Customizing Your Skateboard: Tips for Personalizing Your Setup
Skateboarding isn’t just a sport—it’s an extension of your personality, style, and creativity. Customizing your skateboard allows you to express yourself while improving your board’s performance to match your unique riding style. From choosing the perfect deck design to upgrading your trucks, wheels, and grip tape, there are countless ways to personalize your skateboard setup. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore tips for customizing your skateboard, so you can create a board that’s truly your own.
1. Choosing the Right Deck for Your Style
The deck is the centerpiece of your skateboard and the part where you can showcase your personal flair. However, it’s not just about aesthetics—choosing the right deck also affects your skateboarding experience.
Size Matters
Deck size is critical when customizing your skateboard for performance. Decks are measured by their width, and the ideal size depends on your height, shoe size, and skating style:
- 7.5" - 8.0" Decks: Ideal for technical street skating and flip tricks. These narrower decks are lighter and easier to maneuver, perfect for skaters who prefer doing tricks.
- 8.0" - 8.5" Decks: A great all-around option for skaters who enjoy street skating and skate parks. This size offers a balance between stability and maneuverability.
- 8.5" and Wider: Best for vert skating, pools, or cruising. Wider decks provide more stability, making them ideal for transition skating or cruising.
When choosing a deck, think about the type of skating you’ll be doing the most, as this will influence the size that best suits your needs.
Custom Graphics
One of the easiest ways to personalize your skateboard is by selecting a deck with custom graphics. Many skaters see their boards as a canvas for artistic expression. Skateboard companies offer a wide range of designs, from abstract patterns to bold logos, animals, and more. Alternatively, some skaters opt for blank decks and add their own artwork using paint, stickers, or markers. Customizing your deck with personal designs, favorite quotes, or meaningful symbols makes your skateboard truly one-of-a-kind.
2. Grip Tape: Function and Flair
Grip tape is essential for maintaining traction on your board, but it’s also a great place to add a personal touch.
Choosing the Right Grip Tape
Grip tape comes in different textures, ranging from coarse to fine. Coarser grip tape provides more traction, which is beneficial for flip tricks and street skating. However, it can wear down your shoes more quickly. Fine-grit grip tape is smoother and easier on your shoes, making it a good option for cruising or casual skating.
Custom Grip Tape Designs
Many skaters use grip tape as another area for creative expression. Custom grip tape designs can range from cutouts that reveal the deck’s graphic to adding custom logos, doodles, or patterns. You can even purchase printed grip tape that features pre-designed patterns, images, or logos. If you’re feeling crafty, you can make your own cutouts or paint on the grip tape to add your personal touch.
3. Upgrading Trucks for Optimal Performance
Trucks are the metal components that connect the wheels to your deck, and they play a significant role in how your skateboard handles.
Truck Size
Choosing the right truck size is essential for balance and control. Your trucks should match the width of your deck as closely as possible. Here’s a quick guide to truck sizes based on deck width:
- 7.5" - 8.0" Decks: Pair with 129mm - 139mm trucks.
- 8.0" - 8.5" Decks: Pair with 139mm - 149mm trucks.
- 8.5" and Wider: Pair with 149mm - 159mm trucks.
The right-sized trucks will ensure stability and responsiveness when you turn and perform tricks.
Customizing Your Trucks
While the performance of your trucks is important, you can also customize their appearance to fit your style. Trucks come in various colors, finishes, and designs. You can choose a polished metal look, matte finish, or vibrant colors to complement the rest of your setup. Some skaters even mix and match different colored trucks to create a unique look.
Adjusting Truck Tightness
Another way to personalize your skateboard setup is by adjusting the tightness of your trucks. Looser trucks allow for more fluid turns and carving, while tighter trucks offer more stability, especially for technical tricks. Experimenting with truck tightness can help you find the perfect balance for your riding style.
4. Selecting the Right Wheels for Your Ride
Wheels affect both the performance and aesthetics of your skateboard. When choosing wheels, it’s important to consider both size and hardness (durometer), as these factors influence your speed, grip, and overall ride.
