Terminator Wheels info

I look at that headline, and I think, really? An entire month dedicated to brain injury awareness? Wow. But, it DOES give me the perfect opportunity to bring up helmets!

Most of the skaters I see at my skatepark wear helmets, and even skaters who are riding around town, but I live in Oregon, where skateboarding is mostly accepted, and you do it at your own risk (no suing the city because you're an idiot and bit a curb after skating through a construction zone - it happens). So if you don't wear a helmet, and you end up donating your brains to the pavement, well ... good for you? So most kids here wear helmets.

I would like to encourage you to do the same. This is a pulpit I'm happy to preach from. If you aren't wearing a helmet because you don't want to mess up your hair, or because they're uncomfortable, then grow up! Most likely your hair looks FAR nastier than you think it does, and no one will care how nice you hair looks if you end up a vegetable. And it's VERY easy to scramble your brain - shockingly easy, in fact. Our brains are soft and vulnerable, and rumor has it they're important! Read Do I Need to Wear a Helmet? for more.

You can also read other skater's stories and post your own in how Has a Helmet Saved Your Life? Once you're convinced, check out the Top 10 Skateboard Helmets list and pick one out.

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month! originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 15:36:38.

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Posted on 9 March 2010 | 10:36 am

Jenni wrote in and asked, "I'm just learning how to longboard and I'm finding that when I remove my back foot to push I lose balance and sometimes will fall forward a bit or to either side..." Bummer! Having poor balance makes skateboarding very tough. I think I have pretty great balance, but when I got onto my friend's Nintendo Wii balance board, it made fun of me, asking me if I have a hard time walking. Jerk machine! So how to we get better balance?

Practice!

That's the key. Like everything else in skateboarding, you just need more time doing it. But, there ARE things you can do to improve your balance.

• Cruise around more - this is the easiest, most natural fix. Ride your skateboard or longboard around, and you WILL improve your balance.
• Home balance training - things like standing on one foot with your eyes closed, for as long as you can (it's actually pretty tough!). Things like this will help improve your sense of balance, and will strengthen the little muscles that help it all happen.
• Use a balance board - the best one of these I've ever used is the Indo Board, but there are several out there. Practice on one of these while watching TV, talking on the phone, anything at all! They work wonders.

I hope this helps! If you have any ideas of your own, share them below!

Skateboarding, Like Life, Requires Balance... originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 19:37:25.

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Posted on 6 March 2010 | 2:37 pm

HBO made a short video in their "How to Make It in America" series about legendary NYC skateboarder Wilfredo Gomez. If you haven't heard of him, Wilfredo is a possibly insane, mysterious, bigfoot-esqu, overwhelmingly talented skateboarder who haunts New York City.

The video features guys like Eric Koston, Gino Iannucci, Guy Mariano, Mark Gonzales, Andrew Reynolds, Heath Kirchart and many more. Here's a quote from the video from Attiba Jefferson, professional skater photographer:

"We get to the spot and Wilfredo's there and you can tell he looked a little rough from the night before... he throws up and he goes to try the trick, and on that try he makes it, and on his way back he looks at me and says: It's that easy. And from then on I knew he was the man."

The video features mature content, so you will be asked to register before viewing it. And if you are a little kid, well, ask your parents. Then leave a comment below about what you think about Wilfredo! It's funny how these guys all talk about how incredible he is, but how seriously unlikable he is ... What do you think? Have you known anyone like Wilfredo? Do you think he's even real?

The Legend of Wildredo Gomez originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 14:39:29.

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Posted on 3 March 2010 | 9:39 am

On Skateboard 101: Part One, we talked about Skateboard Slang. Now we're trying to tackle an even harder topic - Skateboard Style. Skateboard style is a strange thing to talk about. No matter how much I think that people should just wear what they want to, we all know that skateboarding has its own "style".

But not all skaters dress alike - not at all! I like my clothes baggy and sloppy, while some guys wear pants that are so tight, I don't think they'll be able to have children. But still, between these two extremes, you can still tell most skaters on sight, can't you?

