If you are just starting your skateboarding journey or getting your little one their first skateboard, one of the questions that pop up in your mind should be, what skateboard should I get as a beginner?
- Things to consider while getting a Skateboard for beginners
- Top 10 Skateboard Brands for beginners
- 1. Element Yang 7.875” Complete Skateboard
- 2. Blind Late Night Youth 7.375” Complete Skateboard
- 3. Anti Hero Face 7.75” Complete Skateboard
- 4. Enjoi Negative Space 8” Complete Skateboard
- 5. Almost Dark Knight 8” R7 Premium Complete Skateboard
- 6. Real New Light Complete Skateboard
- 7. Globe Concrete Dreams Breeze 7.625” Complete Skateboard
- 8. Toy Machine Premium Complete Skateboard
- 9. Prism Grit 27 Cruiser Complete Skateboard
- 10. Sector Nine Strand 34” Cruiser Complete Skateboard
- Concluding thoughts
However, you are likely to get various answers from experienced persons you ask, and every store or website you look up. This often makes choosing your first skateboard quite difficult, particularly as a beginner.
To make this easier for you, we have put together some helpful tips to guide you on what skateboard is suitable for your skill level, as well as what to look out for in a quality skateboard.
We also have our top ten skateboard picks for beginners included in this article, and would provide answers to some of the questions you might have. If you follow through on all the tips discussed here, you are sure to start off your journey on the right foot.
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Things to consider while getting a Skateboard for beginners
Before we go into our list of recommended skateboards for beginners, let’s look at a few things you should know in order to find a skateboard that suits your needs.
There are slight differences in the shape and nature of individual skateboards, as well as ones that are designed for certain terrain. Your ideal skateboard would depend on where and how you want to skate.
Types of Skateboards
Skateboards are fundamentally identical in structure and at first glance, you might hardly be able to differentiate the individual components. However, there are indeed differences in the various parts of a skateboard, with the deck being the most prominent.
Basically, you can divide skateboards into Classic Skateboards, Cruisers, and Longboards.
1. Classic Skateboards
Classic skateboards are commonly used in skate parks, a bowl, or on the ramps. The popsicle deck of classic skateboards is the most widely used form. By popsicle, it means the nose and tail of the deck are shaped similarly, as such, you can drive whichever end.
While the most common form is the popsicle shape, there are other variants of classic skateboards which bring us to shaped decks.
Unlike popsicle decks, shaped decks do not have a uniform shape. The nose or tail usually has a special shape which could be angular or pointed. Of the two-deck shapes, we recommend popsicle decks for beginners.
2. Cruisers
Cruisers are often different from normal skateboards in length, width, and sometimes shape. More notably, the wheels of a cruiser are softer than those of a normal skateboard which accounts for the relaxed cruising experience you get when riding one.
Unlike park, bowl, or ramp skateboarding, cruisers are perfect if you simply need a skateboard to travel short distances within your city. Plus, they are usually pre-assembled and ready for action.
3. Longboards
Longboards usually have much longer decks that are shaped differently from that of a normal skateboard. They also have larger wheels and are unsuitable for tricks like kickflips and ollies. Instead, they are ideal for covering long distances like going downhill a mountain, or around a lake.
In case you have been wondering whether to get a skateboard or a longboard, this pretty much answers your question.
Size of the Skateboard
When it comes to the size of a skateboard, the width is usually what’s considered. Although the length of the deck could also play a role, the width is more relevant.
To start with, your height and shoe size are great guidelines to help you find the right deck size. If you are around 130cm or taller, a regular deck of width ranging from 7.50 to 8.50 inches would do.
However, your personal preference would determine how long or short, wide or narrow your board would be in the long run. Also, various trends in skateboarding can likewise determine the preference for certain sizes or shapes at any given period.
Pre-assembled or custom Skateboards
The different components of your skateboard have varied specifications and should fit together. For instance, not all trucks fit on every skateboard deck.
To avoid the stress of putting your skateboard setup together, we recommend that you buy a pre-assembled — otherwise known as a complete, skateboard.
On the other hand, if you know exactly what you want, your local skate shop can build a custom skateboard to your exact specifications.
Skateboards by terrain
Finally, when deciding on your skateboard setup, you should consider the style of skating you intend to practice more often.
§ Skate Parks, Bowls, Ramps, or All-Round
If you want to skate in skate parks, bowls, ramps, or keep your options open, we recommend you get a regular double-kick skateboard with a wide deck. Wide – because it offers you more space to stand and land. Mid or standard trucks would be best suited for this setup.
