Which brand cruiser should a beginner child buy? Children's skateboard: an informed choice is a guarantee of success. Division of children's skateboards into types

In the spring, teenagers on skateboards rush around the parks with a furious roar and speed. On special ramps they fly, jump, and perform breathtaking stunts. They exude such freedom and ease of movement that a child of any age and temperament will stare after them for a long time and then dream of learning to fly too.

Despite parents' concerns about the safety of skateboards, we assure you that skateboards are an excellent tool for developing the dexterity, strength and reaction of the baby's muscles. Let's look at what a skateboard is and how to choose a board for children of different ages.

A skateboard or skateboard is a board for riding, mainly on 4 wheels. There are several main structural elements: deck, Griptape coating, suspension, wheels.

Deca

Deck (board, deck) – the base of the board. It is made of 7-9 layers of hardwood glued together. The fewer layers, the lighter the skateboard, but more layers make the board stronger. A standard skate has distinctly curved front (toe) and back (tail) parts, as well as side edges. The curved shape makes it easy to control. Griptape, an abrasive self-adhesive film, is glued to the deck. Sometimes it is called sandpaper or sandpaper. The coating prevents your foot from slipping off the board.

Properties of the deck that you need to pay attention to:

• Size. The length of the board is 56-84 cm, width – 16.5-21 cm.
• Strength. Often the skater puts pressure on one point. Pushing, jolting, vibration and landing increase the load.
• Weight. The lighter the board, the less effort is spent on lifting and acceleration.
• Elasticity. The board retains its shape under heavy loads.

Suspension

The next element is the suspension (truck) - a metal part that is attached to the underside of the board. Special pads (riserpad, shockpad) are placed under it, which increase the service life of the suspension and soften the impact.

Suspension properties:

• The design should allow the wheels to turn in the direction the board is turning.
• Strength. The most durable are heavy steel pendants. Aluminum is lightweight, but more fragile.
• Elasticity. The most advanced models have shock absorbers or spring mechanisms.

Wheels

Wheels, which are usually made of polyurethane, are attached to the suspension. They come in different sizes. Large wheels increase speed and maneuverability. Small – maneuverability.

• Wheels with a diameter of 54-56 mm are suitable for ramps, poor asphalt, and surfaces with defects.
• The average diameter is 51-53 mm, which is optimal for ordinary asphalt roads.
• A diameter of 48-50 mm is only suitable for absolutely flat, smooth coatings.

The width of the wheels varies from 30 to 42 mm. Wide ones are more suitable for skateboarding on the streets, narrow ones are used in skateparks. The wheels should not extend beyond the width of the board.

Another property of wheels that you need to pay attention to is rigidity. Marked by a combination of letters and numbers - 78A - 102A. Soft wheels soften impacts, but quickly lose speed. Hard ones are difficult to control.

Each wheel has 2 bearings. Their main function is to develop speed and roll in the direction the board is moving. They must be very durable, because... constantly experience shock and lateral loads.

Types of skates

Today you can find a variety of riding boards in stores:

• has an extended deck and wheelbase. Able to develop high speed and at the same time maintain stability. Not used for tricks or spinning jumps.
• Cruiser– a great board for the city. It is distinguished by its raised tail. A good skateboard for beginner kids.
• Mountainboard Suitable for cross-country skateboarding. Wheels can reach a diameter of 20 cm.
• Streetboard used to perform tricks, consists of several platforms.
• Waveboard (Clusterboard) is gaining increasing popularity among teenagers. The special suspension allows this skate to turn well. The board itself consists of two platforms connected by a spring.
• Flowboard. There are 14 wheels attached to this board. The main properties of this board, maneuverability and speed, make it an excellent option for performing various tricks.
• Freeboard used in freestyle. This board has 6 wheels.
• Stowboard can be folded. The legs are inserted into a special metal stand.

Model overview

The variety of skateboard models increases every year. Let's list a few popular children's models.

• Russian model MAXCITYMC-PB23– plastic longboard with soft wheels. Allows the skater to go fast while maintaining stability. Heavy weight - 2.5 kg is a definite disadvantage.
• JDBUGRT03 board was developed in Russia, but is produced in China. Its weight is 2 kg. It is made of wood. They are similar in shape and design to adult models.
• The board from Taiwan JDBUGRT03 is the lightest. Its weight is less than 1.5 kg. It has only 3 wheels, and this allows the child to ride, transferring his body weight from one side to the other. Pushing off is not necessary. Available in different colors.

