When To Throw a Helmet Away

Skateboard helmets are designed to take one good whack. After that, the rule is, chuck it and get a new one.

So how strong does that whack have to be? That's where it gets messy! Depending on how strong your sense of self preservation is, versus your being a tight wad, divided by your laziness and cross multiplied by concerned parents...

Really, it's up to you. You'll probably know. If you took a good hit in the head, a hit that would have otherwise left some of your blood outside of your body, then replace the helmet. If you spent a lot on it though, this can be hard to do, huh?

That's why I also recommend not getting super expensive helmets, unless you are skating aggressively, or down hills or on half pipes. If you are skating in a concrete skatepark... well, then you might want to get a good helmet, but you don't need the best. If you're skating street, then you can probably get a lower cost helmet and be absolutely fine!

Now I gotta add - I'm NOT saying get a crumby helmet! There ARE terrible skateboarding helmets out there - cheap ones that won't protect you from much more than your own hair would have. I'm saying get a GOOD helmet, but if you are a new or casual skater, you don't need to get the top of the line model. Just make sure you get a good brand though - the Best Skateboarding Helmets list should help you out with some suggestions.

And finally, please DO wear a helmet! I know they can mess up your hair, but I'd rather have you have helmet-hair and still skating, then have nice hair while you lay in a bed for the rest of your life, eating through a tube. Wear a helmet. Want more reasons to? Read what other readers said when asked, "How has a helmet saved you?"

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High School Skateboarding Tour Encourages Kids to be Smoke Free

The ASA has put together a high school tour - here's the info about it: "Tuesday, September 7, in Denver, Colorado, the fall edition of the 2010 ASA High School Tour gets underway, embarking on an 11-week tour across the United States. During on-campus assemblies at 55 schools in 11 cities, the Tour will support the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids with action sports exhibitions by top-ranked skateboarding, BMX and inline skating pros performing on a mobile 13' high half-pipe. Attention grabbing performances, entertaining commentary, real-life testimony, trivia contests, brochures, announcements and autograph sessions are all designed to educate students about the dangers of tobacco use, the risks from second-hand smoke and ways to combat the peer pressure to start smoking."

2010 ASA High School Tour Fall Schedule:

Winners Announced for the First Skateboard Film Festival

After two days of screenings and panel discussions, the 1st Annual LA Skate Film Festival ended last night in Hollywood with the much anticipated awards ceremony honoring skate filmmakers' work from all around the world.

Winners of the 1st Annual 2010 LA Skate Film Festival are:Best Emerging Filmmaker: Symmetry, Directed and Produced by Dayman Cash Best International Film: Plank, Directed by Billy Pols, Produced by Maarten Kuit. Executive Producer: Jeroen Van Den Idsert Best Skate Shop Video: The Dango is Dead, Directed and produced by Joe Perrin. Executive Producer: John Montesi Best Independent Film: Machotaildrop, Directed by Corey Adams and Alex Craig, Produced Oliver Linsley and Jared Valentine, Executive Producers: Shon Tomlin and CJ Olivares Best Documentary: Skateistan: To Live and Skate Kabul, directed by Orlando Von Einsiedel, Produced by Orlando Von Einsiedel and Louis Figgis. Executive Producers: Jon Prever, Thanh Ma, Rod Stanley Best Commercial: Nestle Aero, Directed by Ty Evans, Produced by Nathan De La Rionda. Executive Producer: Dana Garman Best US Film: Extremely Sorry, directed by Flip Productions, produced by Ewan Bowman. Executive Producers: Geoff Rowley and Jeremy Fox, Claymation: Edgar Alvarez, Original Music: Baron Best Soundtrack: Extremely Sorry. Original Music: Baron Best Editing: Wood, Directed by Colin Kennedy, Produced by Cullen Pythress. Executive Producer: Tim Gavin Best Photography: Skateistan: To Live and Skate KabulVisit the Skate Film Festival site for more info.More about: ???--

Street League is a Hit; Huston Takes First Stop

A little while back, I told you guys about Rob Dyrdek's new contest tour, called the Street League DC Pro. Sound familiar? It's a series of thee competitions, and all about professional street skateboarding.

