10th June 2011 Discuss Discuss

New Vision, New Direction!

If you’re interested in sports and hobbies, which we assume you are if you are reading here on Board Crazy, you may like to have latest information and Editorials from time to time. Well guys, HobbyKraze, a website which provides excellent content, lots of reviews and worthy reading material, has just acquired us.

HobbyKraze takes advantage of the super soaring “Hobbies Niche” which everyone is raving about. From Indoor to Outdoor to Extreme Hobbies, they have proven that it really is a on-stop Shop for All things Hobbies (well, there is a dedicated section for skateboarding and all things on riding boards, yay!)!

I’m not yet sure about the strategy for this particular website but at some point I expect both linked, merged or operated pretty closely!

2nd July 2010 Discuss Discuss

Hydro

The man, the myth, the legend – Harry Atkins.

17th October 2008 Discuss Discuss

Answers to Unsatisfied Skateboaring Queries

Often people type something in to Google, arrive at this site and don’t seem to find what they’re after. Below I try to find the answers to some of these unsatisfied queries.

Cool things that a beginner skateboarder can do
There are many cool things that you can do as a beginner. One of the most fun is taking your trucks off and playing around on your board in your house. I wrote about big spins and “corkscrews” in my article on carpet skating.

Difference between frontside flip and 180 kickflip
“Frontside flip” is short for “frontside 180 kickflip”. There is often no difference between a frontside flip and a 180 kickflip, since most 180 kickflips are done frontside. However, a 180 kickflip could be done backside, then it would be a backside flip.

Did anyone land the leap of faith
No. At least not according to people commenting on my Leap of Faith post. What’s more, it’s now impossible to land because bigger walls have been built at the top.

Do u kick flip off ur toes
Yes – at least, you should kickflip with a flick of your toes for best results. See how to kickflip

Download the mutt: how to skateboard and not kill yourself
You can’t download that book here, you can however read a review of Rodney Mullens book – In my view, it’s worth buying.

Explain why skateboard turns left and right using force
Phew, that’s a big ask for someone not well versed in physics. I think your best bet is the tic-tac diagrams in skateboarding for beginners part 2.

How did rodney mullen learn to skate board?
You guys sure are interested in Rodney Mullen. How did Rodney learn to skateboard? A lot of perseverance and creativity. The story is told in his book.

How many people are goofy footed
17,890. Seriously, I don’t know. You might as well ask “how many people are left handed” – the answer to that is around 12%. In my experience about this many skateboarders (that is, 1 in 10) are goofy footed. Though being left handed doesn’t mean you’re goofy, or vice versa. I’m right handed, and goofy.

12th July 2007 Discuss Discuss

Who Doesn’t Like A Good Bail?

Some dark light-hearted humour today.

Over at Griptape Thumb is a compilation some YouTube videos of some of the funniest and worst skateboarding bails.

Of course, it’s very bad to laugh at other people’s misfortune.

(Links removed as the site no longer exists).

3rd July 2007 Discuss Discuss

Enjoying Skateboarding More

The other day a reader sent in what I thought was a very inciteful and interesting question:

Know any places where talent can be bought? As with all things in life skating takes time, effort and talent, in fairly even proportion. Since I haven’t got a whole lot of time, am more than average lazy and have about as much talent as the average chimp I’m still at what by the standards of today’s youth would be called an advanced beginner. I have on my good days landed the odd flip trick, I did (back in 1999) get my ollies high as funk and I can go down hills and ollie up curbs and what not. But still I find that this isn’t quite enough and I hate the thought of other people thinking I’m ‘crap’ and a ‘pussy’ of sorts. So, to get to the point and ask a question as to make this fit the context of the online Q&A; that it is: “What can I do to enjoy my skateboarding more?”

First of all, thanks for the great question. Personally for me discovering flatland skating was the big thing that made skateboarding really fun, and opened a whole new world to me.

Suddenly trying to nail kickflips or rails all the time didn’t matter anymore. With flatland skating I found that I could be way more creative with how I skate. I could spend hours working out new and interesting ways to combine different tricks into some type of routine (see this rail flip routine I wrote about a while back), or how to spin or flip the board in a certain way so that I could get into a particular stance. Just lots of little things.

It’s a much more liberating experience because half the time you will be doing tricks that most skaters couldn’t care less about, so you won’t have to worry about whether they think you’re a nonce for not being able to land a kickflip, and half the time you won’t have any idea what it is you’re doing anyway – it just feels good and FUN.

That’s me anyway… how does anybody else keep skateboarding fun?

