learn how to customize a skateboard with bearings from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
Bushings are the axis that skateboard trucks turn on. The bushings run down the middle of the trucks. Learn how to customize a skateboard with bushings from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
The mountain hardware for a skateboard can have either Phillip's head or Allen key tops. Learn how to customize a skateboard with mounting hardwards from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
A skateboard can be ridden with or without riser pads. Learn how to customize a skateboard with riser pads from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
Skateboard trucks are the part of the board that does the turning and grinding. Learn how to customize a skateboard with trucks from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
Hardness and size are two of the aspects of skateboard wheels that need to be considered when choosing what wheels to purchase. Learn how to customize a skateboard with wheels from a professional skater in this free extreme sports video.
Tags: shoes, skating, skate, hardware, pads, skateboarding, decks, wear, trucks, grip, tape, skateboard, skateboards, wheels, stickers, mounting, bushings, riser
Summary: Skateboards have come a long way from their modest beginnings in the 1950s. At first, a skateboard was nothing more than a wooden plank with wheels. We can now thank the radical, mind-blowing 1960s for the increased popularity and production of skateboards. Certainly designated as “what the cool kids do,” skateboarding's third generation has taken the sport to a whole new level. Nearly every man, woman, and child knows someone who has skated or is currently skating. Though known as a popular hobby for the youth counter culture and modern day punk scene, skateboarding has mingled into all kinds of cultures and age groups.
In this free extreme sports video series, a professional skateboarder will show how to customize a skateboard. Learn how to choose a deck, grip tape, riser pads, bushings, trucks, mounting hardware, bearings and wheels. Get tips on applying grip tape, mounting trucks, bearings and wheels, and making adjustments. Finally, find out how to choose stickers, shoes and clothes for skating.
Expert: Shawn Connolly has over twenty years of skateboarding knowledge. He has appeared in Slap, Thrasher and Transworld magazines and his sponsors include Venture Trucks, Ricta Wheels, Roughneck Hardware and FTC Skate shop. Originally from the northeast state of Maine, where good skate spots are hard to find, Shawn loves and appreciates the abundance of skate spots the Bay Area has to offer. Shawn enjoys sharing the art of skateboarding and believes that it is one of the few “sports” that teaches real patience and determination, allows for limitless growth, and nurtures individuality at the same time.
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