Overview
We have had skateboards for quite some time now. A group of surfers between the late 1940s or early 1950s were looking for a way to be able to ride the ocean waves when they were too calm for any serious action. This led to the birth of sidewalk surfing and the invention of the different types of skateboards you can buy.
Nowadays, skateboarding has become one of the most popular recreational activities and a highly competitive sport. And as various types of skateboarding competitions cropped up, there was a need for different types of skateboards you can buy to be able to win.
But before you go out to buy one, let’s have a look at some of the different types of skateboards you can buy and the best situations they can be used.
1. Downhill Skateboards
If you’re one of those who like speed, then you’ll understand that downhill skateboarding can give you a lot of momentum within a short amount of time. Top-mount, drop-throughs, and drop-platform are the best types of skateboard for downhill.
These boards have decks that are usually stiff, having small to medium-sized wheels. Another essential feature of downhill skateboards is concave at the front and/or back. This prevents your feet from slipping too far, either forward or backward.
2. Slalom Skateboards
The slalom type of skateboarding was in vogue a few years ago, and it was one of the most competitive types of skateboard racing. This type of race involves skaters skating through a course that usually had traffic cones. These races could be on flat courses that might have downhill aspects. The goal of the race is to skate through the course in the shortest time possible without knocking the cones down.
Slalom skateboards, as one of the different types of skateboards you can buy, have softer wheels and were larger than the ones on regular skateboards. This provides better grip and speed. In turn, this makes the skateboard easier to control without losing momentum. Slalom skateboards are usually made using carbon fiber and foam, and they’re longer than standard skateboards.
3. Electric Skateboards
If you are all about going around town looking cool, but you don’t have it in you to perform tricks or going at very high downhill speeds, then you should consider buying an electric skateboard.
This is a type of skateboard that can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour. They are powered by a small motor and usually have a rechargeable battery. They also have weight sensor controls or come with handheld devices to control the speed. Also, you can change the direction of the skateboard by moving left or right as needed.
Electric skateboards are excellent for going about the city, mainly due to their light weight. Their light weight makes them great for getting from the train station or parking area to the office. This is because you can easily take it with you and store it when you arrive.
4. Freestyle Skateboards
For people who are novices to skateboarding or planning to purchase their first skateboard, a freestyle skateboard is an excellent one to choose. These types of skateboards are better suited to flat surfaces, but you can still perform lots of tricks and fancy footwork on them.
Although it will require lots of effort and practice, you can still look like an expert on this basic skateboard. It will look cooler even when you can combine it with great music.
These types of skateboards have long and short varieties. The long ones have better stability but are more difficult to control. And the short ones are easier to control but aren’t that stable. Finally, you also have to get yourself a good pair of skateboard shoes.
5. Vert Skateboards
“Vert” is short for vertical. This is appropriately named, given the fact that you spend lots of time skating up vertical walls using ramps and other inclines. Vertical skating requires that you use large wheels plus decks. These provide control and stability. Vertical skating is probably the most exciting form of skating to watch. This is because of the aerial acrobatics and cool tricks that skaters frequently do.
However, this takes tons of practice, and you have to, first of all, learn the basics like cruising, pushing, carving, and landing before you can progress to the more complicated moves.
6. Off-road Skateboards
Skating on roads and pavements soon loses the fun in it, and lots of skaters prefer going off-road. Therefore it’s not surprising that off-road skateboards have been designed to withstand these extreme skaters.
This kind of skateboard can also handle being used in rugged terrain, including grass and dirt tracks. One of the unique features that differentiate off-road skateboards from others is that they have brakes. The brakes offer an added advantage when you need to stop suddenly to avoid hurting yourself on a rocky surface.
However, if you don’t want to buy another skateboard (if you already have one), you can make use of an ordinary one and just change the wheels as you want to go off-road. The wheels are bigger than the standard ones, and they are made from rubber.
7. Pool Skateboards
Skateboarders are becoming more creative in discovering places to skate. As such, an empty pool became an ideal place for skating competitions in pools. This type of skating requires wider skateboards as they offer you greater stability and ensures that you have a smoother ride.
Also, it has extra width, which means that the board should last longer. This is important because this type of skating causes a lot of strain on the board. Those hard landings can cause severe pressure on the skateboard.
8. Street Skateboards
Street skateboarding has people who either love it or hate it. This type of skating involves lots of cool tricks and transitioning, and its main venue is usually a public place such as city streets, shopping complexes, and industrial areas. Street skaters equally love using picnic tables, garden walls, handrails, and stairs.
These types of skateboards often have much narrower decks plus smaller wheels. These features provide the skater with the ability to spin the board and also quickly flip it. This makes it easier to perform so many tricks. The wheels of this type of skateboard have to be made from a polyurethane material with extra importance to hardness.
Summary
Depending on the reason you are into skating (whether it’s for fun or because you love competitions), you can definitely find a skateboard that suits you. They can be gotten easily and are quite affordable, and people of all ages can skate.
However, like all things we ride that come with wheels, you must remember to be careful and use your safety gear. Even if you don’t like the whole idea of knee and elbow pads, you should at least wear a helmet and protect your head.