3rd July 2007 Discuss Discuss

Another Skateboarding Q+A Roundup

Foot Placement

I pretty much figured out I’m regular but I don’t start with my main foot(right) behind the front bolts. I usually start by placing my right foot on the back bolts, pushing off with my left foot and then putting my left foot on the board. My question is should I change where I put my right foot (front or back of board) or does it really matter and just a preference?

You’re pushing mongo. Whether or not you should change was discussed here.

Falling

Thing is when I usually fall it doesn’t hurt as bad cause I don’t expect it but with skateboarding I know it’ll eventually come and…I just don’t want it to…if that makes sense. I’m just curious to know if you might have some tips to over come this “fear” or anyway to help fight against it?

It does make sense but there isn’t a lot you can do to stop the fear… it’s a natural thing, but it will go away eventually.

Trusted Brands

I’ll keep this short and sweet. What makes/brands can i trust, bearing in mind that im 14 so i dont have much money. Any info will be good. Thanks.

To be honest I don’t much go in for branded stuff so I don’t know. At the moment I’m on Blind wheels and Tensor trucks, with unbranded deck and bearings. For all I care they could be any make – but other skaters will probably swear by particular brands.

Chicago Flip?

I can’t seem to figure out the proper name for a “chocolate & vanilla.” I’d always called it that, but I’ve recently heard some friends calling it a “Chicago flip”. Here’s how it goes: Standing with both feet parallel to the board near the tail (opposite of hang ten, not sure if this is necessary), step off to the side with either foot. The board tips to rail with the grip facing away from you, and you use the foot that tipped the board to spin it in a sort of shuvit while jumping off the foot that you stepped off with to land back on the board with the “spinning” foot tipping the board heelside and landing in the front while you do a 90-degree body varial (I guess?) and land your stepped-off foot as the back foot. If done without your feet in the weird starting position, I guess it’d be like a backside no comply heelside rail shuvit to switch, although I really have little idea of what I’m saying.

Hmmm… neither do I! Probably someone out there will know (reply in the comments if you do and I’ll add it to the Tricktionary).

Easy Tricks That Look Good

I just got comfortable with my ollies and want to learn bigger and better tricks. I read articles about kickflips and shuvits but they are just out of my ability. Whats some easy tricks that look good?

Difficult to see how ollying is within your ability but shuvits are not – I would suggest shuvit variants as a good step to learn. If you can already ollie anyway, kickflips also shouldn’t be too much of a stretch.

Avoid Body Varial During A Hardflip

how do i get in the habit of not doing a 180 while doing a hardflip? when i push my back foot to do a shuvit, my body does a 180 with it also.

Your body tends to follow your head and shoulders. Try making a concious effort to not turn those or turn them slightly in the other way, and your body and legs should follow suit.

Cigarette Roll

isn’t a cigerette roll a form of a casper?

I’ve never heard of this trick, but I’m not exactly up on what the kids are calling tricks these days. Same deal… someone tell me, and I’ll put it in the Tricktionary.

Longboard Trucks

I have a pair of new Independant 139mm trucks, can I use them on a Longboard or do I need to buy “longboard trucks”? If I can use them what width of board should I get?

*shrugs*. Never longboarded myself. All I can suggest is you try them, and see what happens?

Shuvits Spinning Behind You?

i need help landing shuvits. i spin the board best i can but it goes behind me. what am i doing wrong?

See this article on shuvits, I believe this was covered there.

Now Look Here!

ok now look here! what size of a skateboard must be cause i have some skateboard size like this from nose to nose 78,5 cm and 20,5 cm from another end! is this good or not! i think that the factory from where is he is sport 1 italy? and look here! cause i am from serbia and here isn’t have any skate park how can i practice?

🙂 Well my serbian friend, the size of the board doesn’t determine whether it’s good or not – only whether it’s right for you. If it feels good, then it’s right. As for a lack of skate parks – so what? I’ve been to a skate park about three times in my life. Get in the road and learn flatland, or rig yourself up a couple of rails and ledges and do it that way. There’s always a way.

If you’ve got anything to add to these answers, please comment here.

11th June 2007 Discuss Discuss

Skateboarding – Olympic Sport Or Not?

As a Londoner the 2012 Olympics are an ever present issue. You can’t open a newspaper these days without there being some kind of gripe about the event that, depending on your point of view, is either going to ruin London or make it even better than it already is. First it was the cost, then it was the logo, and now it’s skateboarding.

This petition external link appears to be set up by skateboarders who think making skateboarding into an Olympic sport would be a bad idea:

Skateboarding is not a “sport” and we do not want skateboarding exploited and transformed to fit into the Olympic program. We feel that Olympic involvement will change the face of skateboarding and its individuality and freedoms forever.

