Skateboard Styles

In today's skateboarding world, tricks have become extremely technical as skaters continually push the limits. While technical street skating and half-pipe riding are performed on a standard shortboard, there are other types of boards available for every type of skater. Skateboarding has always been considered a form of expression, and choosing the right board will help you develop your own unique style.

  1. Standard Shortboard

    • The standard shortboard is created with seven layers of thin wood, compressed and glued together. The creation process allows the deck to have pop and flex, necessary to perform technical tricks such as 360 flips, rail-slides and riding vert-ramps. Boards are 31 to 32 inches long and 7 1/2 to 8 inches wide. Concave--the indention along the inner edges of the board--varies slightly by brand and should be chosen based on your preference.

    Longboard

    • Longboards are oversized boards that are not used to perform technical tricks, but rather to cruise around and simulate surfing on land. Longboards are similar to the width of a standard shortboard, while the length ranges from 42 to 60 inches. The shape is similar to a surfboard, with a drawn-in tail and pointy nose. Longboards are also used to bomb hills and can reach extreme speeds, or can be used as a simple form of transportation.

    Retro Board

    • If you are a hippie at heart, a retro board is the board for you. Known amongst skaters as "old school" boards, this design was extremely popular in the '60s and '70s. The design is wider and usually shorter than a standard shortboard, nine to ten inches wide and 30 to 31 inches long. Retro boards are great to ride on barefoot after a surf session or to skate in a cement bowl, just like the old-school skaters did in their day.

    Homemade Board

    • If you have some building skills and spare wood, you can make your own skateboard. Homemade boards are fun to make and there is no limit to your creativity. You can design a fish, a surfboard, a rocket or anything that comes to mind. Once you cut out the design of your board, attach some trucks and wheels and you are ready to cruise.