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The ollie is one of the most basic and revered tricks in the history of skateboarding invented by Alan “Ollie” Gelfand back in 1977. Back then, some tricks are named after the skateboarders who invented it, thus becoming a household name for skateboarders all over. There may be other names for skateboarding tricks during that time, but it may have been lost, or just hidden in other derivatives.

When it comes down to it, why even bother naming a newly invented trick? This is a more psychological aspect to get a name known all over the skating world, believing that would make him or her famous one day. If that were the case, Tony Hawk’s 900 would just have to be renamed “The Hawk”. For some skateboarders they would call it, and other pseudonyms that follow.

The base and advanced tricks used by many commentators and skaters themselves would determine the willing factor when it comes to competitions as they aim to win. Backside, McTwist, Caballerial, these are a few names that were invented over a decade ago, and none of them have garnered enough hot wind of an ego to make them falter. These skateboarders have gone through the basics, whether they know the names or not. The fact is they can perform those tricks, which for some would be considered as a weak spot or their strength.

There has been a lot of heated debate when it comes to names, and simply for a fact about who owns the trick in the first place. Just about any skateboarder could do a 720 on a half pipe, and it can be renamed as a double helix, or dual twister, it doesn’t matter. Sometimes it takes to try out a trick first before they rename it. There are no double standards when it comes to names since it’s just a trick to begin with.

The skateboarding world is ever changing, with new tricks to be discovered as of yet, while some have been renamed because it’s deemed “corny” in a way. There is no rule, unwritten or otherwise, when it comes to the origin of naming tricks, or is there an omnipotent deity that would declare a name and can’t change it anymore.

As long as the wheels of a skateboard continues to spin on the axles and the stunts performed, there is no way a name-calling for trick would ruin the spirit that is of a skateboard.

Author : Zul Affandy
Article From http://www.vikmall.com

Nowadays, skateboarding has been more than just a past time for most Americans, though not replacing baseball entirely, skateboarding is almost an expression in itself as teens and young adults would glide their way to feed their need to get aggressive. Of course it’s the same way when it comes to video games.

Some of the earliest known video games that include skateboarding would be California Games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, where it features all sorts of events, including half-pipe skateboarding. Then comes the 90s and today.

One of the most prolific skateboarding games since started with Tony Hawk Pro Skater for the PlayStation One, which offers a more simplified control system that still offers some decent 3D graphics. About 4 sequels have been made until other versions have appeared. Tony Hawk Underground removes itself from its predecessor and into a more realistic setting where players start off as amateur skateboarders and earn their way up with bigger funds and sponsors as they grind their way to success.

It features a much larger (in PS1 standards) world that would allow exploration of the virtual city the playable character is living in. It spawned 2 sequels.

The current games from Tony Hawk are still uncontested, especially his American Wasteland series and the upcoming Proving Grounds, where players make their way with a whole new role-playing scenario, better graphics and controls that challenges players to actually control how the skateboarder should go.

While some of the contenders for virtual skateboarding are still in the market (or sold on eBay), there have been a few notables to go for. One such Example is EA Skate, from Electronic Arts. Meant for the next generation consoles, reviews for EA Skate have been positive by far, yet some would complain for its very difficult control system that would often let the character stumble and fall more often than needed.

But considering the graphics that delivers with the new game, this may be the only shoe-in to dominate the skateboarding video game that has been left unchallenged since Tony Hawk.

There are other skateboarding games to mention, but most would be from obscure games, and some meant for kids (like a few Disney games). But if any person who wish to aspire becoming a skateboarder without having to go outside, the Tony Hawk series would be the best way to skate freestyle, without insult nor injury.

Author : Zul Affandy
Article From http://www.vikmall.com

For most skateboarders, they may know a few tricks when it comes to performing some interesting feats, or some may not even attempt due to certain attributes that would not allow them, like being too tall. But skateboard tricks have been a steady progress to bring an interesting feat that would challenge the skateboarder as well as capture the admiration of fans alike.

Tricks in skateboarding can be a strenuous, and may also be a dangerous experimentation to see if an idea would work. It pretty much relies on the determination of the skateboarder, and of course a bit of science involve since some tricks may not work the way they might see on sci-fi films, and the end result would be serious injury. Of course, skateboarding history still has a basis on how tricks work in modern times, and some of the best skateboarders have been known to add a little twist, thus renaming it a bit.

Freestyle tricks are considered as base tricks, which have been around for more than 30 years, are all about balancing on two wheels instead of four. From there, freestyle tricks are all about trial and basis, where maneuvering the board from this basic style would determine the difficulty and success of the trick.