Criterias of choice

If the child is under 10-12 years old, it is better to consider children's models. Adults are quite suitable for teenagers. Skateboarding is not recommended for children under 5 years of age, and some doctors recommend delaying the start of skateboarding until 7-8 years of age. By this age, the skeleton becomes stronger, the child learns to better control his movements and balance, and can consciously approach learning.

Before you go to the store and choose a skateboard for your child, you should read all the possible information about the types and models of boards. It's even better to give him a try on his friends' skateboards. It will be difficult to keep children from buying the brightest and most beautiful model in the store. Only later it turns out that it is completely uncomfortable and is not suitable for performing tricks and driving fast.

Unlike adult models, a children's skate has two features: a smaller size and a suspension design that limits speed and wheel turns.

The suspension design of the children's skateboard makes skating safer. This point is worth paying special attention to. Many skateboards for children can only go straight. Buying such a board will result in tears, dissatisfaction and, possibly, new expenses.

The table shows the height and dimensions of a suitable skateboard:

You should not take heavy models. They won't be easy to wear, but they'll also be hard to ride.

How to teach to ride

In addition to the basic design elements and a common goal, all skateboards have something in common - broken knees and torn pants. Despite the fact that a mother will stubbornly force her child to wear protection every time, skateboarding still won’t get rid of injuries.

At the beginning of training, you need to follow several recommendations.

1. First of all, the child must put on protection: a helmet, hand pads, elbow pads and knee pads.
2. The place for training is a flat area without cars and with as few people as possible, especially small children.
3. The child's first movements should be accompanied by adults. It is better to support even a 10-year-old child - learning to maintain balance is not so easy.
4. You don’t have to immediately learn to push off; you can stand on the skateboard, including when moving in a straight line, when mom or dad pulls the child by the hands. This is how he will feel himself on a board with wheels. At the same time, the basic stance is taught - one leg is on the front, the other on the back.
5. After this, you can push off yourself several times, return the pushing leg to the skateboard, and ride. Many people recommend choosing a pushing leg - the child himself will understand which leg is more convenient for him to push off with. It's worth forgetting that he's right-handed. For many children with a right leading hand, the pushing leg is the left.
6. The next part of the learning process is turning. You can bend your legs a little, tilt your body in the direction of the turn - increased pressure on the board from one side will force it to turn. The second method is to leave one foot in front and press the other foot on the tail of the skateboard. Turn your body left and right.
7. A child who has learned to push off, put his foot back on the board, drive a few meters and turn, can begin to brake. To do this, you need to press the back of the board to the ground with your pushing foot while moving. At the beginning of training, you should do it slowly and smoothly.

Once you learn how to push off, ride and brake, you can start thinking about learning how to perform tricks on a skateboard.

Easy tricks

Manual– the skater presses on the tail, lifts the front part and tries to stay on the rear wheels.

Ollie– a jump in which a skateboarder can jump onto heights and fly over obstacles:

1. The supporting leg is closer to the middle, the pushing leg is on the tail, the knees are bent. The speed is low.
2. Use your kicking foot to push the tail sharply. The sharper the click, the higher the flight.
3. As soon as the skate leaves the ground, the supporting leg should be moved forward and up. So the board will fly.
4. To land, the feet are placed in the main stance, the emphasis is in the area of ​​the wheels.

Ollie with a twist– before landing on the ground, you need to try to turn the skateboard with your foot and turn with it. Hand assistance is acceptable.

Kickflip– a jump with the board turning around its axis. The first 3 steps are identical to the ollie. But then you need to tuck your legs to your chest and as soon as the board turns around, quickly place your feet on it.

Sometimes skateboarding remains a momentary hobby, but sometimes it develops into a serious hobby to which the child is ready to devote all his free time. In any case, parents need to responsibly approach the issue of choosing a board and protective equipment and pay special attention to training. This is the only way to protect your child from injury.

