I’ll start off with a quick breakdown of the modern skateboard, and then I’ll look at each part more closely in the coming weeks.
Skateboards basically consist of four main components: the deck (board), the trucks (axles), the wheels and bearings. In the past, skateboards came with a host of other accessories as well, such as nose and tail guards, rails and riser pads among others. Most of these have become obsolete and are unnecessary.
(Pictured on the left you can see an old-skool board from the late 1980’s/early 1990’s. It has a nose guard, tail guard, and rails on either side of the underside of the deck).
The idea these days is to keep the skateboard as simple as possible, using only what is necessary to function. Stripping the board of these redundant additions allows for better control and eliminates excess weight.
Next I’ll talk about the decks in a lot more detail. Stay tuned.
