About the Parts on the Deck of a Skateboard

A skateboard is much more than a deck and four wheels. A skateboard is a well-designed piece of engineering whose parts work together to allow the rider to maneuver herself and the board to perform graceful, complicated feats of acrobatic skill on flat land, streets and street terrain, rails, and ramps. Most people are familiar with the deck and wheels on a skateboard, but all of the parts attached to the deck are integral in ensuring a board's performance.

Misconceptions

Many people see the skateboard as a piece of wood with four wheels. In fact, the skateboard is a piece of well-designed engineering that allows extreme sports fans to enjoy watching skate professionals like Tony Hawk and Bam Margera fly through the air, launching from giant ramps, or doing complicated flat-land tricks. In order to truly understand how the pros manage those graceful, amazing tricks, it is important to understand the tool. Each part of the skateboard plays a very important role in helping the rider create the excitement that extreme skating provides.

Function

The Deck
The deck of the skateboard is the wooden part that the rider stands upon. Generally it is made of a multiple-ply wood (usually maple, but sometimes this varies) that is compressed into a solid piece. The deck can be flat or concave, which means that it has some variation in level that many riders feel allows for better grip and more controlled manipulation of the board during tricks. Most decks measure in the neighborhood of eight inches wide, and around 32 inches long. However these sizes can vary greatly depending upon the style or model of the skateboard. There are different types of boards that are used for street skating and vertical skating, referred to as "vert" skating (ramps). Often times, the bottom of the deck is covered with a painted design, decals, or stickers, and can range from artistic to logos or other marketing for companies that sponsor the skaters.

The deck of the board is just the base, and does the rider little good without all of the attached parts.

Function

The Trucks
The trucks are the part of the skateboard that attach directly to the bottom side of the deck with four nuts and bolts each. There are two sets of trucks that are made of metal. Axles, bushings and kingpins form the trucks. Axles are the metal pieces upon which the wheels are attached and spin. The bushings are the plastic pads between the truck arm and truck base, so that the truck may pivot to allow maneuverability in turning. Kingpins are the bolts that hold the truck arms to the truck bases. Trucks range in color from metallic silver to red and black, and are generally titanium or aluminum alloy. There are many different types and brands of trucks, and the choice is generally a matter of personal preference. Quality trucks allow for more precision handling of the board, and are strong enough to withstand most tricks and quite a bit of wear and tear.

Function

The Grip Tape
Grip tape is the gritty adhesive tape that is found on the top of the deck. It looks like sandpaper, and comes in many different colors. Grip tape is used to provide better traction and footing for boarders when riding and attempting tricks. Grip tape can be laid upon the board in a single sheet, in two patches where feet are commonly placed, or even in complicated, mosaic-like patterns. Manipulation of grip tape is the key to successful flip tricks and shove-it tricks, because how a skater drags his feet along the grip tape determines whether the board flips and/or spins.

Function

The Wheels
Skateboard wheels are made of a type of polyurethane material. Skateboard wheels differ in hardness and offer different types of performance. Softer wheels are preferred by vert skaters most of the time, whereas harder wheels stand up better to the demands and rough terrain of street skating. Wheels often vary in size. Smaller wheels give less resistance and larger wheels offer more stability. Larger wheels are generally preferred by beginners to get a sense of stability when learning tricks. The center of each wheel houses two sets of bearings that help the wheels turn smoothly and thus enhance the board's performance ability. Like trucks, bearings vary in size, style, quality, price, and durability.

Function

Common Optional Parts
Other common skateboard parts are often optional. One optional part is called a riser, which changes the height of the board from the ground. The addition of risers allows for more personalized handling of the board during tricks, and can reduce shock to the feet and shins on simple flatland tricks.

Although not as common today, plastic guards for the nose and tail of the skateboard, as well as rails, have commonly been used to protect the edges of the board and the graphics on the bottom of the deck. Rails also made it easier to slide on rough terrain.

All of the parts of a skateboard have the potential to break or wear out with use (and sometimes abuse). The most commonly replaced parts of the skateboard are the deck and the kingpins, though bearings go bad quite frequently as well.