About Skateboarding

Top Gifts for Longboard Skateboarders

2009-12-04T17:29:23Z

Shopping for a gift for a longboarder? We have gift guides for regular skaters, but longboarders have a different style, and different wants! Check out this list to get some great ideas of things to ask for, or for things to get a longboarder! This list covers gear, wheels, videos and protection gear. Read the Top Longboarder Gifts List.

Top Gifts for Longboard Skateboarders originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 17:29:23.

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Skatepark Punks and Parenting

2009-12-02T21:36:01Z

Dylan writes, "I really want to go to my local skatepark but my mom won't let me because of the people that hang out there, what do i do."<p>

I've written an article called My parents wont let me skateboard - what should I do?, but this is something a little different. Dylan is already a skater - but his parents are concerned about the other skate punks at the skatepark. And you know, it makes a certain amount of sense - a lot of skaters ARE punks! My local skatepark is a pretty good place, but even there, if I had kids I wouldn't let 'em go alone!

This is a tough problem within skateboarding. Skateboarding's rough side is what drew a lot of us to it, and to be honest, it's something I love about the world of skateboarding! But it doesn't mean we have to be jerks ... we just end up being that way a lot!

My advice to Dyaln was that his mom could go and watch him skate, but to be honest that might not help... all parents are different, just like all skaters! What do YOU think? Leave a comment!

Skatepark Punks and Parenting originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 21:36:01.

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Mustang Session - Skateboards, Advertising and You

2009-11-30T19:16:46Z

Companies often send me e-mail asking me to promote something very loosely related to skateboarding on this site.� I usually just delete them, but this time, I want to share the love.� Ford is doing a series of videos for their new Mustangs where they grab people and create their Mustang Wish.� For example, famous drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. slid sideways in Japan, or a teenager drag raced his shop teacher.� For their ninth video, Pat Duffy and Jake Brown jumped in and made a skateboarding video, kind of, with the car squealing it's tires nearby, doing some pretty neat stuff, but then also spliced in with some ridiculous computer generated scenes with the car.� Honestly, Yeah Right has better special effects, and it's like five years old!

Watch the video here - it's called the Mustang Session.

So what do you think?� After watching this skate video / Mustang advertisement, do you think Duffy and Brown have "sold out"?� Personally, I think most everybody has sold out in one way or another but this kind of add is just strange.� Did you think it was cool?� Or is stuff like this lame?� We've seen Tony Hawk selling all kinds of stuff - is this just more of the same?� And how do you feel when you see stuff like this - does it work on you?� Leave a comment!

Mustang Session - Skateboards, Advertising and You originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 19:16:46.

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Heelflip Problems Kicking Your Butt?

2009-11-27T23:53:56Z

A reader named Chandler wrote in with a pretty common problem with learning how to Heelflip. He asked, "When ever I heelflip the board dosent flip all the way around it just lands upside down. Do I have to ollie higher? If i do how?"

For heelflips, your ollies do have to be pretty high. I'd say at least 2 feet. More is better. Getting a higher ollie can take a lot of work though - getting a higher ollie is all about getting a good solid pop, and then pulling up your knees. PULL 'EM UP! Read How Can I Make My Ollies Higher for more help with that.

The other thing to do is to practice. Keep at it. Some people learn tricks in an afternoon, and some people take longer. Much longer. Take your time, practice, and if it's taking too long to learn one trick then take a break and work on another one.

If you have any advice to add, or questions for more help with heelflips, post a comment below!

Heelflip Problems Kicking Your Butt? originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Friday, November 27th, 2009 at 23:53:56.

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Being Thankful for Being Big

2009-11-25T02:58:14Z

If you aren't from America, then this might be just an ordinary week for you. But if you ARE from the USA, then you know that tomorrow is THANKSGIVING! Time to eat too much turkey, and pass out on the couch while watching football. Good times!

I'm not a small guy, and holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas don't help! Mind you I don't think I'm "fat" exactly, but I am heavy. I work out, but I'm also a pig, and the fact of the matter is I'm a big guy!

Being a big guy is a bonus most of the time, but not so much in skateboarding. We tend to break boards, and have a harder time of it! Check out "What should heavy skaters do, to not break so many skateboards?" to get some great insights. There are a few things that the skater can do differently, and there are a couple of companies that make stronger skateboards.

And if you are the heavier skater, reading this, don't get down on yourself! Some great skaters are tall or stocky. There are some huge benefits to being a bigger skater! If you are having a tough time learning to skate, read this other FAQ, "What should big or tall skaters do when learning to skateboard?" And seriously, dude, bigger is better! It can be nice to have some presence to throw around the skatepark. Enjoy being who you are!

If you have any other suggestions to add, or know of any other tough skateboard brands, leave a comment!

Being Thankful for Being Big originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 02:58:14.

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Do Skaters Hate the Environment?

2009-11-23T16:52:14Z

There's been a lot of talk about environmentalism within skateboarding, but how do YOU feel about it? Let's find out! Here's a poll:

A few years back a strong current towards environmentalism kicked up within skateboarding. I just recently got an e-mail from a friend of mine who runs a skateboarding magazine in Asia, encouraging me to talk more about the environment on my site. This got me thinking - how much do you guys really care about this? Or, is this the loud minority? And, if you DO care, what are you, as a skater, doing about it? My guess is there's a lot of talk, and not much action going on. But maybe I'm wrong! Vote in the poll above, and leave a comment below if you have any ideas that skaters can do to help. Or, leave a comment if you are sick of hearing about this, and want to burn the Earth!

