Styles of Skateboarding
Flat-ground Skateboarding: Style of skateboarding where the rider performs tricks on the ground and doesn’t use any obstacles.
Free-style Skateboarding: An older style of skateboarding where the skater performs technical flatground tricks.
Street Skateboarding: Style of skateboarding done in the streets where the rider skates handrails, stairs, grinding surfaces etc.
Vert Skateboarding: Style of skateboarding where the rider skates vertical ramps.
Parts of a Skateboard
Axle Nut: The lock nuts that attach to the trucks.
Baseplate: The metal base of a truck.
Bushings: Plastic rings which aid the truck to turn. They come in soft, medium, and hard. 2 are necessitated for each truck.
Concave: The curve in the top percentage of the deck that helps the skater to ride and flip the board.
Deck: The wooden share of the skateboard that the rider puts his/her feet on.
Grip Tape: Sand paper employed on decks to prevent your feet from slipping off.
Hanger: The metal percentage of the truck which grinds all over surfaces.
Hardware: Nuts and bolts used to attach the trucks to the deck. Come in a set of 8 (4 for each truck).
King Pin: The metal bolt in the centre of the truck.
Lock Nuts: Nuts that have a plastic ring inside so they “lock” onto the trucks.
Nose: Front of the skateboard which is curved upwards.
Pivot Bushing: The bottom end of the truck that pivots inside of the pivot cup when the skater turns.
Pivot Cup: The hollow burrow on the base plate where the pivot bushing is held.
Ply: Refers to the amount of plywood layers in a deck. 7 is standard.
Rail: The side of the skateboard.
Risers: Plastic or rubber plates applied to give the wheels more clearance from the deck. Can aid to prevent wheel bite.
Tail: Back of the skateboard which is curved upwards.
Truck: The metal share of the skateboard that allows the board to turn. 2 are necessitated per skateboard (one in front and one in back).
Washer: Metal ring used among the bearing and the axle nut, which helps the wheel to move more freely. Optional.
Other Definitions
Abec: A mutual unit to measure the quality of bearings. A higher abec means better quality.
Bowl: Similar to a half-pipe, but the slopes connect around, normally in a circle or other design.
Coping: The top edge of the skateboard ramp or half-pipe where the skater grinds or stalls. Usually made of metal.
Durometer: The hardness of a skateboard wheel, which is now and again shown on the wheel.
Fun-box: A set of structures which includes a ledge and one or more ramps.
Gap: A distance amidst two objects that a skater performs a trick over.
Half-pipe: A “U” shaped structure which includes two ramps on each side and ordinarily has a flat section between. Does not have to have a vertical incline.
Hand-rail: Used by skaters to grind or slide throughout or carry out tricks over.
Ledge: A rectangular structure that the skater may carry out tricks on, off, across, or over.
Mega-ramp: A more prominent scale of a half-pipe.
Mini-decks: A mini-deck is less than 7.5″ wide.
Mini-ramps: Ramps that are little and do not have a vertical incline.
Pressure Cracks: Cracks which appear in the deck from being under stress.
Pyramid: A structure which includes ramps from all sides surrounding a ledge.
Quarter-pipe: A single ramp that slopes up as much as a vertical incline.
Urethane: A popular substance which wheels are made from.
Vert Ramp: A ramp that has a vertical incline near the coping.
Wax: Used to make edges of fun-boxes, ledges, rails etc. slippery so the skater may grind all over without coming to a stop.
Wheel Bite: Happens when the rider leans on the side of the skateboard, causing the wheel to burn into the deck.
Skate Riff Raff.
