How to Build a Skateboard, Step by Step
A complete skateboard assembly guide: which tools you need, how to lay griptape without bubbles, kingpin orientation, bearings and wheels, and the final check.
Guide
Articles to help you choose your skate gear
Practical tips for choosing your deck, trucks and the setup that best fits your style. For beginners and for anyone changing their setup.
Cruiser, surfskate or skateboard: which one
Which board to buy based on what you actually want to do: the real physical differences between cruiser, surfskate, longboard and classic skateboard, what each one can't do, and what they cost across European shops.
Skateboarding glossary: the words you need
What hanger, durometer, wheelbite, pop and switch actually mean. Skate terms grouped by block — deck, trucks, wheels, shapes and tricks — and which ones stay in English everywhere.
Skateboard maintenance: cleaning and wear
How to clean your bearings step by step, rotate your wheels, replace grip tape and read the wear on trucks and deck, with a checklist of the signs a part is finished.
How to choose skate shoes: vulc or cupsole
Vulcanised or cupsole? Why skate shoes always blow out in the ollie zone, how they really fit and how long they last, with real prices from 901 shoes across 19 brands.
Skateboards for Kids: Which Deck, and at What Age
When a child can start, which deck width suits their shoe size, why a complete beats building piece by piece, and how to spot a toy-shop board.
Skateboard Bearings Guide: ABEC and How to Choose
A clear guide to skateboard bearings: why the ABEC scale is misleading, what actually matters (steel, ceramic, shields, spacers) and how to maintain them.
Skateboard wheels: durometer and diameter
Which wheel hardness and diameter to choose, with European market figures: 99a is 35% of the offer and 52-54 mm is 57%. A and B scales, flatspots and real prices.
How much does a skateboard cost? Real 2026 prices
What a skateboard costs in Europe, measured across 16,900 products in 78 shops: what each part really costs, why the same deck varies by up to 114%, and how to build one without overpaying.
Your first skateboard: how to build it
Your first skateboard step by step: pre-built complete vs custom build, what deck width to pick, good-value brands, budget expectations and mistakes to avoid.
European skateboard brands: which to buy and where
A guide to European skate brands — Polar, Magenta, Palace, Jart, Heroin — plus the American brands that dominate Europe's shops, with real comparator prices.
Hi vs Lo skateboard trucks: sizes explained
What changes between Hi, Mid and Lo trucks, how to match hanger width to your deck, and why the same Independent model shows up at €38 and at €85 across European shops.
How to choose a skateboard deck size
Which deck width suits you by height, foot size and style, with the sizes European shops actually stock, measured across 8,700 decks in 78 shops.