My Skateboard Tricks

posted by My Skateboard Tricks on Jul 8

Skateboarding UK

The United Kingdom is no stranger when it comes to skateboarding, and more so when they suggested to include skateboarding in the upcoming Olympics to be held in the UK as well. This might be a big break for skateboarders out there, but sometimes it’s good to take things nice and easy, as well as wild.

There are over a thousand skateparks registered in the UK, and it has been home for one of the best skateboarders to compete in the annual World Cup Skateboarding to be held in different locations around the world.

There is not much different when it comes to English skateboarders, although there are probably just a handful of terms they may use, it’s just the same as that in the US. Anything from skateboarding terms and definitions, the parts of a skateboard (some may be just a bit different) and at times they may go for the extreme when it comes to skateboarding. One of their best influences that took skateboarding in the UK by storm is during the 90s, especially when Tony Hawk has executed a successful 900 on the half-pipe.

For now, skateboarding in the UK is a strong as ever, although the same would have been said with the skateparks. There has been a handful of skateparks in the UK that is worth visiting, while the rest suffers from lackluster design and safety procedures that would drive UK skateboarders away. The United Kingdom Skateboarding Association was established on 2005, to help rehabilitate some of the danger prone skateparks in order to ensure existing and novice skateboarders a place for them to just let loose and ride.

As for the UK pro skateboarders, there have been a couple of them such as Ryan Sheckler and Gavin Strange, who have competed in the US X-Games, Mystic SK8 (Skate) in Prague as well as the World Cup Skateboarding.

There have been issues when it concerns skateboarding in the UK, and usually comes from certain counties (similar to States in the US) that may have little to no access to skateboarding. Although they may find a majority of them in major cities such as London, rural areas in the UK may or even may not even heard of skateboarding.

As for manufacturers, most of the owners are skateboarders themselves who have managed to keep the passion alive as they promote skateboarding in other parts in the UK.

posted by My Skateboard Tricks on Jul 6

Skateboarding Record Attempts

With skateboarding around, a lot of people have been attempting to go for the highest jump, grind or fall that would dominate the record for years, or probably days to come. Of course, these skateboarders know the risks involved, whether they are professional or amateur, and have dedicated their lives to beat the current rank.

Here are a few records that still stands today.

Gary Hardwick held the fastest speed on a skateboard, reaching up to 63 miles per hour. Though he claimed to have reached even higher, more so from other competitors, he still stands as the fastest skateboarder to date. Probably the only one who may have broken the records is Biker Sherlock, only while being towed by a motorcycle at 90 miles per hour.

Tony Hawk still holds the record for the 900, or two and a half turns on the vertical ramp. No other skateboarder has come close to achieve it, although there have been some attempts on beating the record by executing a 1080, or three full turns.

The highest ollie ever achieved is from Danny Wainwright a UK borne skateboarder as he reached a height of 44.5 inches. There have been attempts to beat the record, and one Peruvian skateboarder did attempt. Sadly it was a video and not a live attempt.

Danny Way was known to have attempted to jump across the Great Wall of China, and succeeded without the help of any special equipment or motors. He also broke the highest aerial jump that at 79 feet. This was his way of a skateboarder who lives for the passion, and lives to prove it again.

Rob Dyrdek was the first person to hold the most number of consecutive ollies, a total of 46 and was featured on an MTV show a few months back. No one has come close to breaking the record as of yet.

The number of record holders listed are but a few, only because that these tricks are considered base. Ollies, turns, twists and even speed are common elements that would ensure the skateboarder’s success rate in executing them. So what does that mean to an average skateboarder? For one thing, it may take some time before another skateboarder would attempt and managed to break any of these records.

It may not be possible now, but with sheer practice and determination above anything else, any skateboarder will soon make a name for themselves as being the only one to outdo the other.

posted by My Skateboard Tricks on Jul 4

Skateboarding for Dummies

There have been a few stories where an adult pushing 40 skateboards with his kids, thus promoting a sense of parental bonding between parent and child, and probably perform a few tricks of his own. Of course it doesn’t mean he’d go professional, otherwise Tony Hawk would still be competing.

There are a lot of things to know about when anyone wants to skateboard for fun or health reasons. Considering the fun factor involved, it takes a great deal of determination and a few scratches and bumps along the way.

The basic gear needed when it comes to skateboarding are a few things, mainly the skateboard itself, whether bought or borrowed, and some protective gear such as helmets and pads. It wouldn’t help a person’s self-esteem to see a couple of teenagers without such protection, but nowadays, skateboard parks require that every skater must have a helmet and protection. A good pair of shoes would be good, but better if skate shoes are purchased since it offers more grip on the skateboard.

The basics when using a skateboard for the first time is getting to know the skateboard. The best place to practice is where there’s minimal risk to injury, such as on a carpet or lawn. Standing on the skateboard and getting the feel of it, and try a few maneuvers like jumping on it. This sort of preparation is vital to know about the skateboard being used.

There are only a few people that can be ambidextrous, but knowing which foot goes on the board and the other for kicking would be vital. One way of knowing is to imagine kicking a ball and see which foot goes. It’s like finding the dominant foot to begin with. There are two types of stances when it comes to skateboarding, which are regular, where the left foot is used, and goofy, which is the right foot. Knowing where the dominant foot is would help with some of the skateboarding basics.

Once the basics have been mastered, it wouldn’t be embarrassing to fall off the skateboard a few times, so much like falling off a bike or getting a fresh scratch from a car. When it comes to that and want to stop, there are a few ways to do it, and the usual ones for beginners is to jump off while in motion if a collision is imminent. Turning requires the use of toeside or heelside, to move the weight of the body as they want to turn to a different direction.

Practice makes perfect.

posted by My Skateboard Tricks on Jul 2

Skateboarding for a Living

If the folks back in the 80s and 90s would scoff at the idea of skateboarding for a living, well, let’s just they were half right. Skateboarding requires a passion that is bigger than their own, and practicing does make perfect when it comes to being sponsored as a skateboarder. It would be a long journey, though, but the effort would be worth it.

Any skateboarder would be able to get a sponsorship in some of the major companies that are included in sporting events and the like. To start of is just practice the maneuvers and the tricks that would impress the sponsor. One such way is to have a friend film the skateboarder as he or she performs some of the moves. It can be anything and it’s like doing an video autobiography. In a way a writer would send their work to a publisher or literary agent, editing the video and showing only their best moves for a “sponsor me” video would keep it away from the slush pile.

Any town may have a skateboarding competition, regardless of the size and population. Checking online would be more useful, which the skateboarder may have to take time to travel in order to win. Starting off with local competitions and winning their way to more tougher ones would definitely be good when it comes to writing a resume for sponsorship.

Once the skateboarder have achieved the desired competition winnings and managed to perform never-seen tricks, it’s time to talk to the sponsors. There are practically thousands of small and large skateboard companies that are looking for fresh talent in order to endorse them. Sometimes it helps to start small by having a local skate shop sponsor the skater as he or she wins competitions and garnering a reputation. Eventually, larger companies for skateboarding or products involved in skating would be thrilled to have them in their roster.

Most skateboarders would find themselves to have a bit of an attitude at times, whether or not it borders on straightforward arrogance or just being angsty, sponsors are business people that have little patience for such people. Even though they are purely business, one thing they are looking for a skateboarder to sponsor is for their love to skate.

Playing it cool and having fun is all about skateboarding, and getting a good sponsor would definitely be a perk in order to achieve superstardom.