BOARD CRAZY SKATEBOARDING

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 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?

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.

If you live in the South East UK/London area you might want to check out this show 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.

Rubicon skateboards have launched a travelling skateboarding school 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 trucks 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!

Tickets are now on sale for AIR06, which is happening September 8 to 10. This extreme sports and music festival is held near Tamworth in the Warwickshire countryside and like NASS looks like a lot of fun with decent live music events (ten live bands, a breakdance battle, MCs, scratchers, God's Kitchen DJ's and live percussion sets) and of course skateboarding, alongside biking and wakeboarding. Ticket options include weekend camping or day passes, and it has to be said are certainly cheaper than NASS. For more information, tickets, and footage of last years event check out  the AIR06 website.

An email from Stephen -

Good on you for starting. I'm afraid I can't help you too much with pushing off and riding around - I take it you've read this article? It contains pretty much everything I can give you on that subject. Other than that it's just practice practice practice.

One other tip though is not to be too afraid of hurting yourself - that's a sure way to make it more likely you will hurt yourself. A lot of skateboarding is the mental side, staying positive and when you move on to doing tricks being confident that you can land them solidly. If you start thinking about injuries, you will end up not putting 100% into staying above the board, and aside from not being able to land any tricks you'll also put yourself in more danger because the board will be more likely to slip from under you. So, just keep that in mind.

So, possibly the most well-written feedback we have ever received. I'll take it question by question:

There are four actual levels of sponsorship. Shop sponsorships are basically when a shop sees a kid with talent, and gives him or her product at a reduced price (generally at cost). Next is flow sponsorship, from either a company or a distributor. The sponsored skater receives a small bit of product on a semi-regular basis. After that, a promising skater might recieve Am status, where they receive some promotion as a skater and some product to use. They often start to get incentives at this point, too; "Get a photo in a magazine and we will give you this", for example. A really good Am who proves his or herself then becomes a Pro, receiving a paycheck, a "pro model" with their name on, funds to get to contests, and royalties for anything that is sold with their name on. Of course, no matter how you are sponsored, as a skater you are expected to promote the company. This may mean appearances in magazines, at competitions, on television, or just in the skating scene as a whole. If you are not promoting the company, they have no reason to give you product.

As far as pro and am sponsors go... It doesn't work like that. Any company can take anyone pro or leave them as an am.

To get sponsored... well, there is no defining route. Contrary to popular belief, it is not all about sponsor-me tapes. You have to somehow prove to the sponsor you are a good choice, and a tape will not cut it. Being visible as a driving or positive force in skating as a whole always works; whether it is by magazine coverage or by word getting back to them through their team, a sponsor will generally find out and approach you. Going the other way round rarely works. So, basically, don't bother thinking about it. If you are just looking to get sponsored, you won't. If you just have a good mental attitude and truly love and live skating, you might just get sponsored. However, refer to point 4 on this topic. To answer your second question here, my truck sponsor, Seismic, is based in Colorado, and I live in England.

As said in the answer to question 1, you use the company's product and have to support/promote the company. They're not going to give you free product for nothing, are they?

This is a wide and sweeping question. During a skating "career", you can do pretty much whatever you want to do. Enter competitions, do demos, tour, meet lots of cool people, and basically enjoy life. It is entirely down to how you want to live and how you act as a person. As such, it can change you or just let you do what you would have done anyways. I think it was Tony Alva that said something like "We were on summer vacation for 10 years". However, this can be good or bad. Look at some of the old pros; Hosoi and Jay Adams both went to jail for drug offenses, and Gator ended up going to jail on a murder charge. Meanwhile, Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen both started companies and basically lead good lives.

To go to "the pro level"... well, it is worth noting that the pro used to be the elite of the elite, someone who had moved up through the contest rankings, dominated the contest circuit, was generally a good guy overall and able to promote the company in a good way as much as possible. However, now it takes less and less; since street skating came in during the late 80's, for many companies it is now about who's image is easier to sell and will make the most money. I don't think I can really answer this now. Whil I still believe there are many companies out there who still give the truly deserving skater a pro model, I know there are many who will take you pro just if you are "the next big thing", or fit in with the current trend. Those guys often become just another flash in the pan and disappear in time. It's up to you how you want to go.

Some will, some won't. You get good sponsors and bad ones. Some sponsors will nurture you and support you as a person, and have a close-knit team that has good communication with the owners. These probably will. However, some companies are just out to make money and are owned by assholes, sadly.

So there you go, the longest reply we've ever given. However, sponsorship can be summarised in one quick paragraph; it is not the be-all end-all, and it is not for everyone. Not everyone deserves it, and no one should feel they are owed it. Skating is a great thing, and if you approach it with a good attitude and are willing to put in the effort to advance your skating and the skating scene as a whole, you will reap the rewards. This won't always be sponsorship, and if it isn't, don't worry about it. Skating can give you a whole lot more than just free gear; it can make you a better person, show you all different walks of life, and give you endless nights of joy. Don't throw that away just because you're still paying for product; it's more than worth it.

Tony
skater since 2000, sponsored since 2004, and still going, no matter what.