And they're giving out $1.2 million in prize money. That's 1.2 MILLION. That's the most that any skate competition has ever given out - more than the Dew Tour, X Games, or even the Money Cup!

Well, the first stop was this last weekend in Phoenix, Arizona. 6500 people came and watched none other than Nyjah Huston gap out to kick flip frontside board slide his way to first! "It felt so good to finally win," said the fifteen-year-old pro skater. "The format was great. It really brought out the best skateboarding."

"Saturday was simply a dream come true for me," said Dyrdek. He's been working for the last 6 years to bring Street League to life. "Beyond anything it was the best skateboarding I have ever witnessed in my life."

You can watch Saturday's action on ESPN2 on Wednesday, September 15th at 8PM ET. The Street League Tour now moves to stop number two at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif. on Sept. 11. Detailed results and ticket information are available at www.streetleague.com.

What do you think of this new pro street series? Did you see it? Do you think it's a good idea? Leave a comment below!More about: ???--

Dyrdek's Street League is a New Vision for Skateboarding Contests

Rob Dyrdek's vision for a professional sports league for street skateboarders is almost here - the $1.2 million DC Pro Tour debuts on August 28 at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona! Street League Skateboarding's prestigious three-event series features the exclusive participation of the world's top 24 street skateboarders ranging from familiar contest stars like Ryan Sheckler, Paul Rodriguez Jr. and Chris Cole to core street skateboarders that have traditionally shied away from competition like P.J. Ladd, Mike Mo Capaldi, Brandon Biebel, and Dylan Reider. The combined roster of athletes is unprecedented in the world of skateboarding and represents the winners of the past four years of the Dew Tour, X Games and Maloof Money Cup.

"To see my dream come to fruition with the launch of Street League Skateboarding on August 28th is beyond words," said Dyrdek. "To me, Street League is more than just a new contest series; it will redefine the way skateboarding competitions are done forever."

"There's going to be a time when Ryan Sheckler knows what level of skating he has to do in order to jump to first, but will have to calculate the risk of not landing his trick which could put him behind everyone," Dyrdek said. "The skaters will have to strategize for the first time." Beyond the instant ranking changes during every moment of the event, this format brings real time statistics including consistency percentages, average landed trick scores, and on the spot best-trick calculation.

Street League's $1.2 million purse is the largest in skateboarding history and almost double the combined winnings for all other skate contests. Nearly $400,000 will be awarded at each of the three stops beginning with Glendale, Ariz. on Aug. 28 and followed by Ontario, Calif. (Citizens Business Bank Arena) on September 11 and the finale in Las Vegas, Nev. (Thomas & Mack Center) on Sept. 25. The competitions will air on ESPN2 every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. PT, Sept. 15 to 29. For more details (pro skaters competing, ticket info and more), check out Streetleague.com.

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Cole Destroys His Third Money Cup

Tuesday August 10, 2010

Chris Cole dominates again (third time!!) at the New York Maloof Money Cup, and takes home a cool $100K. Cole was agressive and hit trick after trick, but even so some people across the net are saying that Nyjah Huston should have taken first. Instead, Huston had to settle for only $40K - still a good weekend's worth of work! Check out this Maloof Money Cup Recap Video to see some of the best parts of the weekend-long competition.

Insterestingly, Paul Rodriguez and Ryan Sheckler couldn't compete becasue they're committed to Street League. With so many high stakes skate competitions in one summer, it makes for exciting times! Who do you think the best skaters of all time are? Share your list!

Comments (3)See All PostsSharePrevNextLeave a CommentCommentsAugust 10, 2010 at 4:58 pm(1) James Walker says:

Chris Cole is amazing. I don’t like his style sometimes but I can’t complain when he nails every trick perfect. Props to Chris Cole.

August 13, 2010 at 10:12 am(2) nanija says:

Yeah and his from Langhorne, were i was born too

What's Your Skateboard Setup?

Your "Setup" is all of the pieces and parts that go into your skateboard. It's pretty rare to find two skaters with the same setup, and hearing about what other skaters use, and why, is a great way to learn about new options, and pick fights.