Aerials have also been around since the late 70s, and the only to do them is through skateboarding in empty swimming pools, considered as the earliest known half-pipes. Some of the famous skaters like Tony Alva have invented aerial tricks that are still popular today in most skateboarding and extreme game competitions.

Flips are another variation of aerial tricks, this time relying on human strength and speed to achieve the maximum height and perform various tricks in midair. This is also known as a no-handed aerial move, and considered as the most popular style when it comes to difficulty and style in street skateboarding.

Slides and grinds are more of an accident in some ways, when it was around during the 90s when falling off the skateboard is considered a taboo. The object is to slide on any edge from stair rails, steps, or any smooth edged area by sliding on the truck or board of the skateboard. Considered as a property destroyer due to scraping, thus often performed without the presence of any authority.

And lip tricks is another form of grind, and would determine the vertical speed as it slides across the coping during a half-pipe maneuver.

There are varied styles of skateboarding tricks depending on the difficulty and style factor, but either way, it takes practice and care in order to perform more advanced stages of skateboarding tricks.

Author : Zul Affandy
Article From http://www.vikmall.com

There are a few skateboarders who tend to use their heads in a more productive way, like being programmers, artists, and so on, and so on. Of course, they’ve yet to find a skateboarder who can’t even fix their own skateboard, and the best way to teach a beginner is to know some of the tools of the trade.

When assembling a skateboard, there are a couple of tools needed, and some of them may be available in the garage. Screwdrivers and allen wrenches are the top of the lists, to make sure that the kingpin are locked in place as well as the screws that hold together the entire trucks. Knives are also needed, especially for those who wants to change the griptape of a new deck. Metal files would scratch out any unwanted blemishes, especially for certain protruding sharp edges. A vise is used to punch holes though the griptape.

 At least those are the basic tools. Now comes the slightly hard part.

Once a deck as been chosen, they begin by using the griptape, which is used to enhance the grip once they use the board and has an appearance and roughness similar to sandpaper. It can be bought in sheet as well as patterns and designs. Place the griptape on the deck by removing the paper to expose the adhesive side of the griptape. From there, it can be trimmed to fit using a sharp knife.

From there, use the vise to punch a hole through the gripboard in order to use the mounting bolts to install the trucks. Decks already have holes on them and are standardized so they don’t have to worry much about measuring. Once it’s there, the screwdriver will set the mounting bolts in place and fixing the trucks securely.

Even the trucks have their own bit of settings, and the allen wrench is the tool for that one. Since trucks are used when it comes to turning a skateboard to a different direction, a large bold called the kingpin holds it together and is padded with a bushing. It can be adjusted according to the skateboarder’s reference.

From there, it’s all about the wheels. It may seem easy at first, but it takes a bit of care, since shoving the wheel though the axle is tricky. Sometimes, it may take one or two tries, and the results may not be the same on the second attempt.

Author : Zul Affandy
Article From http://www.vikmall.com

Anything can be made dangerous, like jumping off a cliff or even just stubbing a toe at the doorjamb. But these are elementary risks that anyone with a lack of common sense would fall for. Skateboarders, on the other hand, are a different breed that thrive in such dangers, especially for those who lived in the 70s, where safety is the least of their concerns.

It would be easy to fall down on a skateboard if a beginner is involved, but an amateur or pro would find it strange when falling, especially when performing a trick they done a thousand time over. Skateboarding shoes have become a necessity for many, while others would think the corporate weasels are out to get their money for making shoddy products just to make a quick buck. In a way like baseball teams hire scientists to know the physics behind a curveball skateboarding tricks can be made better with the right show involved.

This is more than just wearing a moth-eaten pair of Chucks, as today’s shoes have been designed to allow the maximum amount of grip to ensure the trick’s success rate. There are practically hundreds of companies who brag about having the best skateboarding shoe out there, and now is the time to narrow the search list for the best of them all.

Purchasing a pair of skateboarding shoes requires that a skateboarder is committed to the sport, thinking that the price is too high when their own lives are involve. It’s an investment worth spending hard-earned cash for. There are certain requirements as well, and sometimes it doesn’t have to revolve around anything that says skateboard and shoe in one sentence.

Affordability is to watch out for, as one skateboarder may be comfortable wearing basketball shoes that are cheap than skateboarding shoes that may cost an arm and leg, literally. Starting off is to write a list of the top ten or fifteen shoes designed for skateboarding. Then comes the pricing, the design (for the fashion conscious) as well as the effectiveness of said shoe.

It may be hard to choose one now, especially for those who just skateboard as an activity with the kids. They won’t hate the skateboarder if they can’t afford to buy the shoes as long as they can make up for it with their skateboarding skills. Everything else will be easy once they decide on getting the shoe that fits a skateboard.