Do Skaters Hate the Environment? originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 16:52:14.

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The Caballerial in 3D (Fakie 360 Ollie)

2009-11-20T18:25:30Z

Stevie Caballero just posted a huge 3D picture of himself pulling off a mid Caballerial (or Fakie 360 Ollie) on his blogsite. The picture is pretty cool, but you need some old-style red and blue 3D glasses to see it! Here's what Steve said about the photo:

"This image was originally taken by Chris Eggers from Germany. Mike McGill and I were trainers at the Swedish summer camp in 1982 and on our way home, we visited Livingston skatepark in Livingston, Scotland. This was our first trip to Europe. Dee and Ian Urquhart (R.I.P) organized a demo at the park with more than 3000 spectators in attendance. This 3D simulation of Chris's original photo was created by a Brazilian skater named Eduardo."

The picture is a sweet chunk of history, and the 3D effect added to it makes it perfect! Especially with all the focus on 3D movies lately, it's cool to see this classic photo doctored up with classic blue-and-red 3D effects! In case you didn't put 2 and 2 together, Stevie Caballero invented the Caballerial.

Want to learn how to pull off a 360 Ollie? Good! Always push yourself to do more - if you aim at improvement, you will improve (I saw that in a fortune cookie). Check out these step-by-step 360 Ollie instructions, and get out there! Then try it fakie, and you've got yourself a Caballerial!

The Caballerial in 3D (Fakie 360 Ollie) originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 18:25:30.

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Tony Hawk Ride Hits the Shelves, and Tops Christmas Lists Worldwide

2009-11-17T17:28:04Z

Tony Hawk RIDE is in stores now! "This is the game I've always wanted to make," said Tony Hawk. "The skateboard peripheral opens up a whole new level of interactivity and physicality, allowing players to control the action with their whole body. I can't wait for everyone to jump on the board and ride."

Tony Hawk Ride is a new skateboarding video game that uses a wild new skateboard-shaped controller to play the game. This is a whole new idea in skateboarding video games. "Tony Hawk: RIDE is THE new way to play. It gives a whole new meaning to game night by allowing the entire family to challenge one another to competitions that are as fun to watch as they are to play," said Rob Kostich, head of marketing, licensed products, Activision Publishing, Inc. "It's the perfect activity for the entire family this holiday season...and anytime of the year."

Check out Tony Hawk Ride Screenshots to see what the game is like. If you've bought a copy, leave a comment below and tell us what you think! I'll be getting my review ready soon, but until then, how about YOU review the game, and tell us what YOU think! Leave a comment below!

Tony Hawk Ride Hits the Shelves, and Tops Christmas Lists Worldwide originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 17:28:04.

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New Skateboarding Magazine App - What Other Skateboard Apps are Out There?

2009-11-16T14:55:42Z

I just got an iPhone, and it rocks! I was one of those guys who never wanted to "sell out" and get one, but then I got an iPod Touch ... which is a total gateway gadget. I just kept thinking, "What if this thing could make calls?" Ugg. They got me.

But iPhones are pretty awesome, and there are piles of apps out there for skateboarding! One that JUST came out is the new Concrete Wave Magazine App. This thing JUST hit iTunes, and it's SWEET! You can read articles, check out photos, and lots more. It's slick, and only costs $.99. It's a new app, and they're planning to keep adding more and more - and to have stuff that you can ONLY see through the app. I'm stoked about it.

There are other skateboarding apps out there too - what are some other good ones, and what iPhone skateboarding apps should people steer clear of? Leave a comment below!

New Skateboarding Magazine App - What Other Skateboard Apps are Out There? originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 14:55:42.

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Etnies Creates a Skateboarding ... Hotel Room?

2009-11-13T00:47:19Z

Etnies has created a skateboarding hotel room. Seriously! In Laguna Beach, California in the famous Casa Del Camino Hotel. The room is designed to "tell the story of skateboarding roots through design".

Etnies also put a huge focus on "eco skate design" in the room. Here's a list of the room's features:

Shoe Scrap Headboard - a 6' x 11' mammoth mosaic consists of remnants of shoe material scraps that etnies uses in the research and design process as they create footwear
Reversed Shadow Box Wheel Mirror
Custom Desk and Shelves
Skate Free Mini Bar
The Pool Sink

Those are only a few of the design points. Check out more at Etnies.com. If you stay there, you also get four skateboards to use for the day, and an Etnies hat to keep. That might help ease the pain of the $200 a night it will cost to stay there...

So what do you think? Leave a comment below! I think it's a cool idea, but a bit much. If you have too much money though, and want to stay in a skateboarding-themed room on your trip to Laguna Beach ... well, this would be perfect, wouldn't it? I'm not sure how I feel about the marriage of skateboarding and the "eco-friendly" label ... not that I want to burn the Earth, though! What do you think of this room? Leave a comment!

Etnies Creates a Skateboarding ... Hotel Room? originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 00:47:19.

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