How to buy your first skateboard

So you want to learn to skate huh?

Well that's awesome! A skateboard is an amazing piece of wood with wheels that you can use to simply get to school or work - or to immerse yourself in a culture of the some of the most creative, fun and accepting folks around - and everything in between. There's no rules or uniforms, you just need to first figure out what you want to do with a skateboard so you can get started with the gear that's best sorted for you.

What style of board should I ride? Well that depends what you want to do with it.
Check out the pros and cons of each of the 3 categories of boards below and decide which is best suited for what you want to do.

Street / Park board
If you want to learn tricks and skate at the park, this is what you need. You can start with a preassembled board here or build your own. Start by choosing a deck, then trucks, wheels, bearings and don't forget hardware. Feel free to call us during business hours to walk you through your choices.

PROS
Designed to do tricks
Widest variety of graphics and styles to choose from
Able to roll over most pavement surfaces

CONS
Slower and not ideal for commuting 
Rough ride due to smaller, harder trick focused wheels 


Cruiser board
Looking for short transportation in a fun and fast way? This is your best bet. Cruiser boards are quick, smooth and maneuverable through the streets. Although not ideal for tricks, you can still learn the basic ollie on one of these. You can start with a preassembled board here or build your own. Start by choosing a deck, then trucks, cruiser wheels, bearings, riser pads and don't forget hardware. Feel free to call us during business hours to walk you through your choices.

PROS
Designed for speed and maneuverability
Able to roll over most pavement surfaces comfortably and quickly

CONS
Heavier due to larger wheels
Not designed for doing tricks 

 

Longboard
Looking for longer transportation or bombing hills at faster than a car? Then look no further. Longboards are quick and smooth through the streets although not as maneuverable due to the longer wheel base which provides stability at higher speed. Not designed for tricks, but for speed and carving. You can start with a preassembled board here or build your own. Start by choosing a deck, then trucks, wheels, bearings, riser pads and don't forget hardware. Feel free to call us during business hours to walk you through your choices.

PROS
Designed for high speed and stability
Able to roll over most pavement surfaces comfortably and quickly
CONS
Much heavier due to larger wheels/trucks/board
Not designed for doing tricks 


Hopefully this helped you understand some of the differences in the variety of boards available. We understand that it's a lot to look at and process so please don't hesitate to reach out to us via phone 613-237-4797 or email us info@topoftheworld.com and we'll be happy to help.
Back to blog