Author : Zul Affandy
Article From http://www.vikmall.com

There are times when skateboarding may be considered as a hobby, and sometimes spending a little more for a skateboard from people who are skateboarders themselves would be well worth the money spent. Today’s economy would find a lot of people searching for cheaper bargains that may cause a certain impact that would cause the skateboarding community to disappear altogether.

Skateboard purists wouldn’t let a price tag get to them, or their way when it comes to buying what is best for them. Since skateboards today can be tailor made according to the specifics, or even preference of the skater, there have been hundreds of companies that offer quality parts from decks, trucks, gear and accessories to make sure that the skateboarding would won’t die.

When it comes down to it, parents who want to buy a skateboard for their kids would find themselves in a pickle. It’s not like buying a first bike, or a tricycle, since some people may have more than one bike per household. A skateboard has the same dimensions, parts, and function that can be used by people of any age. When picking up a skateboard to practice on, it would be good to buy a skateboard may by skateboarders themselves.

Quality may set the difference between being the skateboarder for twenty years than 20 minutes. Indifference may play a part when it comes to buying a cheap skateboard just because they want to get it over with as stores like Wal-Mart and the like would sell them for a fraction of the price. What more, globalization has taken to the point where they seek out cheap labor to start mass producing skateboards that may or may not be tested. A skateboard can and will break when its time comes, but it shouldn’t be the way that most veteran skateboarders would know about.

The impact when it comes to cheap versus expensive skateboards would definitely affect the skateboarding community as well. There can be several examples when a mass production on in-line skates from countries like China and India have flooded the market that would result to inferior construction.

It was shocking at first when the X Games removed aggressive in-line off their competition list, but hopefully the skateboarding world wouldn’t follow suit. It would be better for a skateboarder to buy a skateboard from a skateboard shop in India rather than the ones mass-produced in the same country. At least that shop knows and lives for the passion of skateboarding.

Money may be scarce in a way, but there is no substitute for quality over cheap quantity.

Author : Zul Affandy
Article From http://www.vikmall.com

It’s the latest rage, or so says one brand of skateboarding shoes that invented human skateboarding. What are the requirements? It’s basically finding a big enough human being, preferably male, and can support at least the skateboarder’s weight. Skill not required. The human skateboard may or may not be impervious to injury.

It sounds like a gimmick for a lot of people, but in its own way it’s been a rage that garnered a couple of good laughs as well as copycats with their own videos. The process of capturing the video with tricks and stunts that human skateboarders can’t do in real life is called stop-motion video. This filming technique has been around for decades, if some would remember Gumby or A Nightmare before Christmas, to cite a few.

The idea was based on an advertising campaign by one company that specializes in skateboard shoes last year, which just about every skateboarder on the planet have voted it as the advertisement of the year in popular voting.

Ever since that commercial, there have been some similar imitations, usually from popular media content websites from amateurs who happened to be skateboarders themselves. The company who created the commercial never seem to have any qualms, in fact they dedicated a website for those who want to have a few laughs with their human skateboarding tricks. Rule and guidelines are followed, and of course some safety precautions that in order to protect the human skateboard itself… or himself.

Some of the best footages from human skateboarders have been shelling out different scenarios and the like. One such example on funny moments is when the human skateboarder ‘crashes by accident’, which the human skateboard was flipped over its back, causing the skateboarder to wipeout.

It’s hard to find a lot of marketing gimmicks and strategies when it concerns skateboarding, as most of these companies would fight tooth and nail just to earn the favor of the consumer. Considering the facts, it would appear that skateboarding may only be meant for the professionals only. But what are professionals skateboarders made of?

It’s refreshing to see a company that seems to know and understand what a skateboarder really is. Deep down, they want to have fun, to the extent that they make fun of the only sport they do for a living.

Ideas such as the human skateboard have garnered the respect from both professionals and amateur skateboarders alike, realizing that skateboarding is supposed to be fun, not product placements only.

Author : Zul Affandy
Article From http://www.vikmall.com

There are three ways to enjoy skateboarding, and the most common way for most skaters are either street skateboarding, verts and the skatepark. Considering the differences between the three, the skatepark is perhaps the most advanced.

Skateparks have a varying degree when it comes to slopes, terrain, and overall construction that would set it apart with the rest of the world. Like waves in suspended animation, it takes a great deal of time and energy to be able to maneuver their way that can last for hours. More so when there are more skateboarders around so traffic can get a bit tricky.

The similarities between vertical skateboarding and skateparks lead to one thing, the dropping in. This is by far an advance skill that would require a lot of confidence to go with it since the drop consists of setting up position on the edge of the park, called the coping, and from there, the skater needs to stomp hard enough to have the front wheels to hit the ramp. There is no turning back once dropping in, and there are other things to consider once the skater has gotten the feel of the overall terrain. One rule that is mandatory on any skatepark is to wear a helmet and pads.

