Slick Guides: How to Grip a Skateboard

So, you’ve bought a new set-up and want to grip your skateboard yourself? No worries, here’s our guide to griping your deck and a quick video to show you how.

We’ve kept the guide simple and broken down thew process into four easy steps but, before that, you’ll need to grab a few tools.

Grip Tape: Choose your griptape and make sure it’s the right size for your board. There are hundreds of styles to choose from and you can check our range here.

Razor Blade or Box Cutter: You’re going to need a razor of some sort of blade to cut and trim your griptape. Make sure it’s sharp. If you’re a young skateboarder, make sure there is an adult helping you.

Screwdriver or File: You’ll need something to flatten and smooth over the edges once you’ve cut the griptape, or you can also use some of the excess grip tape if you don’t have a screwdriver or file.

1. Line Up
Starting at one end of your skateboard deck, take the sheet of grip tape and lay it flat on the deck, don’t peel off the backing just yet. Leave an overlap of about an inch all the way around, so you can cover the whole board and give yourself enough room to work with. Once you’re happy with positioning, you’re ready to apply the griptape to your skateboard.

2. Apply the Griptape
Starting at one and of your board, slowly peel the backing off the griptape, section by section peeling off and flattening down the griptape onto the board. Make sure the griptape is kept centred and lined up the same as it was in Step 1. Once you’ve applied the whole length of the griptape to your board, take the backing strip and place it over the the griptape and flatten it out, pushing the tape down so it’s firmly attached. Work from the centre out to the sides to get rid of any air bubbles.

3. Edges
Once your griptape is firmly in place, take the screwdriver or file and run it around the edges of the board until there is a clear visible white line in the grip tape. This means you’ve ground the griptape down enough and it’s ready to trim. It will also help channel the razor in Step 4.

4. Trim the Edges
Almost done! Take your sharp razor or box cutter and carefully cut off the edges of the grip tape by running the razor around the side of the board, making sure it’s cutting through the thin white line you created in Step 3. You can place the blade against the side of the skateboard deck to help it stay straight and make it easier to cut. Once thats done, take your screwdriver, file or excess grip tape and rub or sand all the way around the board until the griptape is sufficiently and firmly applied. You’ll notice it blends into the wood slightly. Time to build the rest of your board!

Bonus Tip
When attaching your trucks, poke one of your truck bolts through the holes on the non-gripped side to make indentations or holes so it’s easier to locate the position of the holes to push the bolts through.

Now all thats left to do is to get out there and shred!

You can check out our griptape range here.