Also, you should opt for soft, medium to large-sized wheels as this would increase your board’s grip on the smooth surfaces in skate parks.
§ Street Skating
On the flip side, if you and your board are kings of the street, it’s best to go with the setup from this category.
Street skating often involves you encountering obstacles like stairs, railings, benches, and the like. As such, we recommend you get a narrow deck as they are easy to flip and more sturdy.
Low or mid trucks would also be great and we would recommend hard, small wheels for faster acceleration and easier maneuvering.
Phew! Now, this is the list of our top 10 recommended skateboard brands for beginners.
What Skateboard should I get as a beginner? – Top 10 Skateboard Brands for beginners
1. Element Yang 7.875” Complete Skateboard
The Element Yang 7.875” skateboard comes off the shelf ready to roll! It is a perfect choice for a first board and is suitable for both street and park riding. Its 95a wheels give you easy rollover on rough terrain and allow enough room for errors when learning tricks. Plus, the Yang comes with colorful James Bond graphics you will love.
2. Blind Late Night Youth 7.375” Complete Skateboard
This board has a youthful, eye-catching setup that’s great for young skateboarders. The 7.375” deck is narrow enough for street skateboarders and first-time riders as well. It is light and easy to flip which makes it perfect for learning tricks. If you are a young rider eager to explore various styles of skateboarding without having to struggle with oversized boards, the Late Night Youth is for you.
3. Anti Hero Face 7.75” Complete Skateboard
The Anti Hero Face 7.75” is best suited for street skateboarders. While it’s great for grinding rails, the deck is still big enough to get above the copings in skate parks. Made with Anti Hero’s signature graphics, the board is light yet sturdy enough for learning tricks and grinding rails. Its ready-built setup makes it even easier for first-time riders to start practicing and build their skills.
4. Enjoi Negative Space 8” Complete Skateboard
The Enjoi Negative Space 8” comes ready to hit the skate park straight out of the box, with a cool Panda logo graphic. It’s a classic skateboard complete with Enjoi 52mm 92a wheels, Abec 7 bearings, and 5.25 Tensor Trucks. It’s simply perfect for any form of skating!
5. Almost Dark Knight 8” R7 Premium Complete Skateboard
The Almost Dark Knight 8” skateboard is of high quality with top-notch deck construction. Unlike most skateboard companies that press 5 decks at a time, Almost utilizes the single press deck mechanism which presses each deck singularly in the mold. Additionally, almost uses only epoxy-based resins which creates a stronger bond.
Ultimately, you would get a solid board that would last longer, and give you the much-needed pop. The 8” sized deck also makes it ideal for full-sized riders just starting out.
6. Real New Light Complete Skateboard
This board is best suited for bigger kids and core streets. It is also great for park skating, and its ready-built setup gets it grinding as soon as it’s out of the box. The deck is made of 100% maple, and its setup was done perfectly by Real Skateboards as such, so you don’t have to bother about looking for parts.
7. Globe Concrete Dreams Breeze 7.625” Complete Skateboard
The Globe Dreams is perfect for young skateboarders and comes ready to grind with Tensor trucks, 52mm 99a wheels, and smooth-rolling bearings. The deck is made of 100% maple, and whether you are a regular park or a street one, this board should be your go-to anytime, any day.
8. Toy Machine Premium Complete Skateboard
This board is great for first-time riders who are ready to test the waters. Made with 5.25” Ruckus Trucks, 52mm 99a Toy machine wheels, and ABEC 5 bearings, you will be hitting the skate park with this before you even realize it. Much credit to their solid team, the riding experience with the Toy Machine Premium is skateboarding at its finest!
9. Prism Grit 27 Cruiser Complete Skateboard
The Prism Grit 27 is a cool mini-cruiser that will spare you the hassle of moving around your city. The mini-cruiser is super fun and functional, assembled with the best components. It is narrow but wide enough to ride, and easy to control.
The bamboo ply on top of the maple gives you a fun cruising experience, and its mellow concave helps lock your feet in a comfortable position while riding.
10. Sector Nine Strand 34” Cruiser Complete Skateboard
Sector Nine is a cool single-kick cruiser board that could almost pass for a longboard. The deck is long enough to go on rides downhill on a mountain, but you can still enjoy your regular riding in skate parks and cruising your city. You are sure to love this surfing-inspired cruiser skateboard.
Concluding thoughts
We sure do hope this article answers all the questions you have on what skateboard to get as a beginner. Remember that these are just honest recommendations and not 100% ideal, as there is really no perfect mold in the world of skateboarding.