Most all skateboards are design to be ridden in a specific direction. The tail of your board is the “kicktail” that is designed to be in the back end of you board. Most boards are designed to have a slightly shorter and narrower tail. If you have trouble deciding which kicktail is the tail you can usually tell by the graphic of the board as well. When a board is placed in a vertical position you should be able to read the text on the graphic if the tail is pointed down.

Speedwobble occurs at high speeds when your trucks are too loose. The board will begin to shake violently and often times will result in the rider being thrown from the board. This can be prevented by simply tightening your trucks whenever you plan on bombing a hill.

Most all skateboards are design to be ridden in a specific direction. The nose of your board is the “kicktail” that is designed to be in the front of you board. Most boards are designed to have a slightly longer and broader nose. If you have trouble deciding which kicktail is the nose you can usually tell by the graphic of the board as well. When a board is placed in a vertical position you should be able to read the text on the graphic if the nose is point up.

The wheelbase of a board is measured from one inner pair of mounting holes to the other. Most skaters with longer legs prefer a longer wheels base. Average wheelbases can be anywhere from 13”-15”, choosing a wheelbase is mostly about comfort and personal preference.

If you look on the side of the board you will notice thin layers of wood that are often times multi-colored, those are the plies. Most boards use seven plies of maple with a cross grain pattern. The ply design gives a deck more strength than a solid piece of wood.

If you look down the length of your board you will notice that the long section between the nose and tail is not perfectly flat. Most boards will curve up a little towards the edges creating a bowed shape. Concave gives the board additional strength and the rider additional control.

When choosing a skateboard, consider your weight and height before deciding what size board to go for. The heavier and/or taller you are the better off you'll be on a larger, wider board, however you may prefer to start off on a larger board anyway to provide you with stability until you decide what style of riding you are going to adopt. Decks are usually made from layers of laminated wood plys (usually 7) and vary in length and size. Most deck widths range between 7.5 and 8.5 inches, and lengths, from around 31 to 33 inches. Your choice will depend on the type of riding you want to do. The smaller, lighter decks are usually easier to control and flip. Whereas the larger, heavier decks are more stable and are good for riding transitions or doing stairs and gaps. The rest is down to personal preference in terms of wheel base, nose, and tail length. Most decks (except for some longboards) have a raised nose, tail, and sides. This is called the concave. The depth and overall shape of the concave has a dramatic effect on the response of the skateboard. The deeper the concave, the more aggressive the skater can be with their tricks. The shallower the concave, the more forgiving the deck is for newer skaters. Grip Tape is applied to the top of the deck and provides you with traction. There are loads of different colors & graphics available but they all do the same basic job.