What do you think? Should skateboarding be an Olympic sport? Why or why not?

24th April 2007 Discuss Discuss

Super Massive Q&A; Post

I’ve been letting questions build up in my inbox for too long now, but at least I can get them all answered in one go…

If your question wasn’t answered here then it’s more than likely that it’s one of the questions I get all the time, in which case it will appear in a future FAQ soon.

*Takes deep breath*

Twisted

What would a variable heelflip with a 180 degree body variable be called?

It depends what direction the body varial is in. You probably mean backside (ie, opposite to the direction of the varial heelflip) in which case it’s a twisted heelflip. Otherwise it’s just a frontside heelflip.

Faster

Hi, I’d like to know how to make a skateboard go faster could you help please?

Speed depends on three things – the quality of your bearings, the size/hardness of your wheels and the weight of your skateboard.

Your first stop should be your bearings, as they are the cheapest thing to pick up. Bearings go by the ABEC scale. Although ABEC isn’t particularly accurate it is unfortunately your best indicator of speed until you start getting to know brands. Personally I ride on some generic ABEC 9 bearings and they are more than fast enough.

Bigger, harder wheels are faster than small soft wheels – but you need to balance that with what type of tricks you want to do.

Finally it might be that you’ve just got a cheap, heavy 9-ply deck from a toy shop and need to look at getting a generally better set up.

Rearrange The Tricktionary?

I was thing if u cud put the old school tricks separate from the new school ones yer that wud be awesome wud u?

Watch this space, tezz…

Yeah Right Song

Whats the song right after the intro right before Brandon Biebels kickflip nose manual kickflip out. Its the song that starts with “I whip it, I snap it” Please help me out.

Errr… I don’t know. Can anybody else help Lyev out?

Destined Not To Skate?

Okay honestly i understand everything your saying to do but its harder to actually do. Do you think that some people just cant skate even if they really are obsessed with learning how to? Also I was wondering if you knew anything about skate camps, and if you do, do you think they are just a load of crap…..I just dont know where to start, and honestly I am a person who gets fruatatrated when i dont get something, but when you see it it just seems so simple but it really isnt. I am gonna keep trying though!

There’s no doubt that some people find skateboarding harder than others, whether that be due to a lack of natural coordination or dexterity, less guts or an inability to understand the physics involved. That can certainly be overcome by practice though and it’s good that you’re going to keep trying.

I however know nothing about skatecamps… it’s definately not something I’d do, but then for me skateboarding has always been a kind of solitary retreat.

Big Foot

I have a size 12 feet. what type of size board should i get. i do flip tricks. Is a 7.6 good or do i have to get a 7.75?

7.75 is a fairly standard size even for people with smaller feet than you. I’d stick with that rather than going for a thinner deck.

Beginner Board

If im a young begginer what board would you recommend? (If you know any good ones) I have one but i had to put Push bike chain oil on to get the weels to move + it’s very hard to turn..

That’s the usual kind of skateboard beginners start with. It’s very basic and really no good for learning… For beginners I recommend getting a blank complete set up with ABEC 5 bearings. Nothing too pricey but at least functional. Look to spend around £50 – £60 on your complete set up as a beginner.

Name That Trick

Whats the name of the trick where you are on flatland and you slide frontside then get off the board twist it in your hand and then get back on it like old school skaters used to do. and also how do you do it? i hope you know what im talking about ive been trying to figure out this trick for weeks.

Sounds like some type of boneless variation but beyond that I don’t know. Hopefully someone else can help you out though.

20th April 2007 Discuss Discuss

The Hop Farm Extreme Sports Show

If you live in the South East UK/London area you might want to check out this show (external link) which seems much like NASS etc… eg, MAD trials are there along with skateboarding and motoX and BMX and live music, except it’s cheaper and in May.

23rd September 2006 Discuss Discuss

Skateboard School & Magnet Powered Trucks

Rubicon skateboards have launched a travelling skateboarding schoolexternal link so you can actually go to school and learn how to skateboard rather than learning stuff off of people like me online.

They’ve managed to get in with the Duke Of Edinburgh award scheme too so you can now officially skateboard as part of your extra curricular activities. Quite good, unlike…

Want To Ride Faster With Less Effort?

Some guy has invented magnetically powered trucksexternal link that are supposed to roll your board all on their own and generally speed you up and make it easier to ride around.

I’m dubious about this idea and seriously doubt it will ever take off. I don’t think there are many skaters that skate simply to effortlessly ride about (something like soapshoes would be much better for that) and I also don’t think skateboarding is the best market for gimmicky things like this.

But can you guess the worst thing about these trucks?

They only roll one way, so you can’t ride in switch or fakie!