Again, just like with Part One, I'm not trying to tell you how to pretend to be a skater. In fact, I'm not trying to tell you how to dress at all! But, I get a good amount of e-mail from new skaters who really want to blend in with the skater crowd, and who don't know what to do. For some of us, fasion just doesn't come naturaly! So, for skaters like this, I have As a Skater, How Should I Dress? Read it, and see what you think. And if you have anything to add to the conversation about skateboard style and fasion, write a comment below!

Skateboard 101: Part Two - Skateboard Style originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 17:07:58.

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Posted on 1 March 2010 | 12:07 pm

Want to go to the Vans Warped Tour for FREE? Volunteer at the Concrete Wave booth at the Vans 2010 Warped Tour, and get in to the Tour for free! Michael from Concrete Wave gave this to me, to pass on to you!

"We need 2 volunteers per day x 40 days. That's 80 volunteers. You get a free pass to the show. You'll work at the booth helping give out passports, prizes and coordinate traffic. YES! You'll see bands and you'll meet some very cool people. But the best thing: you'll be helping out not-for-profit organizations.

"We'll even throw in some goodies.

"BUT...you need to tell me WHY you would make the best volunteer! Email me about 200 words by April 30th at mbrooke@interlog.com."

Visit warpedtour.com to find out when the tour is coming to your town, or look through the Skateboarding Events Calendar!

Get Into the Vans Warped Tour for Free! originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 00:40:40.

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Posted on 25 February 2010 | 7:40 pm

Adam shared this story with me:

"In January 2009 Adam Colton set off with Paul Kent and Aaron Enevoldsen to conquer the Andes with only longboards and backpacks. Mike Hager supplied $4000 of video equipment to document themselves skating over 1500 miles through some of the toughest terrain on the planet. This is their first release showing amazing scenery, character, native Peruvians, and downhilling with 30lb backpacks! Watch the video on YouTube.

"The three encountered major food issues, 3rd world conditions forced them to make packaged cookies a staple of their diet! The high-altitude posed the threat of altitude sickness and exhaustion. Along the way Adam's board broke and was modified into a whole new creation. Money was such a tight issue for Paul and Aaron who started the trip with no plane tickets home and $1200 USD between them! The three uploaded their location via spot tracker every single night, and photos and blogs between major towns. This trip was the beginnings of a new and spectacular form of documentary travel: Long Distance Skate Touring."

LongTreks Trailer: Peru y Bolivia Trailer originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at 21:42:35.

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Posted on 24 February 2010 | 4:42 pm

I'm starting a new series here that I'm calling "Skateboard 101", to help brand new skaters get a handle on the massive and often confusing world of skateboarding.

Part One covers skateboard slang. This can be good for new skaters, or for the parents of skaters who just want to understand what their skater kid is talking about! Take a look and read Skateboard Slang. It covers slang words for skateboards, skaters, and slang words that skaters use. This article isn't meant for you to read to be able to ACT like a skater, it's meant for people to understand skaters more, and for new skaters to understand their friends. After you've read it, read Skateboard 101: Part Two - Skateboard Style

Got any words that you think should be added? Post them below! If you post an especially sick one, I'll add it to the list!

Skateboard 101: Part One - Skateboard Slang originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 19:41:36.

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Posted on 22 February 2010 | 2:41 pm

So Shaun White's still got it!  As I write this, America has 6 gold medals in the Winter Olympics, and one of those belongs to pro-boarder Shaun White.  He's insanely talented ... to be a pro snowboarder AND skateboarder ... wow.  I hope you saw his run (if you didn't you can watch Shaun White's run here) - he had already clenched the gold by his last run, so it was just for fun.  And of course, it was still awesome.  So far, no one has mastered the art of boarding in the way that Shaun has.

You can also check out the Shaun White photo gallery for pics of him skateboarding and snowboarding.

