A skateboard has four wheels attached with screws on a wooden or metal plate. We all know that but it’s not all about that.
Skateboarding is a sport of the action and motion, which means you have to be always ready for anything that might happen during a ride. If there is a crack on your way or some graffiti on the wall – skateboard will process all this information until it finds “appropriate” commands from your brain.
It’s really important for a skateboarder to develop his own riding style and be as flexible as possible on his board. Flexibility means that you should know how to change your movements quickly and efficiently.
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A skater asked if it is possible to stop a skateboard when going fast.
Is this possible? The answer is no! But there are some tricks that can be done to slow down the board.
You could brake using your feet, which you should have already mastered, but there are also other simpler methods without any braking or pushing on the board.
For example you can brake by doing a 180 degree turn with your back foot (or any will do) on the front bolts. You could also brake using the middle or back foot, but it would be more complicated.
Also if you push your front foot really hard on the ground (and use some strength in your legs!) you can easily brake even when riding a 60 mph electric skateboard.
Another way is to do a nose manual in front of the board, so when you are in the air you could stick out your feet, let them hang slightly over the ground, and when you land it would slow down your board or maybe even bring it to a stop altogether.
why skateboarding is so popular?
The popularity of skateboarding is currently at its all time high. Skateboarding has come a long way from the past when it was considered a crime in many areas and had very few followers. Today, there are more professional skateboarders than ever before, which has helped to generate huge amounts of money for the industry. Skateboarding is one of the most popular sports for many kids, teenagers, and even adults. Skateboards made their first appearance in the early 1900s as a surfboard with roller skate wheels attached to it. It was not until the 1950s where they started to transform into more modern types of skateboards that featured 4 or 5 wooden or metal wheels. In the 1970s, a man named Frank Nasworthy invented an urethane wheel for skateboards which ended up being a great addition to the sport.
What are the advantages of using skateboard breaks?
Skateboarders have used skateboards with regular, or standard, brakes since they were introduced. The first company to produce them was called Independent Truck Co., who mainly produced trucks (the part of the board that makes contact with the ground) and wheels. The first boards to have this brake were called “Cadillac”.
The main advantage that these have over the types of brakes that followed is that they were from a company that made their own trucks and wheels, so the shape and geometry was specifically designed to work with one another. This meant a more responsive ride. These breaks are designed to fit perfectly in the “thane” line, which is the space between where the board makes contact with the ground and where it begins to curve up. Because these were designed with this part of the skateboard in mind, they are much easier to use when coming to a stop. They bend with ease allowing for quick stops.
The other main advantage is that they came before the invention of urethane wheels. These roll very easily and can be used to do tricks, such as ollies, which is where the board leaves the ground entirely because of a quick snap of the tail and nose. This new invention allowed for the board to roll much more easily on the ground, allowing for more tricks.
What are some different types of skateboard breaks available?
There are 4 main types of skateboard brakes that I am aware of. There might be some others, but these are the most common:
Standard or regular brake- these are the brakes that have been used since skateboards were invented. They are mounted on the tail of the board.
Power Brake- These are similar to standard brakes, but they are attached to the nose instead of the tail. They also have a much stronger spring installed. This helps with coming to a quick stop and quickly accelerating again.
Pivot Brake- This is the most recent type of brake. It comes with a special pad that makes contact with the ground when it is used instead of metal or plastic.
Reverse Pivot- The reverse pivot is similar to the pivots brake. Like the pivot brake it came with a special pad that makes contact with the ground when used instead of regular metal or plastic brakes.