So I've got a new page where you can describe your setup, and even post a couple of pictures if you want to! Check out Reader Stories: Skateboard Setups. It's weird what we end up feeling comfortable with. I rode an old used beat up blank deck for years! I'm sure your setup is more exciting than mine - go post about it, and see what other skaters are riding! And if you have more than one skateboard in your quiver, sweet - tell us about 'em all!

Comments (26)See All PostsSharePrevNextLeave a CommentCommentsDecember 15, 2009 at 11:53 am(1) mat says:

Board: Girl
Trucks: Thunder
Grip: Mob
Wheels: Spitfire
Bearings: Bone reds
Shoes: Emerica reynold 3s

December 15, 2009 at 12:39 pm(2) Nick says:

Board: Mini Logo
Wheels: Pig 53

December 15, 2009 at 12:56 pm(3) brendan says:

board:planb pat duffy
trucks:ruckos
bearings:pig
wheels:dont know but im pretty sure there speed demond
other board
deck:enuff
wheels:rukos
trucks mcgill….just of a random board i found on my road
bearings:rukos

December 15, 2009 at 8:45 pm(4) Austin says:

Board: Rasa Libre
Trucks: Tensor Magnesium
Wheels: Spitfires
Bearings: Bones Reds
Hardwear: dont know
Griptape: MOB

#tt26 dt.g .gB

Skateboarding Schools Crop Up Worldwide

It's a strange day and age, when I can write a blog about skateboarding schools! Just a few short decades ago, skateboarding was mostly unknown, or had a very rough reputation. A lot of skaters still do - there are loads of people out there who HATE skaters! And, to be honest, there are a lot of skaters who are equally mad at the world! And, in the middle of all that, today I wrote up a new list of international skateboarding schools. That's right, there are several skateboarding schools all over the world! Now, these aren't the same things as skateboarding camps - for this list, I put in established schools, most of which run year round. There are a few in America, and ones in Canada, Japan, Germany, and England. Crazy, huh?! Check out Skateboarding Schools Worldwide!

I'd like to add to this list. I know there are more schools in the states that I haven't listed, and there have GOT to be more around the world. Korea? Spain? Australia?

So, let's make this list bigger - if you know of a legitimate skateboarding school (not just some guy named Mike who will teach you to skate behind a dumpster somewhere... unless he's really good at it!), either post a comment below, or e-mail me! Also, if you have ever been to one of these schools, post a comment and tell the world what it was like! I haven't been to any of them, and it would be good to know if any are particularly good or bad!

On a related note, if you skate and live somewhere outside the US or Canada, and you'd like to share what it's like, I'm always trying to add countries to the Skateboarding Around the World article - email me and let's talk!Comments (1)See All PostsSharePrevLeave a CommentCommentsAugust 16, 2010 at 4:46 pm(1) Rex says:

We were sitting around talking about who and when the skateboard was invented. We checked all the sites and blogs. I actually posted coments on 2 sites. “Wiki answers” was one..
I grew up in Coronado Ca. I’m still boarding and am 61. But back then in the 50’s one of the older brothers of a friend named John Pickens, added a piece of quarter round to the tail of his steel skate board. This gave the rider more control and before long we were doing wheelies, hopping curbs, spinning 360’s and more. I believe this was the first improvement to the basic board and launched skateboarding into a real sport..

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White and Rodriguez Take Portland

"After seeing the runs before me, I knew I had to put together a run like I'd never done before," said Shaun White. "It's just an honor getting to continue competing like this."

White won the skateboard vert final on Sunday at the Dew Tour's Wendy's Invitational. A two-time Olympic gold medalist and former summer and Winter Dew Cup champion, this marks White's first skateboard vert win since his return to skateboarding post Vancouver. Paul Rodriguez won the skate park finals on Saturday. The final jam session in skate park came down to Dew Tour veterans Rodriguez, Ryan Sheckler, Chaz Ortiz, Greg Lutzka and Rodolfo Ramos along with Tour newcomer and Frenchman, Bastien Salabanzi.