Thinking about this brings up the question, what about skateboarding in the Olympics?  I have a blog post that talks about it - Skateboarding in the 2012 Olympics, and it has EXPLODED with comments!  Check it out and see what you think.  There are a lot of people passionate on both sides of this thing.  So, to help see where people are, I made a new poll:

Shaun White, The Olympics and Skateboarding originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Friday, February 19th, 2010 at 20:37:54.

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Posted on 19 February 2010 | 3:37 pm

Looking for some big high resolution skateboard logos? We've got 'em! Take a look at the Skateboard Logo Gallery - you can use 'em for your desktop, school projects, making stencils, and all kinds of other stuff. Have fun!

Skateboard Comany Logos originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 02:37:32.

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Posted on 16 February 2010 | 9:37 pm

We have three big skate contests on the horizon for the second half of February (and two of them are in Florida!):

• The Vans Bowl-A-Rama is set for Feb 20th, 2010 at Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia. This will features a Men's Pro and Master's (40yrs and older) level contest.

• Grind For Life holds a series of 3 contests throughout the year - the first one on February 27th 2010 at Eastwood Skate Park in Rockledge, Florida. Grind for Life raises money for cancer patients.
• The Ian Tillman Foundation skate contest is set for Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at Stirling Skate Park in Dunedin, Florida. The Ian Tillman Foundation works to raise helmet awareness.

Get more info on the February page of the Skateboarding Calendar. If you have anything to add to the calendar, post it under the comments below!

Upcoming Skate Contests originally appeared on About.com Skateboarding on Monday, February 15th, 2010 at 19:22:06.

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Posted on 15 February 2010 | 2:22 pm

Mini-Skateboards - What Are Mini-Skatebords, Advantages, How-Tos, and more. Read up on the Mini-Skateboard trend, what they are, how to build a mini-skateboard, and a lot more. Learn about Mini-Skateboards!

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:08 am

What's the best video camera for skateboarding? Great question! Whether you are making your own Sponsor-Me-Video, or creating a video of your skateboarding to share, making sure you get the best video camera for skateboarding is important. Check out this list of the best video cameras for skateboarding, go get one, and start filming! These cameras aren't in order of best to worst - each video camera here has something to offer.

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:08 am

Danny Way Gallery - Photos and images of pro skater legend Danny Way. Danny Way has pushed and challenged the limits of skateboarding, demonstrating that anything is possible on a skateboard, and that we've only scratched the surface of skateboarding's potential. Check out these photos or Danny Way from the X Games, jumping the great wall in China, and much more.

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:08 am

Ollie on a Ramp - Learn how to Ollie on a Ramp - skateboarding trick tips. Ramps come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, and if you ride them, you are eventually going to want to know how to ollie off the end of a ramp. Ollying off of ramps can be a lot of fun! You need to learn to ollie of of ramps, vert and launch ramps, in order to do big grab tricks like the indy, or the 180 or 360. Read these step by step instructions on how to learn to ollie on a skateboarding ramp.

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:08 am

How to start a skateboard club - Starting a skateboard club can be very easy, or very very hard. No matter what though, starting a skateboard club can be worth it. Creating a skateboard club gives skaters a place to belong, a place where they can skate together and make friends, learn from each other, and have fun skateboarding. Don't get caught up in the name "club" - these are just ways to organize. Learn how to start a skateboard club with these articles!

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:08 am

The Arbor Fish Longboard is the shortest in Arbor's "carver" series. Tester Ray Thomason talks about the board, what it felt like to ride the Arbor Fish longboard, and how it pulled him back to his early days of skateboarding. Read all about the Arbor Fish longboard carver in this review, and see what you think.

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:08 am

How to Fall Safely Skateboarding - A skater asked, "If I do fall is there any proper way for me to land without hurting my self and ending up on an EMS vehicle to the nearest hospital? Sometimes Safety Gear is just not enough." Read this Skateboarding FAQ to get the answer!