Skateboarding attracts active youth and teenagers. In many cities there are parks equipped with trampolines, slides and special paths where skateboarders practice turning and jumping techniques and organize competitions. A good skateboard is a guarantee of safety when engaging in these extreme sports, so when choosing it there are certain rules and some nuances. How to choose the right skateboard? This question worries beginners and parents of aspiring young skateboarders.

Where to buy a skateboard, how to choose the right one?

When buying a skateboard, many beginners pay attention to the design of the board, not even suspecting that the colorful design will be scratched after the first weeks of riding. The main criterion when buying a skate is its quality, so it is better to buy it in specialized stores, where an experienced salesperson will advise you and help you make the right choice. It is absolutely not recommended to buy a skateboard in markets where you can buy low-quality skateboards under the name of well-known brands.

The most important part of the skate is the board (deck), which in most cases is made from 7 layers of Canadian maple using special technology. You can find a board made of 9 layers, but they add weight to the skateboard, which is not very convenient for tricks and riding. When buying a skateboard, you should pay attention to products from the following companies: Zero, Zoo York, Toy Machine, World Industries, Santa Cruz, which have established themselves as manufacturers of high-quality and reliable skateboards.

Having decided to make a purchase in a skate shop, you will see a large number of skateboards on its shelves, and the question will arise: “Which skateboard to choose?” Skates differ in their sizes - the length and width of the board, and the depth of the concave, so you need to decide who and why you are buying it: for a child, an adult beginner, or as a gift for an experienced skater. An assembled skateboard is called complete, but many skaters assemble it themselves, buying the deck, suspension and wheels separately. But regardless of this, there are a number of general requirements for skateboard parts:

• The skate deck should not be dry, have any unevenness or delamination, which can be immediately determined by visual inspection. A board that has been lying in a warehouse for a long time dries out and warps, so it will not withstand long-term use and will quickly break. The board must be no more than a year old after manufacture, which can be verified by the date stamp;
• The standard deck length is 80cm, with a width from 19 to 21.5cm. A narrow board is good for performing complex street-style tricks, while wide decks are convenient for ramp riding and jumping. The choice of width also depends on the size of the leg, which should fit comfortably on the board;
• concave is the side bends on the surface of the deck, and a deeper concave allows the skater to feel confident when performing difficult tricks;
• Griptail is glued to the top of the deck - a wear-resistant sandpaper that provides good grip and protects your feet from sliding on the board.

Suspensions on which the wheels are mounted are attached to the deck. Pendants should be light, but at the same time strong enough. When choosing suspensions, it is necessary to ensure that the wheels do not extend beyond the width of the deck. The suspensions are equipped with polyurethane wheels, which can be soft or hard. Soft wheels are quickly convenient for beginner skaters: they have good grip on the surface and you can control the speed, but there is also a drawback - they wear out quickly. On a skateboard with hard wheels, you can reach high speeds and perform complex tricks. The speed is also affected by the choice of bearings in the wheels, as evidenced by their markings: ABEC-1 (minimum speed), ABEC-9 (maximum speed), but they have a high price and are rarely used. The most popular bearings are ABEC-3 or ABEC-5.

How to choose a skateboard for a child

If a child decides to engage in skateboarding and asks to buy a skateboard, then for safe skating you should buy elbow pads, knee pads and a helmet. When choosing a skate, there are a number of general rules, but there are nuances that explain how to choose the right skateboard for a child.

When purchasing, you should check the board for the quality of the layers, evenness of the surface, absence of delamination and dryness. For children, it is better to choose light (but not dry) boards that do not have a bottom layer of polymer. When choosing the width of the board, it is necessary to take into account the size of the child’s foot. A board with a width of 19 cm is suitable for a child with a small shoe size, but for a large teenager it is better to take a deck with a width of 21 cm. A stable, wide skateboard will be safer during the early stages of learning, but it is also convenient for even experienced skaters to perform jumps. A narrow skate (19cm) is good for performing complex tricks and maneuvers.

Suspensions (tracks) are installed on the lower surface of the deck, on which the wheels are attached. To reduce the weight of the skateboard, it is better to choose aluminum tracks with steel reinforcement rods inside. To prevent the wheels from protruding beyond the dimensions of the deck, the width of the hangers should be less than the width of the board. Rubber gaskets are placed between the bottom of the skateboard and the suspensions, which reduces the load on the deck, but excessively thick gaskets increase the weight of the skateboard.

