The Beginners Guide To Skateboarding

Skateboarding wheels vary in both hardness and size. Harder wheels tend to be favoured by street riders as they won’t wear down as easily through rough street surfaces and powerslides, and park riders tend to prefer softer wheels. Size wise, they’re pretty standard unless you’re a longboarder or want to be doing more cruiser based riding.

Slick Willie’s Recommend: Bones wheels, Ricta wheels and Spitfire wheels.

There are many skateboard bearings out there, some making quite radical claims. In our decades of skating experience we advise that there are three things to bear in mind. One is that your bearings are at least semi sealed to stop pesky bits of dirt from making their way inside and causing faster wear. Two is that you look after your bearings by avoiding rain and gritty surfaces where possible. If you live in the UK then the chances are whenever and wherever you skate there will be a puddle or ten, and sealed bearings will help them stand a chance at surviving a little while. Third is you get what you pay for, if you want a set of top end bearings that will last a good amount of time then consider digging deep and buying Bones bearings. They are indisputably the kings of the bearing world, and for good reason.ABEC rating is something else we are often asked about. Bearings are ABEC rated from 9 down to 1 (odd numbers only). ABEC rating defines how fast the bearing spins on a factory machine (9 fastest, 1 slowest). Some companies though don’t bother with abec ratings and just use the phrase “skate rated” this is because bearings can vary so much in quality and one companies “abec 9” could perform vastly different from another’s that claim the same rating.Possibly the most intricate part of the skateboard. If you’re a total newb to skateboarding, this is the metal part that attaches the wheels the deck. It comprises of the truck, baseplate, kingpin and cushions.

The trucks vary in width. Smaller / shorter trucks give you a faster and tighter turning circle, and wider / longer trucks give you more control. The kingpin holds the truck onto the baseplate, which houses the truck on the deck. The kingpin can be tightened and loosened depending on what type of ride you want. Generally a looser kingpin means a less controlled, but more flexible and responsive turn, and a tighter kingpin does the opposite.

Cushions (bushings) are the rubber bit that sits between the kingpin and truck, allowing you to tighten and loosen without any locking. These also come in softer and harder variations that enhance the stable or responsive ride, depending on your preference. If you’re a beginner get that kingpin super tight for a controlled skate and just get used to pumping around and using your body.

Slick Willie’s Recommend: Bones bearings and Bronson bearings for advanced/intermediate and Spitfire bearings for beginners.

Decks vary in width, press, number of ply layers and shape. As well as graphic of course. Besides choosing the raddest graphic you’ll want the right sort of board spec for your skating.

Size – Wider boards tend to be the choice of pool / bowl skaters, old school heroes and filmers. They will give you a wider, more controllable surface and are typically 8.5-inch+. Boards 7.75-8.25” are the pick of most skaters, ideal for street and park.

‍Ply – Typical decks are 7-9 ply Canadian Maple. Decks that may look like proper skateboards but are £10 from Argos are typically not 7-9 ply Canadian Maple. Canadian Maple is the most traditional tried and tested skateboard material over the years, although bamboo has come into play a little, Canadian Maple is still generally the choice of most skaters.

The number of ply means how many different layers of plywood have been piled up and cut out to create your skate deck. You can normally visually tell by looking at your deck side on and counting the layers you see. Each of these layers have been glued together. It’s this process, along with the pressing and shape, that help create the ‘pop’ your board has.

‍Press – Pressing is the process that happens to those 7-9 layers of plywood in the factory. Once the layers have glue between them all, they will be either hot or cold pressed. Cold pressed boards take longer to set and are generally better performing in terms of responsiveness, pop and flex.

‍Shape – Some decks are set a little deeper than others, with slightly more pronounced noses and kicktails. These are more suitable for carving and are closer to most longboard designs, rather than traditional skateboards.

Slick Willie’s Recommend: Primitive decks, Jart Decks, Girl decks & Chocolate decks.

Street

Street skating is the reason councils all over the country are building street plazas instead of skateparks. Street skating at its core involves skaters doing tricks and cruising around through the streets. This is obviously extremely dangerous, hence councils building plazas. It tends to give skaters more options to be creative, more quirks in spots, and more unpredictability, hence the appeal.

Flatland

Flatland skateboarding isn’t too common, and Rodney Mullen is the master of it.

It involves skaters on a flat surface starting in a standing on deck position then ollie-ing and finger flipping their deck around into various stalls and manuals. It’s roots are in the early days of skateboarding, making it quite an old school niche.