In This Guide
Skateboarding
For many, skateboarding is a way of life. Even if you spend most of your time on your board, you may want to take a break to get some skateboarding news, check out the latest gear and chat about it with others. Use the Internet to learn some skating basics, or to find the best skate park in your area. It’s time to get thrashed online.
Expand All Guide SectionsSkateboarding Basics
Those guys at the park look like they were born riding a skateboard, but if you’ve never done it before, riding can be an intimidating prospect. Start by watching and reading skateboarding tutorials and learning some basic tricks. And make sure you understand the important terms before you start.
Dulcinea’s Insight
- Videos, such as the one listed in the picks below, are a good way to learn to skateboard or improve your skills. YouTube is a decent source, but the skateboarding magazines listed in the Skateboarding News and Magazines section also have ample video sections.
Dulcinea's Picks
To learn skating terms …
Skate America
’s skateboarding dictionary doesn’t boast a particularly glamorous design, but it does offer a comprehensive list of terms related both to the actual act of skateboarding and the community.
For skating tutorials …
The BBC Sport Academy
gives you a head start on your skateboarding endeavors with an online guide to the basics. Skating experts explain things like how to get your balance, understand your board and speak the lingo.
YouTube
hosts “Skateboarding Trick Tips,” a short video made by two young skateboarders. Watch the video to get started riding your board and learn some simple moves. Also enjoy a mini-selection of skater music.
Skateboarding News and Magazines
If you’re obsessed with skateboarding, you want to spend all your time riding. But for the few hours a day that you do need to be sitting down, plant yourself in front of the computer and immerse yourself in the news, features and videos found in the skateboarding magazines below.
Dulcinea's Insight
- The message boards and forums of online skateboarding magazines can be useful resources if you have a specific question about a product or trick.
- Web sites discussing skateboarding are plentiful and often well designed. We’ve listed the most reputable sources here, but explore sites’ “links” sections to find other relevant information.
Dulcinea's Picks
For online magazines …
Thrasher Magazine offers ample online content as well as information about subscriptions. The “Junk Drawer” is a frequently updated news-oriented site blog, and features are highlighted on the homepage. You’ll also find videos and a calendar of skateboarding events.
Transworld Skateboarding magazine
covers skateboarding news and also serves as a community resource. WhySpace invites readers to submit photos and answers to questions posed on the site. Take a look at the “How-To” and “Videos” sections to see some skaters in action.
For print-only magazines …
Concrete Wave
promises to be a magazine for skateboarding purists and represents all types and levels of skateboarding. Some of the content is available on the site, or you can order a subscription.
Skateparks
As fun as it is to build ramps out of wooden boards and garbage cans, it’s always nice to use a real skatepark. Below, you’ll find maps and directories of U.S skateparks so you can locate one near you. If you can’t find one, investigate information about building a skatepark in your town.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Skateboarding magazines, such as those listed in the Skateboarding Magazines and News section, usually have a section listing skateboarding parks.
Dulcinea's Picks
To build a skatepark …
The Skate Park Association
of the United States of America (SPAUSA) provides skatepark news and an abundance of necessary resources detailing how to build a local skatepark.
To find a skatepark …
SkatePark.com
has some news and videos, but its main attraction is its Skatepark map. You can also add skateparks to the database.
Concrete Disciples
has a U.S map of skateparks as well as information about skateparks in other countries.
Who knew?
RampPlans.org
has a guide to building a personal skatepark right in your own backyard. Visit this site to read about a community of people who have built ramps, and see photos and construction plans.
Skateboarding Gear
It’s possible to create a makeshift skatepark but if you want to skate, the one thing you’ll absolutely need is a board. Use the sites below to find information about how and where to buy the skating equipment that’s best for you.
Dulcinea's Insight
- No word yet on knee pads that can make you look cool, but Dick’s Sporting Goods does have a guide on all the safety equipment you should be wearing and how to shop for it.
- Speaking to others about their equipment preferences may prove useful; connect using sources listed in the Skateboarding Forums and Blogs section.
Dulcinea's Picks
For buying guides …
ProductSifter
provides a brief overview on buying a skateboard that explains where to look for a board and how to select one that’s appropriate for you.
eBay’s Skateboards Buying Guide
helps you evaluate parts and accompanying gear as well as the board itself. The guide is relevant to anyone looking for a skateboard, but especially useful as a barometer of quality and value for those purchasing used gear from eBay.
To find the best product and companies …
Silverfish Long Boarding
links to the 58-page PDF of the Concrete Wave Buyers Guide. Also check out reviews of products directly on the site.
Skateboarding Forums and Blogs
Dulcinea's Insight
- The publications listed in the Skateboarding News and Magazines section also serve as online communities. Some even solicit reader feedback and input. Explore their blogs and forums as well.
Dulcinea's Picks
For forums …
Skaters’ Cafe
Forum makes up in membership what it lacks in snazzy interface. An active community discusses skating and posts pictures and videos. Anyone can read the forum, but to join a chat room you’ll need to log in.
Sidewalk magazine
is less robust than other skateboarding magazines, but its well-traversed forum is worth investigating.
Silverfish Longboarding
is full of active forums for longboarders. Posts are organized by general discussion, longboard disciplines, regional locations and more.
For blogs …
Sublimited
is a blog written by a skateboarder in his 30s with such a passion for the sport that he can’t stop doing it or talking about it. As a result, his blog is both comprehensive and focused solely on skateboarding and related topics. Use the “categories” section on the right to browse older posts by topic.
Real Skate
is an online skating magazine run by a small staff, and its News and Whatnot section is done in a blog-like format. Much of the news is skating related, but you’ll also find commentary on politics, arts and other matters of interest to the author.
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
