How to Buy a Skateboard as a Gift
Somebody you know and love wants a skateboard? Do them right!
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Things You'll Need
- Skate Rails
- Skateboard Decks
- Skateboard Helmets
- Skateboard Pads
- Skateboard Parts
- Skateboard Trucks
- Skateboard Wheels
- Skateboarding Shoes
- Skateboards
Instructions
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Start by determining how involved the recipient is (or is likely to become) with skateboarding. If this is going to be somebody's first skateboard, you have a number of options regarding how much money you want to spend and what quality of product you want.
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Go to a big toy store if you simply want a skateboard that looks like a skateboard. There will be plenty of knockoff brands and products that come preassembled for $50 to $80. You will most likely end up with a plastic or greenwood board, trucks that barely function as turning mechanisms, plastic or rubber wheels that will barely roll, and cheap metal bearings that will rust and seize at the first signs of moisture.
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Go to a large sporting goods store if you want a slightly better product. Most of these places also carry ready-to-go skateboards of moderate quality, and some carry products from the better skateboard manufacturers at discounted prices.
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Go to a skateboard shop if you want a top-quality product produced by a knowledgeable company. You may get overwhelmed in there, and you may spend more money than you would at one of your other options, but you'll be getting the best products available, and you'll be supporting companies and people that deserve it.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid buying "blank boards" - boards with no company or rider graphic. These are companies that suck the lifeblood out of the skateboarding industry. Because they have no riders or artists to pay, they keep all the profits and give nothing back to the skateboarders and the industry that allow them to exist.
Many shops have preassembled complete boards, especially around the holidays, at a cheaper price than you would end up paying if you put a board together piece by piece. Expect to pay around $100 for one of these.
If you are buying products for somebody who has been skateboarding for a while, check out "How to Buy Skateboard Parts," under Related eHows.
Inexperienced riders will learn how to ride faster and enjoy their board more if it's of high quality.
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Comments
View all 12 Comments-
Aug 08, 2006
Buy an Element skateboard. They are really durable. If you go to a skate park, most skaters will make fun of you if you have a WalMart board. -
Mar 06, 2006
The best thing you could possibly do is buy a Zero. They may be expensive, but I've had mine for four years and nothings gone wrong. So buy a Zero. With Royal trucks and Bones Redz bearings. And don't forget Spitfire wheels.
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Feb 28, 2006
Birdhouse make some of the toughest boards and have some of the best riders out there. I highly recommend Shorty's, Birdhouse, Element, Girl, and Hookups for durability. It really depends on who you ask. I noticed most kids under 20 will tell you that brands like Birdhouse, Santa Cruz and Hook-ups are a waste of money, but that seems to be because they grew up with the newer brands. If all their friends says Birdhouse sucks, then to them; Birdhouse sucks.
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Feb 28, 2006
Birdhouse make some of the toughest boards and have some of the best riders out there. I highly recommend Shorty's, Birdhouse, Element, Girl, and Hookups for durability. It really depends on who you ask. I noticed most kids under 20 will tell you that brands like Birdhouse, Santa Cruz and Hook-ups are a waste of money, but that seems to be because they grew up with the newer brands. If all their friends says Birdhouse sucks, then to them; Birdhouse sucks.
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Feb 08, 2006
Blank decks are great. Putting someones name and a graphic on a board doesn't make it any better. Don't let anyone tell you what brands are good and which are bad. Don't let anyone tell you that deeper concave is better, it's all about personal preference. Dooks shock pads are great, not because they absorb the shock but because they solve the problem of having your trucks on too tight (pressure cracks) vs. not tight enough (trucks wiggle). Your board will be 7-ply, not "at least 5-ply." Despite advertising, I have never noticed a difference between China wood" and 100% Canadian maple hardwood. For someone who you don't think will be too interested in skating, a WalMart board will be fine. I wouldn't recommend buying a board for a serious skater, we have very specific preferences. If you do buy one, this is pretty average size: 7.75" deck (width), 51mm wheels, 1" hardware, trucks that are mids or low.