Wheel Size
Wheel size is measured in millimeters, and different sizes suit different styles of skating:
- 50mm - 54mm: Smaller wheels, great for street skating and technical tricks. These wheels are lightweight and ideal for flipping and grinding.
- 55mm - 60mm: Medium-sized wheels that work well for all-around skating, including skate parks and cruising.
- 60mm and Above: Larger wheels provide more speed and are best suited for cruising, downhill skating, or longboarding.
Wheel Hardness (Durometer)
Wheel hardness is measured using the durometer scale, and it’s an important factor to consider based on where you’ll be skating:
- 78A - 87A: Soft wheels that provide a smooth ride on rough surfaces. Ideal for cruising or skating on streets with cracks and pebbles.
- 88A - 95A: Medium-hard wheels, offering a balance between speed and grip. These wheels work well for all-around street and park skating.
- 96A - 101A: Hard wheels, best for smooth surfaces like skate parks. They offer less grip but more speed and control for technical tricks.
Customizing Your Wheels
Wheels come in a wide variety of colors, designs, and patterns. You can choose wheels that match your deck and trucks or opt for a contrasting color to make your setup stand out. Additionally, some wheels feature unique graphics or prints on the sides, adding another level of customization.
5. Bearings for a Smoother Ride
Bearings are the small metal components inside your wheels that allow them to spin. While bearings may not be as visually customizable as other parts of your skateboard, upgrading to high-quality bearings can significantly enhance your riding experience.
ABEC Ratings
Bearings are typically rated on the ABEC scale (ranging from ABEC 1 to ABEC 9), which measures their precision and performance. The higher the rating, the more precise the bearing:
- ABEC 1 - 3: Lower-rated bearings, usually less expensive and ideal for beginners.
- ABEC 5 - 7: Mid-range bearings that offer a balance of speed and durability. Good for intermediate skaters.
- ABEC 9: High-precision bearings for advanced skaters who need maximum speed.
Custom Bearing Shields
Some bearings come with removable shields, which can be customized in terms of color or design. Swapping out bearing shields is an easy way to add a small pop of color to your wheels. Look for high-quality bearings that also offer customization options for a perfect blend of style and performance.
6. Hardware and Riser Pads
The hardware (bolts and nuts) that connects your trucks to your deck may seem like a minor detail, but it’s another area where you can add some customization.
Colored Hardware
Many skaters choose colored hardware to match or contrast with their board's overall aesthetic. Hardware comes in a range of colors, including neon, metallic, or even glow-in-the-dark options. Some skaters use one bolt of a different color to help differentiate the nose from the tail of the board.
Riser Pads
Riser pads are small inserts placed between the trucks and deck to raise the height of the board. They are typically used to prevent wheel bite (when the wheels touch the deck during turns). Riser pads also come in various colors and can be an easy way to personalize your board while enhancing performance.
7. Adding Personal Accessories
Beyond the core components of your skateboard, there are additional accessories you can add to customize your setup further:
- Stickers: Stickers are a classic way to personalize your deck, trucks, or even wheels. From skate brand logos to custom designs, stickers allow you to add a personal touch to your board.
- Rails and Guards: If you do a lot of grinds, you may want to add plastic rails or guards to the underside of your deck. These not only protect the graphic but also add a unique look to your skateboard.
- Shock Pads: Shock pads are similar to riser pads but are designed to absorb impact. They can help protect your deck from cracks when landing tricks and reduce vibration for a smoother ride.
Conclusion
Customizing your skateboard is a great way to express your individuality while optimizing your setup for your specific riding style. Whether you’re focusing on aesthetic elements like deck graphics and colored hardware or enhancing performance with upgraded trucks, wheels, and bearings, the possibilities are endless. By tailoring each component to your personal preferences, you’ll not only enjoy a skateboard that reflects your personality but also one that performs exactly the way you want it to.
With the right customization, your skateboard becomes an extension of you—ready to help you conquer the streets, parks, or ramps with style and precision.