When choosing wheels for a skateboard, you need to decide where the child will learn the basics of skateboarding: on the asphalt or in the park. Soft wheels are best for beginner skaters: they have good grip on the surface and there is no vibration felt on the skateboard on uneven roads. Soft wheels wear out quickly, and you cannot reach high speeds on them, which is not really necessary for training. Hard wheels allow you to develop speed, but they are designed for riding on flat surfaces.

The diameter of the wheel on a skateboard is of great importance. Wheels with a diameter of 52-56mm allow you to develop speed even on uneven surfaces, and wheels with a diameter of 48-52mm are convenient for maneuvers on roads with smooth surfaces. Wheels of medium hardness with a diameter of 54mm. and with ABEC-3 bearings will be the optimal choice for a young skateboarder.

If an older child decides to become a skater, then how to choose a skateboard for a child 11 or 12 years old? We already know the basic rules for choosing a high-quality deck, reliable suspensions and requirements for the rigidity of polyurethane wheels. A child aged 11-12 years is taller, so the first board should be 20-21cm wide, and the wheels should have medium hardness with a diameter of at least 52mm. This skateboard will be safe and easy for your child to ride and do their first tricks. After gaining experience and choosing your style, you can buy a more suitable skateboard.

How to choose a skateboard for beginners

It happens that the desire to skateboarding appears in young adults who are given a friend to ride his skateboard. Experienced skaters will tell a beginner where and how to choose a good skateboard, and what to look for when purchasing:

Recommendations from sales consultants in specialized stores, as well as advice from experienced skaters, will help you choose the right skateboard for beginners.

Skateboarding can rightfully be considered one of the most dangerous sports, as a result of which children are usually the initiators of the purchase of a skateboard. This is not surprising, because seeing how other older guys perform breathtaking tricks, they themselves have a great desire to learn how to skateboard just as well.

Skateboarding is becoming a popular sport among children, but at the same time quite dangerous. In order for parents to be calm about their baby, it is necessary to teach their child the basics of skateboarding

What should you do in a situation where your little one insists on buying him a skateboard? It is up to each individual parent to give up this idea or agree with his hobby. If there is no desire for the child to stand on the board, it is important not just to give a categorical refusal, but to try to dissuade the child, while explaining your position. If the answer is positive, you should approach choosing a skateboard and learning to skateboard with all responsibility, taking into account the age and developmental characteristics of the baby.

However, before purchasing, you can do things differently. Find a friend who already has experience in skateboarding and ask him to let his child try it out. Perhaps by doing this, the child will not like it, and the desire will burn out on its own. Or, on the contrary, it will become clear that this is not just another childish whim, and the money will not be wasted.

What is a skateboard and what does it consist of?

An interesting fact is that the ancestor of skateboards is a regular surfboard. About fifty years ago, Californian surfers came up with the idea of ​​attaching wheels to it to ride down the mountains. Subsequently, the design was modernized, and today on the sporting goods market you can find a huge number of different models of skates, both for beginner skaters and for professionals.

You can purchase a ready-made skateboard in assembled form, the so-called “complete” model. This option is suitable for beginners and children. Skateboarders with experience prefer to buy individual parts and assemble the structure for themselves.

When assembling the skateboard yourself, you need a special key, which will greatly facilitate the work.

The basic package includes the following elements:

1. Deca. This is the correct name for the main part of the skate. It is a board with a smoothly curved shape, the ends of which are rounded. The deck is made of wood ranging from six to nine layers, glued and pressed together. The material can also be aluminum or polymers.
2. Trucks. This is the name for pendants made of aluminum or steel, which are located at the back and front of the board and connect it to the wheels. The design of the track includes a body and an axle. Using special bolts, the housing is secured to the board. To prevent overloads, rubber sealing gaskets are laid between the deck and the tracks.
3. Wheels. Skateboard wheels are rollers whose diameter ranges from 52 to 60 mm. The material from which they are made is hard or softer polyurethane. Each wheel has 2 ball bearings.
4. Griptail. This anti-slip skin is glued to the surface of the deck. It provides traction between the board and the soles, making it easier to perform tricks and jumps.

