Skateboard confusion
Discussion
Been directed to purchase a Skateboard for youngest daughter's ninth birthday present.
Thought that it would be a simple task, but I'm now lost in a confusion of board lengths, deck shapes, cruiser boards, flip boards and god knows what else.
Anyone offer some help? She's going to a local skate park with her friends once a week, and is a complete beginner but wants to learn to do some tricks.
Thought that it would be a simple task, but I'm now lost in a confusion of board lengths, deck shapes, cruiser boards, flip boards and god knows what else.
Anyone offer some help? She's going to a local skate park with her friends once a week, and is a complete beginner but wants to learn to do some tricks.
OP, not sure where you're based, but a friend of mine owns ESP in Chichester (an extreme sports shop).
His name is Jamie, nicest bloke you'll ever meet, and very very helpful. Give him a call maybe? (A quick google will bring up the phone number, not sure I'm allowed to post it).
(ADMINS PLEASE DELETE IF NOT ALLOWED)
His name is Jamie, nicest bloke you'll ever meet, and very very helpful. Give him a call maybe? (A quick google will bring up the phone number, not sure I'm allowed to post it).
(ADMINS PLEASE DELETE IF NOT ALLOWED)
Got this for my lad for Christmas: https://www.skatehut.co.uk/skateboards/complete_sk...
He's just turned 7, is tall for his age (128cm) but the recommendation still seemed to be towards a mini at this height as it's easier to handle.
He's just turned 7, is tall for his age (128cm) but the recommendation still seemed to be towards a mini at this height as it's easier to handle.
Vaud said:
Ask her what her friends have / what she thinks is cool?
She's got no idea either. Apart from she doesn't want pink.To her a skateboard is a skateboard (as it was to me before i started this mission) and she's got no idea of the number of available variations, or as to which ones would suit her best.
I would suggest "a cheap one".
Go to Smiths and get something that you won't mind if it spends the rest of it's life in the garage getting occasional service when you need to move a washing machine. My experience of 9 year old girls suggests that they have many passing interests. You can always buy a good one if she wears the cheap one out.
Go to Smiths and get something that you won't mind if it spends the rest of it's life in the garage getting occasional service when you need to move a washing machine. My experience of 9 year old girls suggests that they have many passing interests. You can always buy a good one if she wears the cheap one out.
How old is she?
General variation will be in the board width. You can get "mini" decks that are slightly shorter than a regular board...this can be good if shes small or under 10yo for example.
A good place to start is a board width of 7.5"...fashion is to ride wider boards these days (8" plus), but she will find a 7.5 a lot more manageable.
I would suggest hitting up routeone.co.uk, and having a look at their complete setups, they will offer budget setups through to pro.
A blank (no graphics) deck and decent trucks/bears/wheels will see her right for a long time if she looks after it.
Any other questions, shoot, i skated for 15 years and still go for the odd roll around.
General variation will be in the board width. You can get "mini" decks that are slightly shorter than a regular board...this can be good if shes small or under 10yo for example.
A good place to start is a board width of 7.5"...fashion is to ride wider boards these days (8" plus), but she will find a 7.5 a lot more manageable.
I would suggest hitting up routeone.co.uk, and having a look at their complete setups, they will offer budget setups through to pro.
A blank (no graphics) deck and decent trucks/bears/wheels will see her right for a long time if she looks after it.
Any other questions, shoot, i skated for 15 years and still go for the odd roll around.
Oldandslow said:
I would suggest "a cheap one".
Go to Smiths and get something that you won't mind if it spends the rest of it's life in the garage getting occasional service when you need to move a washing machine. My experience of 9 year old girls suggests that they have many passing interests. You can always buy a good one if she wears the cheap one out.
A cheap Smyths board will likely cause her to lose interest quicker than anything, a semi proper board with bearings that arent made out of paper wont be much more and will allow her to at least try before she gets boredGo to Smiths and get something that you won't mind if it spends the rest of it's life in the garage getting occasional service when you need to move a washing machine. My experience of 9 year old girls suggests that they have many passing interests. You can always buy a good one if she wears the cheap one out.
As a beginner wantmg to do tricks thete will be pain and bloody knees 😂
Id go for something with a double kick , sealed bearings and some decent size PU wheels with grip tape on the deck .
Looks like you can get a basic starter with all the above aroubd £30 although i suspect the trucks will be very average at that price a beginner wont really notice
I had a full size board when i was about 10 i found the smaller ones difficult to ride . Quick google threw up skatehut they seem to have a reasonable cheap ready to ride range.
Id go for something with a double kick , sealed bearings and some decent size PU wheels with grip tape on the deck .
Looks like you can get a basic starter with all the above aroubd £30 although i suspect the trucks will be very average at that price a beginner wont really notice
I had a full size board when i was about 10 i found the smaller ones difficult to ride . Quick google threw up skatehut they seem to have a reasonable cheap ready to ride range.
designforlife said:
How old is she?