Like plotting for the next destination, skateparks have different slopes, humps and even hills that would determine the longevity of the ride. First thing to consider when going to the skateboard park for the first time is to have a feel of the layout and plotting the destination. It would be hard to go through things at random, resulting to some shock treatment that any first time skater wouldn’t want to experience.

There is a different feel when skateboarding on different materials such as asphalt, concrete, steel and the like, and sometimes the skateboard’s wheels may not be appropriate for it. Keep in mind that skateboarding has its own criteria, and it can’t always be where it shouldn’t.

Vert skateboarding is uniform without any obstructions whatsoever as it’s meant for speed and height while skateparks can be a challenge like going through a different golf club all over. Making sure to plot the destination before dropping in, it would lessen the chance of having to force the skateboarder to go to a ramp or hill that they are not prepared to go or worse collide with another skater.

It takes practice and confidence that should be bigger than their own.

Author : Zul Affandy
Article From http://www.vikmall.com

There are over hundreds of brands to choose from, and since the subject is not about the durability or the construction of the skateboard itself, most skateboarders would also emphasize style and graphics to deliver a statement.

Graphics have been something of a mystery ever since the history of skateboards, and haven’t been a topic of discussion considering that the skateboarder makes the skateboard, and how it’s being used. For most beginners, it may help to have a decal or two emblazoned on the skateboard, to give an illusionary effect when it comes to attaining enough confidence to dropping in on a skatepark. Some would rather just do it themselves with some spray paint, but it wouldn’t hurt to know what sort of companies that offer graphic designs for skateboard decks.

Death Skateboards is all about making fun of death in a way, where the crossbones have a more hilarity to it that would make serious skater just laugh and have fun in the process. Most of their designs are a basic black and white, with some colored with varying graphics just meant for the fun factor. The decks are made with a high-grade 7-ply board complete with their own line of wheels as well as apparel.

5boro is a New York based company with a lot more city-slicker factor when it comes to their deck graphic designs. It offers an array of decks to choose from ranging from the hip-hop motif to religious artifacts that would catch the attention of skateboarders all over.

Alien Workshop is also another brand that has a more interesting approach when it comes to graphics. Somewhat art deco to the surreal, or just plain classic, their decks graphic design are created for the imaginative, reaching out to the weirdness that is human enough to comprehend. They also offer various apparel and accessories to trick out the skateboarder for that feel good attitude as they carve the streets with their decks.

Other ways to trick out the skateboard is to know of an artist who can use an airbrush. Depending on the friendship level (in order to get it for free), some shops have their own graphic artists in order to create some custom jobs for plain-looking skateboards.

More than just pimpin’ their ride, graphic designs have made skateboarding a more interesting and even artistic to a point as they perform feats and tricks that others would soon follow suit.

Author : Zul Affandy
Article From http://www.vikmall.com

When it comes to skateboards, there are no age limits that would prevent them from learning the basics as long as they have a sense of balance, encouragement and old enough to know about minor injuries are. It may sound difficult at first, but kinds can go straight to using skateboards used by teenagers and adults.

One thing for sure, cheap skateboards with their favorite cartoon characters are essentially unsafe, so much like skateboards are dangerous by nature without the proper knowledge and practice that goes with it. Considering this thought, it would be best to spend the proper amount for a quality skateboard and some stickers if they want Mickey on the deck.

Skateboard companies have been investing in producing some of the best complete skateboards in the market today for as low as $70. They many not be the ones the pros use, but they are certainly made with the same quality materials and assembly that made the company famous for. Angelboy, for example have a line of complete skateboards that comes complete with graphics of, mostly cartoon style, characters that are not too violent for anyone’s taste and vibrant at the same time.

This way, they’ll be able to use the skateboards until they reach their teen years. If the kid’s knowledgeable about skateboards, they may want to buy the pro grade skateboards. They may cost more than $100, but they would probably use it for as long as they can, and that would be years.

World Industries offer the same lineup of complete skateboards with their own characters especially for kids. Ranging within the $70 mark, the construction is solid and would not break easily, lest the child actually smashed it or it gets run over by accident. Graphics-wise, they represent more on simple humor but with vibrant designs that would keep the kid’s attention on the skateboard for longer periods.

And the most important part when getting a kid his or her first skateboard is the necessary protection gear needed. Helmets and knee and elbow pads are a must, especially when the kid have managed to get the basic s of skateboarding on their own and work their way up to some basic tricks.

Such gear may have to be bought a few times, depending on how much the child has grown, but it’s money well spent on a hobby, and maybe even career as the child develops the love and appreciation in skateboarding.

Author : Zul Affandy
Article From http://www.vikmall.com