Choosing a children's skateboard

First of all, the future board must correspond to the age and height of the child. Adult models are not always intended for children, so you should choose a skateboard from those options that are designed for the appropriate age category.

The skateboard is selected taking into account the child’s height. You also need to purchase a helmet, knee pads and elbow pads. It is important to choose good shoes - sneakers are the most suitable option.

There are 4 main types of children's boards:

1. Micro. This model can be ridden by children under 5 years old, with a height of up to 1 meter. It is 27.2-27.6 inches long and 6.5-6.75 inches wide. However, it is not recommended to start learning to ride a board at such an early age. It is advisable that the child is 8-10 years old.
2. Mini. They are designed for children 6-8 years old. The height of the baby should be between 1 and 1.4 m. The dimensions of the board are 28 by 7 inches.
3. Mid-size. These boards are suitable for 9-12 year old skaters whose height does not exceed 1.5 m. The length and width of the board are 29 and 7.3 inches, respectively.
4. Decks. Children from 13 years of age can use them. For such models, the child’s height no longer becomes important, and shoe size comes to the fore. It must be no less than 38.

What to look for when choosing a skate?

The second important point when choosing a children's skateboard is the quality and parameters of its components:

1. Canadian maple is considered the most reliable material for making soundboards. Its analogue from China is used for budget models. You can also find plastic decks on sale. Their cost is much lower, but their elasticity and service life also decrease.
2. The strength of pendants is directly affected by their weight. In this matter it is better to stick to the golden mean. The best option is aluminum pendants.
3. Wheels should be selected according to two parameters: hardness and diameter. Both of these parameters affect driving speed. Wider and stiffer wheels achieve higher speeds. Soft rollers are more elastic, less sensitive to vibrations of various kinds and easier to control. However, due to their high grip on the ground, they wear out faster, and the speed gained quickly drops. As for hard rollers, they are more durable and can maintain riding speed for a long time. However, they vibrate more on rough roads. For beginners and children, it is better to opt for models with softer wheels, the hardness of which is 78-85 A. The optimal wheel diameter at the initial stage is 54 mm.

When buying a skateboard, you need to choose the highest quality models in specialized stores.

1. You should buy a skateboard exclusively from branded stores from well-known manufacturers. This will help you avoid purchasing a counterfeit or low-quality product. Plus - consultants in the store can recommend the best option and answer any questions that arise.
2. In addition to the board, it is imperative to buy elements for protection. These include a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist pads. This will ensure the safety of the child and the safety of the parent’s nerves.
3. When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the location of the wheels. They should be under the deck without protruding from the sides.
4. When choosing, you should check the surface of the deck. It should be free of unevenness or delamination. You can check this by carefully examining the board in good lighting.
5. It is advisable to buy a board made this year, and not one that has been lying in a warehouse, since skateboards also have an expiration date and over time become deformed and deteriorate.
6. Drawing is also important for children, so it must meet the taste of the future owner. Sometimes you can buy them in one color, and the owner will apply the design himself.

The basics of skateboarding for beginners

In addition to choosing the right skateboard, your training approach is also important. There are two options for teaching your child to skateboard. The first is to take your child to lessons with a professional skateboarder. The second is to teach the baby independently, provided that the parents are confident in their own abilities. In principle, both mom and dad can help a child learn the basics of skating. For beginner skaters, first of all you need to learn:

• keep balance on the board;
• to brake;
• turn.

Before you start training, you should choose a place for training. An ideal place for such an activity would be a park or other place where there are usually not many people and cars. The road where the child will try to ride must be level, without rises or slopes.

The first thing you need to do when learning to skate is to learn to just stand on it with a slight balance

At the very beginning, the child needs to choose a comfortable stand, as they say, to feel his skateboard. To do this, the baby must place both feet on the board and, while remaining in place, control and balance on it as if it were moving.

The next thing to do is determine the supporting leg. A simple ball can help with this. The leg with which the baby hits it is the supporting leg. Children and adults also use their supporting leg to enter an elevator or step onto the stairs. For most people, the supporting leg is the right one. Then you can move on to the skating itself. Closer to the nose of the board they place a leg that is not a supporting leg, and push off with the other. At the moment the movement begins, the second leg is placed on the board in the area of ​​​​the rear wheels and ride, maintaining balance.