General variation will be in the board width. You can get "mini" decks that are slightly shorter than a regular board...this can be good if shes small or under 10yo for example.
A good place to start is a board width of 7.5"...fashion is to ride wider boards these days (8" plus), but she will find a 7.5 a lot more manageable.
I would suggest hitting up routeone.co.uk, and having a look at their complete setups, they will offer budget setups through to pro.
A blank (no graphics) deck and decent trucks/bears/wheels will see her right for a long time if she looks after it.
Any other questions, shoot, i skated for 15 years and still go for the odd roll around.
That's great info. Just the sort of thing a clueless father needs General variation will be in the board width. You can get "mini" decks that are slightly shorter than a regular board...this can be good if shes small or under 10yo for example.
A good place to start is a board width of 7.5"...fashion is to ride wider boards these days (8" plus), but she will find a 7.5 a lot more manageable.
I would suggest hitting up routeone.co.uk, and having a look at their complete setups, they will offer budget setups through to pro.
A blank (no graphics) deck and decent trucks/bears/wheels will see her right for a long time if she looks after it.
Any other questions, shoot, i skated for 15 years and still go for the odd roll around.
Dodsy said:
As a beginner wantmg to do tricks thete will be pain and bloody knees ??
Id go for something with a double kick , sealed bearings and some decent size PU wheels with grip tape on the deck .
Looks like you can get a basic starter with all the above aroubd £30 although i suspect the trucks will be very average at that price a beginner wont really notice
I had a full size board when i was about 10 i found the smaller ones difficult to ride . Quick google threw up skatehut they seem to have a reasonable cheap ready to ride range.
Something like this?Id go for something with a double kick , sealed bearings and some decent size PU wheels with grip tape on the deck .
Looks like you can get a basic starter with all the above aroubd £30 although i suspect the trucks will be very average at that price a beginner wont really notice
I had a full size board when i was about 10 i found the smaller ones difficult to ride . Quick google threw up skatehut they seem to have a reasonable cheap ready to ride range.
https://www.skatehut.co.uk/skateboards/complete_sk...
7.5" width (pretty much
Double Kick
Slightly smaller (she's not particularly tall)
No idea if the bearings are sealed or not
54mm wheels - are they a decent size?
boyse7en said:
Something like this?
https://www.skatehut.co.uk/skateboards/complete_sk...
7.5" width (pretty much
Double Kick
Slightly smaller (she's not particularly tall)
No idea if the bearings are sealed or not
54mm wheels - are they a decent size?
I'd be more inclined to go with one of the Renners available for the same price, you are paying for the TH name on that one and I think this is slightly better specced (caveat its been years since I looked at any of this)https://www.skatehut.co.uk/skateboards/complete_sk...
7.5" width (pretty much
Double Kick
Slightly smaller (she's not particularly tall)
No idea if the bearings are sealed or not
54mm wheels - are they a decent size?
https://www.skatehut.co.uk/skateboards/complete_sk...
Don't forget to pick up a skate tool as well -
https://www.skatehut.co.uk/skateboards/tools/enuff...
Very useful to have handy when one of your (her) trucks invariably loosens off.
Used to skate over a decade ago, no good at it but when I got my second board the guy threw in a free skate tool and said it'd be the best fiver I hadn't spent. He was right.
https://www.skatehut.co.uk/skateboards/tools/enuff...
Very useful to have handy when one of your (her) trucks invariably loosens off.
Used to skate over a decade ago, no good at it but when I got my second board the guy threw in a free skate tool and said it'd be the best fiver I hadn't spent. He was right.
Edited by Second Best on Wednesday 9th May 18:21
So I have just bought one - actually bought my son a Star Wars Santa Cruz board when we were on hol in the US and he’s just old enough now that I put some wheels on it
I was never a skater - had a token plastic board as a kid but never tried even an Ollie. so I didn’t even know what I needed to but so went to the skate shop and they explained it all and I put it all together and he loves it. He can’t use it at all yet but I got interested in them and so have bought one myself
Anyhow had a go on it today and it’s bloody hard I can balance and turn etc but the step to doing an Ollie let alone a trick looks super big. Makes me really appreciate how hard a sport it is as have generally found picking things up like skiing, snowboarding etc fairly easy.
Anyone else gone from basically nothing to being able to do intesting things on a board at an older age - I’m turning around 40 this year...
I was never a skater - had a token plastic board as a kid but never tried even an Ollie. so I didn’t even know what I needed to but so went to the skate shop and they explained it all and I put it all together and he loves it. He can’t use it at all yet but I got interested in them and so have bought one myself
Anyhow had a go on it today and it’s bloody hard I can balance and turn etc but the step to doing an Ollie let alone a trick looks super big. Makes me really appreciate how hard a sport it is as have generally found picking things up like skiing, snowboarding etc fairly easy.
Anyone else gone from basically nothing to being able to do intesting things on a board at an older age - I’m turning around 40 this year...
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff