Stunt skateboards: features, model overview, tips for choosing

A regular longboard or a penny is enough to ride the city streets. For those who want to conquer the ramps in the park and amaze others with the wonders of acrobatics, a stunt skateboard has been created - a board with which you can perform the most dizzying jumps without losing control of the deck. Such models do not have particularly impressive characteristics for riding, but they have a lot of advantages that allow you to cope with moving over obstacles.

It is trick riding that makes it possible to become a master in skateboarding, turning children's entertainment into a professional sport for people with good physical fitness.

A stunt skateboard has a number of differences from conventional skateboards. Among its mandatory characteristics are:

• shortened deck for easy maneuvering;
• lifted up nose and tail for clicks;
• narrow and stiff suspension;
• small wheels with minimal shock absorption.

The best stunt skateboards are considered to be boards glued from thin layers of solid maple. - they are quite resistant to loads in horizontal and vertical planes, rarely break.

Depending on the choice of place and style of skiing, a stunt skateboard can target different directions.

1. A park. This style involves performing tricks on a special ramp that allows you to do the most technically difficult elements in the air.
2. Vert. The style that laid the foundation for trick skating. Requires the presence of a ramp, is notable for its spectacular performance.
3. Freestyle. A rarely used style now, which implies performing all tricks in one plane.
4. Straight. A style that uses terrain and obstacles to perform spectacular stunts. The most popular option for converting everything from railings to bumpers into sports equipment.
5. Flatland. A style in which all the performance elements are done on an asphalt or other flat surface.

The debate about how much a good stunt skateboard weighs has not arisen from scratch. For this category of boards, it is very important to lighten the deck weight as much as possible. The lower it is, the higher the jump will be, respectively, it is easier to perform trick elements on light skateboards.

Perhaps the only skateboards that are really unsuitable for tricks are longboards and freeboards. They do not have bent tail and nose, so jumping on such boards is unlikely to work. Beginners can start mastering tricks on the classics - boards, in which the width and length of the platform practically do not differ from each other. They are not focused on flying through the streets of asphalt jungle, but they have good jumping potential and good stability.

Another trick option is a snakeboard or streetboard with a movable nose and tail. It is well suited for Street style skating, is more agile than the classics, is geared towards experienced skaters and offers much more room for spectacular stunts.

Ripstick with independent platforms for each leg and a narrow crosspiece in the middle. Due to the peculiarities of its structure, such a design is well suited for riding. It is maneuverable, accelerates well, compact, and does not lose speed potential in motion. When riding on ripsticks, you don't need to push off with your foot - they balance on them, like on gyroboards.

The rating of popular models of stunt skateboards will help you find the answer to the question, which are the best.

• HelloWood Hipster 7.75. A Russian-made product, it is distinguished by its versatility and good quality. The Canadian maple deck has 7 layers, the surface is equipped with a non-slip coating. The dimensions of the foot platform are 79 × 19.7 cm. The wheels are 53 mm in diameter and 31 mm in width.

• Union 28 Screed. A versatile model that is equally well suited for riding in the park and in the city. The model is designed for weight up to 95 kg, the deck is made of plastic, has a length of 71.2 × 19.05 cm. Compact wheels reach 59 mm in diameter. The skate is suitable for beginners.

• Playshion Gun FS-WS002-3. Model with 31.5 '' Canadian maple deck. Very durable skate with 52x32mm polyurethane wheels, aluminum suspension and ABEC-9 bearings. It is a good choice for both a beginner and an experienced athlete.

• Tech Team Switch. A good stunt skate for beginners and professionals. Maple deck has 7 layers, 79 cm long by 20 cm wide, covered with abrasive material. Tracks are aluminum, wheels are rigid, polyurethane, 52 mm in diameter.

When deciding to choose a professional stunt skateboard, it is worth paying attention to the parameters of the board.

1. Manufacturing material. Canadian maple is considered the best, the material is durable and quite expensive. Cheaper boards are made from Chinese maple. The most budgetary models from a mixture of hardwoods.Such a board is rather unpredictable in riding and does not withstand serious loads.
2. Deck structure... For professional models, the number of layers reaches 9 pieces; inside there is a fiberglass core. In basic versions, there should be at least 7 interlayers - this is enough to provide the board with elasticity.
3. Deck length. The standard size of a trick skateboard is 31 inches. It is considered versatile, suitable for both kids and adult riders. Such a board can be chosen for schoolchildren from 8 years old and older.
4. Wheels. They should not have a large diameter or soft coating. To perform tricks effectively, you need small diameter, rigid wheels with a polyurethane coating.
5. Riding style. For a harder and more aggressive straight, it is better to choose boards with a movable tail and nose.

Among the most popular tricks on skateboards, there is a kick-turn that is accessible even to beginners. It involves lifting the front wheels, turning the board 180 degrees - a good workout for turning with a minimum radius, and a base for more difficult exercises. Once you've mastered the kick-turn, you can move on to olly. This jumping element is very entertaining, it allows you to control the board at the moment of taking off from the ground. The higher and longer the "allies" performed by the skater, the more tricks he will be able to master.

Simple and easy skateboarding tricks for beginners are presented below.