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:08 am

Photos from the new Tony Hawk's American Wasteland video game for X Box, Playstation 2 (PS2) and Gamecube. Check out screen shots, images and pictures in this photo gallery for the new Tony Hawk console video game, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland.

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:08 am

Rock and Roll - Learn how to Rock and Roll - skateboarding trick tips. The rock and roll skateboarding trick is a great miniramp lip trick that can be preformed on a quaterpipe, halfpipe, or any other ramp. The rock and roll is similar to a rock to fakie, but incorporated a 180 pivot out at the end. Read these step by step how to rock and roll skateboarding instructions with pictures to learn how to do this skateboarding trick.

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:08 am

The Pro-Tec "The Classic" helmet is everything you need in a skateboard helmet. Pro-Tec has been making quality helmets and pads for skateboarding and action sports for years, so you can trust them with something as critical as your head. The Classic helmet is a re-definition of the "Classic Skate", and sacrifices some comfort for more protection. If you aren't too worried about extra special features on your helmet, but you want one you can trust, read more about The Classic by Pro-Tec...

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:08 am

Top 10 picks for skate shoes! Read about the best shoes for skateboarding on the market, and check out some hot reviews as well. This list of the top 10 skateboarding shoes should help you with your skate shoe shopping, to make sure that you get high quality skateboarding shoes. Find out the best skateboarding shoes in this top 10 skateboarding shoes list.

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:57 am

Skateboard Logos - a gallery of logos of popular skateboard brands, good for reference, websites, MySpace backgrounds, collages, desktops, or whatever you'd like! You can see large skateboard brand logos from banners, stickers and decals.

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:57 am

X Games 15 Picture Gallery - Skateboard Photos and Images from X Games 15 - The 2009 X Games 15 were almost half skateboarding events, with skateboarding vert, street, park, mega ramp, men's and women's competitions, and skate legends contest. Check out these skateboarding pictures from X Games 15!

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:57 am

The Ollie is the first trick that most skateboarders learn. Learning to ollie makes sense – the ollie is the foundation of almost all flatland and park skateboarding tricks. Once you learn how to ollie, you’ll be able to move on to learning all kinds of other skateboarding tricks, or inventing your own skateboarding tricks. Read these step by step instructions on how to ollie on your skateboard and learn how to ollie!

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:57 am

Check out the top 5 free online skateboarding games on the internet! These are the best online flash video games featuring skateboarding that are out there. Try them out - they're free!

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:57 am

Learn how to 50-50 grind on your skateboard - step by step instructions and help on learning the skateboarding trick, the 50-50 grind. Learning skateboard tricks can be tough, so here's some step by step adive on learning how to 50-50 grind skateboarding. The 50-50 is the most basic type of grind, and the first grind trick that most skateboarders learn - read these trick tips to learn how to 50-50 grind ledges and rails.

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:57 am

X Games 13 Photo Gallery - see images and pictures from X Games 13 skateboarding competitions, from vert ramps skateboarding to street course skateboarding to the big air competitions and best tricks, including mens and womens skateboarding competitions at X Games 13.

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:57 am

Replacing skateboard bushings is a piece of cake - and should be done from time to time. Bushings are the little rubber rings inside skateboard trucks (see photo). Skateboarding puts a lot of wear on your bushings. They can lose their spring, and your board will end up always turning in a certain direction, or simply losing performance. Read more about how to replace your skateboard bearings, how to disassemble your skateboard trucks, and how to reassemble your skateboard trucks.

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:57 am

Skateboard Logos - a gallery of logos of popular skateboard brands, good for reference, websites, MySpace backgrounds, collages, desktops, or whatever you'd like!

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:57 am

Zack writes, "I was just wondering if Blank skate products were any good." There is no just one company that makes blank skateboard gear - they are usually made in China, by several companies, and shipped and sold in bulk. Because of this, it's hard to tell if you are going to get anything well made or not when you buy blank gear. So, I would recommend ... read the rest of this skateboarding FAQ article for more help and info on blank skateboard gear and equipment.

Posted on 10 March 2010 | 5:57 am