Braking

The ability to brake is an integral part of skating, both on a skateboard and on any other means of transportation. There are two main ways to brake on a skateboard:

1. With the help of a supporting leg. You need to take your foot off the board and brake on the ground. The main nuance is not to transfer weight from the leg on the board to the leg that is braking. Also, this method is only suitable for a flat surface.
2. Using the heel. In this case, the heel of the pushing leg presses into the board so that it rises, while the second leg remains on the board.

Mastering turns

Another important point in basic skating that a child should master before moving on to tricks is turns. On the road where your little one will ride a skateboard, there may be various obstacles. In order not to stop moving and stop in front of each obstacle, but to go around them, the ability to turn is very useful.

This is done as follows: you just need to turn and tilt the body a little in the desired direction. The sharpness of the turn depends on the force with which the child presses with his foot.

These parts, made of polyurethane, have a diameter of 52-70 mm. Small wheels are suitable for beginners, as they are much easier to control.

It is also worth paying attention to rigidity. She fluctuates within from 87a to 100a+. The first option is very soft wheels with increased grip, and the second is hard and high-speed.

For a small skater, soft wheels that do not transmit vibration are suitable. Their only drawback is rapid wear.

Bearings

The wheels of the skateboard rest on these parts. The purpose of bearings is to reduce friction and distribute the load more evenly.

For such purposes, closed spare parts are used, because dirt practically does not get into them.

Concave

Concave is the name given to side bends., with which skaters perform various tricks. Also, some models have a special layer of plastic that allows you to slide along the railings.

Of course, it will be easier for a beginner to learn on a flat deck.

Best before date

Not everyone knows that skateboards have a certain shelf life. To ensure that the product lasts as long as possible, you should choose a board produced in the current year.

You should not buy a skateboard in advance, because during storage it will become slightly deformed.

How to choose a skateboard? — “Quality Formula” program

Popular manufacturers

Experienced skaters prefer the following brands:

Rules for using, storing and caring for a skateboard

To ensure that the board lasts as long as possible and does not lose its attractive appearance, you need to follow these recommendations.

Before every workout You should check how the bolts are tightened. This is especially important for skaters who are learning jumps and other difficult tricks.

If during the inspection it turns out If one or more bolts are cracked, they must be replaced immediately. If this is not possible, you should cancel the workout.

The skin should be cleaned periodically. This will help maintain the attractive appearance of the board and the necessary friction while riding.

For cleaning You will need a small amount of clean water and a not too hard brush.

Since the deck is afraid of water, it Do not wipe with a damp cloth. You can remove dirt from the surface with a dry brush.

If scratches were found on it, then there is no cause for concern. Small cracks are also not dangerous. If the deck begins to delaminate or the crack is not superficial, then it is worth purchasing a new board.

While driving you need pay attention to the wheels. This part should be replaced if cracks appear.

If there is sand in the bearings, it's worth taking a skateboard for a ride. In extreme cases, you will have to remove the wheels and clean them. After washing, the bearing should be carefully lubricated with oil.

Store the board Needed in a room with low humidity levels. It is also necessary to ensure that the board is not exposed to direct sunlight.

Do you need protective equipment?

Any young skater You must have equipment, as well as special clothing and shoes.

First of all It's worth purchasing a reliable helmet of the right size. To save money, you can also use a bicycle helmet. The main thing is that it is made from quality materials.

Besides the head it is worth protecting your wrists, elbows, knees and shins. Any equipment from a reliable brand is suitable for this.

It must be remembered that even the best protection will not protect a novice skater from falls, but it will help avoid serious injuries.

For skateboarding Need loose comfortable clothes, made not from cotton, but from synthetics. For example, it could be microfiber.

Also worth purchasing special shoes. It should not be taken for growth, because due to the unsuitable size, the joint can be dislocated.

Parents are often afraid to buy a skateboard for their children. In fact, such a purchase complete with protective equipment and the help of an experienced teacher does not pose any particular danger.

Children 8-12 years old can achieve serious success in this sport, because they already have good control over their movements and are practically not afraid of falling.

In order for a child to truly become a professional skater, it is worth considering all the recommendations mentioned when purchasing a board.