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My son has shown an interest in skateboarding and he has a birthday coming up so I would like to get him a board.
To start with, it'll be just up and down the garden but I'd imagine he'll go to the local skate parks when they reopen.
I know nothing about skateboarding so what should I look for and at what kind of price range?
Any links to specific offers/deals would be appreciated.
For great value and decent look for enuff boards. They do smaller young kids sizes too. Loads of different designs too
Just do a Google search. Was a previous thread on this a few months ago
Theres also long boards to consider for just cruising on and are great fun on the right surfaces. They have bigger wheels and at about 3 foot length they maybe too big for ur son depending on his size. N o good at the skate park though but great at carving. Have a look at sports direct online or ebay and Amazon for long boards. The kids enuff boards will have softer truck rubbers too but these can be swopped easily. Tjeres a big online retailer that do snuff from google search who will be able to advise further if they are open
From what I remember from the 70s I should have worn pads/armour and a lid
More cuts and bruises from skateboarding that I ever got from biking.
Thanks so far. I should have mentioned he'll be 13 so more towards adult sized boards.
Obviously, I'll get him some pads etc too...
Wrist guards are a good idea too. Again sports direct used to do them in padsets
Don't get him a little kids board, just a normal deck as long as its not too wide, 8" or under
https://www.routeone.co.uk/
https://www.skatehut.co.uk/skateboards
Enuff are quite narrow I found
helmet, definitely a helmet
If he's 13 something full size will be best. Enuff boards are pretty low quality to be honest, you want something that's ply and a lot of the cheaper end are just pressed board. Look at Mini Logo, it's price point Powell Peralta. Youll pay a bit more but you'll get much higher quality.
Obviously with the old Covid on the go, talking to people might be an issue, but Big Woody in Blackpool would be a good shout, they're open to people phoning for advice. Proper nice folks
Failing that, have a look here https://rollersnakes.co.uk/collections/complete-skateboards
You can alot on decent longboards although a 60 pounds one should be good enough
don't buy from a big online retailer please
Support your local skateshop, go in with your kid and chat to the staff, they will help you choose something that's suitable.
Choosing your first board is a rite of passage, and he's more likely to stick with something he's chosen himself.
Couple of things
* soft wheels are easier as no one likes pebbles
* swap the truck bushings for some softer ones so they turn easier (trucks are designed for adults, kids haven't got the weight/leverage to make them turn like an adult will)
* let him know that failure is ok (and part of the fun) - you don't learn to skate in a couple of weeks
* get yourself a board, the fun of just rolling around with your kid is amazing
* be careful in the skatepark - it's not a playground so teach him some awareness of how people are moving around, so he doesn't get flattened
Wrist guards are a good idea too.
Rob's left wrist agrees.
Don't underestimate how ****ing difficult it is
I’d start by emailing your mates, maybe a Facebook post - there are hundreds of old decks laying around in garages and attics.
This isn’t being tight. Your child will p̶r̶o̶b̶a̶b̶l̶y̶ fall off q̶u̶i̶t̶e̶ a lot a̶t̶ ̶f̶i̶r̶s̶t̶, and a pristine board will get worn, scraped, and possibly snapped quickly. It’s well worth starting with a second hand deck.
Secondly, you’re likely to get something better quality this way, even if it’s a bit old. And it will give your son a chance to work out what he likes and doesn’t like.
I used to buy blank decks, as I liked painting on graphics myself. They were significantly cheaper. It might be worth seeing if these are still available.
Does anybody here have an old deck they wouldn’t mind donating? I’d send mine, but I still use it every now and then. During lock-up I’ve been practising 360°s and Olly 180°s in the garden.
Oh, and as I suggested earlier, prepare for cuts, bruises, scrapes, and scratches. There’s no avoiding this as a skater - my shins still bear testament to this.
And buy him some cheap trousers - they’re going to end up ruined, so get him something to wear while he learns. Possibly army surplus stuff if you can find some that fits.
* get yourself a board, the fun of just rolling around with your kid is amazing
Do this once A&E is back to normal staffing levels.
Fully agree with chomp, support your local skater owned shop if you can. Most are open for online orders and chats, whereabouts are you based?
Also follow Daewon Song on Instagram.
Soft wheels!
Can't stress this enough. Nephew has a board and it has the hard wheels you often get on kids boards. He wanted the same wheels as my longboard but I pointed out that they wouldn't fit without big spacers so would be be real hard to push. He's more into bikes really but I do wonder if he would skate more if the wheels were softer
Check out Tony Hawk 180 Complete
I was very surprised when I saw one in a shop.
I’ve been a skater most of my life and this looked pretty decent for a first board for a teenager and at £30 if he doesn’t take to it then not a lot of money lost.
If he does take to it then that’s when you start looking at individual components to suit style ( just like cycling).
Be prepared to go through many decks and many pairs of shoes. We used to attach a section of inner tube to the outside of our shoes to protect them from wearing through when ollieing!
Its a lifestyle man...
Echoing above, the Tony Hawk completes are good. Some of the "cooler" brands do decent looking completes, like Toy Machine. My eldest daughter skates a Welcome complete which has been good, but upgraded as she got in to it.
I'd echo also above at 13 an 8" full size deck, with soft bushings would be a good start point.
Thanks for the advice. His birthday is too soon to be able to take him into a shop and there aren't any that are less than a 30-45 minute drive from me so I ordered this online today (want to make sure it arrives in the next couple of weeks):
Hoping it will be good enough for the money as a beginner board that if he gets into it, he can then upgrade/buy something else further down the line.
Thanks for the help. I'll get some action shots up further down the line....
Hope he gets on ok with it @dknwhy.
But, my 8 y/o daughter has virtually the same board. It's not only narrow, it's a good bit shorter (by at least a good inch) than a full size board.
Get him some padded gloves; I bought a longboard after 40 years of not skateboarding and my left hand is purple today...
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Here is my daughter's board sandwiched between full size decks (and also my first board on the left, over 30 years old!)
If its an adult one it will be fine
Ignore me, I measured hers. It's 29.5.
Rails on my new Dressen ‘cos I don’t want to scratch the graphics!
In all fairness I remember a time when 7.75 was quite wide for a deck. He'll be absolutely grand on that, and you can upgrade stuff as he figures out what he likes.
Softer wheels make a big difference if you're cruising on rough roads; harder wheels are better if you're doing tech grinds on smooth concrete. Horses for course innit. If it's too harsh then wheels might be worth changing.