"I knew I had a lot of work coming out of Boston, so I'm just doing the best I can," said Rodriguez. "It feels great to be back on the podium at the Dew Tour; everything seemed to work out today. The Dew Cup is the goal, and we can start looking forward to the Championships."

Check out the Dew Tour Guide for the current stats and rankings for skateboard and BMX competitions. The 4th contest is set for September 14th to 17th in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Comments (4)See All PostsSharePrevNextLeave a CommentCommentsAugust 18, 2010 at 9:20 am(1) Correy Daniels says:

Hello everyone,

Im here to tell you about one of the most amazing product to buy if you want to become a pro skateboarder.I myself have bought this product and I am amazed with the results it has given me, its called “Secrets of Skateboarding” and its awsome.
SoS has helped me with so many problems in skating. it shows you secret tips on how to land almost every trick known to man, its wonderful. Because of this book I am now sponsored by Ricta,DGK, and DC shoes. I strongly advise you to try this guide to.
link is below

http://ed1351ci-iyqkv7ps9w-hgv3ld.hop.clickbank.net/

August 18, 2010 at 1:50 pm(2) Ryan says:

Hey Steve!

Awesome blog! I’d love it if you could recommend some other good skater blogs. I’m looking for smaller blogs with a more personal feel. Yours is big, but it still keeps a nice personal feel. Any recommendations? Thanks!

Ryan

August 18, 2010 at 4:24 pm(3) skateboard says:

Thanks Ryan! If there’s ever anything more I can do, or if you have any ideas, I’m open! As for other blogs – none come to mind. From time to time people who have blogs e-mail me and we talk a little, but I can’t remember ‘em. Maybe I should write a little blog post and ask for other bloggers to share their websites? Hmmm.

August 18, 2010 at 6:50 pm(4) Ryan says:

Yeah! Definitely! You should write that. I love reading blogs that are more about the personal experience in the skater world. Some of the magazine blogs are good too, but I like being able to relate. Thanks!

#tt26 dt.g .gB

Bedazzle Your Griptape with Art On Grip

Have you ever cut shapes and patterns into your griptape before you applied it to your board? Once I used the poorman's version of that, where you cut the grip in half and then lay it so that you leave a gap between the halves. Some skaters use stencils and spraypaint on their griptape. There are companies who make griptape in different colors, but for the most part they aren't as grippy as high end black grip.

Well, the company Art on Grip now offers custom pictures and art on griptape! I had to see what this looked like, so they sent me some sheets. It's read griptape, though a little less grippy than the usual black. And it costs a little more. But those are the only drawbacks - the benefits are huge! Take a look at this picture posted here - that's one of the grip rolls that they sent to me. It's a ninja throwing sushi rolls like ninja stars. It's awesome. They have a LOT of pictures and designs available, and the quality is beautiful.

Trying out the grip, I thought it worked just fine. The tape grips a little less than expensive black grip brands - I'd say it grips right about as well as generic black grip, and better than the full color griptape.

And the coolest part is that you can get any custom picture you WANT on griptape! For right about $25, you can get any picture you upload put onto grip. That opens up a huge door for gift ideas - not sure what to get someone? How about some sweet custom griptape with art you or they created? Combine this with Boardpusher, and you can have a weird ultra custom skateboard... Now all we need is for someone to offer custom skate wheel art, and things will be officially very very odd. Art on Grip is also looking for artists, and they offer that they'll give you all of your money back if you aren't happy.

So check 'em out, and see what you think. If you know of other companies like this, or if you've used their products, leave a comment below!

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Skateboarding Academy Awards Honor the Best Films and Videos

The LA Skate Film Festival is a new project designed to honor the best in skateboard filming. The Academy of Skateboard Filmmakers looked at around 100 videos coming from 19 countries, and came up with the nominees for this first time event. Are you curious about who's been nominated? Of course you are! Here's the list:

OFFICIAL SELECTIONS FOR BEST US FILM:

Huge Amature Contest in Texas - Skate It Up 2010

Wednesday August 25, 2010

This is a series of street skateboard contest where the top 3 winners of each preliminary event are entered into the finals Oct 3rd 2010; here are a few details.The war begins Aug 28th 2010 in downtown Houston, TX