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What One Should Know About Any Skateboard Brand

By Margaret Ward


Skateboarding is done using a sports equipment called a skateboard. Skateboards vary a lot in design depending on the applications they are intended for. The modern market has skateboards of various types made by different companies. One can find almost any kind of skateboard brand they want on the international market. Construction is often done by a combination of Maplewood and polyurethane coating although other materials may be used too.

Skateboards are often placed in two major categories, that is shortboard and longboard. Like the name suggests, shortboards are smaller in length and width compared to longboards. They incorporate smaller wheels, which makes them to be slower than longboards. On the other hand, longboards have longer wheelbases, making them to travel faster. Longboards can be as long as 90 centimeters long or more.

The wheels of longboards are larger and are often made softer. The big size of the wheels makes them suitable for use in rough terrains. They have better ability to move through mud and rugged landscape. Because of their ability to move faster, longboards are often used for racing and cruising. Conversely, shortboards are used for performing tricks. They are made with a more concave shape to enhance their ability to perform tricks.

Riding a skateboard takes skills that one must learn fast. Without proper skills, one can sustain major injuries due to falls. Riding involves using one foot to propel the device forward and retaining the other foot on the board. This is usually the case with manual boards. However, the situation has changed with the introduction of electric skateboards. These brands have come up due to technological advancement in this industry.

Propulsion by foot is no longer necessary with the invention of electric models. These one have electric motors for propulsion. Electric batteries provide power for the electric motor. Skateboards come in many colors including white gray, yellow, and black. Others have multiple colors while other include graphical content.

Modern models of skateboards have higher levels of safety, efficiency, and functionality because they incorporate many features. Grip tape for instance is good for improving safety. Grip tapes have one side smeared with adhesive and attached to the board and the other side made rough like a sand paper. The rough side gives feet grip.

Polyurethane is the main material used to make wheels on skateboards. Wheels differ in many aspects including shape, size, and hardness depending on the skating application they are meant for. The size of larger wheels falls between 55 and 85 mm of diameter, making them suitable for transition skateboarding. Street skateboarding usually requires wheels with smaller diameter. This allows for lower top speed, better response time, and lower center of gravity.

Hardness of the wheels of skateboards is measured on the Shore durometer A scale. Hardness ranges from soft to very hard. Since the Shore durometer A scale has a smaller range of hardness, some manufacturers have shifted to using the B and D scales. These scales have larger ranges of hardness.




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