FAQ
Questions over questions - here you will find the right answers. Whether you have questions about your shop experience or skating in general, we have the answer for you. If your question is not answered in our FAQ, please feel free to contact us and we will help you as soon as possible.
My first skateboard - what should I watch out for?
If you're new to skating, there's probably a lot that's still unclear to you. That's why we've prepared a little guide for you here, which will hopefully make your start easier and give you even more motivation.
First of all, there is something to clarify: skating is not very easy. It's not something you can easily learn overnight. Skateboarding takes time, especially in the beginning when you don't have a feel for the board and the whole topic of skateboarding is new. But skating gives you so much. The feeling of standing a trick for the first time that you have practiced for days beforehand is incomparable. You have to stick with skating, then it's the most beautiful sport of all.
How do you start skating?
The beauty of skating is that you can do whatever you want, however you want, whenever you want. Nobody tells you how to do something. Do it the way you have the most fun. All you need is your board and a pair of shoes.
Tips for learning to drive
When you're really new to it, it's important to get a feel for your board. The best way to get this is to just drive. Whether to school, to the bakery, with the dog or just in the evening, instead of going for a walk on the bike path, ride around a bit. Just drive as much as possible! You will notice how you get better and safer with each time.
When you are more confident on the board, you can also dare to go to the skate park. And don't worry, no one will judge you for being a newbie, on the contrary! You'll find that most skaters will support and celebrate you, even if it's just your first time over an obstacle, for example. Skaters support and push each other, maybe even give you tips to get better. Take it easy to the skate park and try an ollie or just ride around to get safer.
More tips
Keep it dry, keep it clean - It's best not to ride in the rain. The rain not only makes your board dirty, it slowly washes the oil out of your bearings. Besides, your board is made of wood. In other words, if it gets too wet, it may soften, deform and become unstable.
If it feels weird to ride, eg your trucks are way too hard and you can't steer properly, try loosening the kingpin nut, this will make your board easier to steer. You can change the handling of your skateboard by turning the kingpin nut. Loose axles allow you to steer better and more easily, but you are more wobbly at high speeds. Hard trucks are an advantage if you want more stability. It's also easier to do clean tricks because you have less balancing with your body.
Find the right skateboard width/size for you
Basically, the selection of your deck width is purely a matter of taste. How do you want to skate and what do you find more visually appealing? But if you're completely new to the sport, or you're just simply interested, here's our guide on how to find a deck width/size that's right for you:Most of the time, you speak about the width when talking about the "size" of a skateboard. Although there are differences in length, these only have a small influence on driving behavior. It is also often the case that wider decks are slightly longer than shorter decks. The standard deck sizes are between 7.25" and 9.0". There are two aspects to consider when choosing deck width. On the one hand your riding style, i.e. do you prefer to shred bowls and halfpipes or do you prefer every kickflip to become a double kickflip on the flat ground? On the other hand, the shoe size is also an important aspect.
Which board width is recommended for which riding style?
It is generally said that narrower boards are easier to flip, the advantage here is that you need less force to do a trick. The disadvantage, however, is that the narrower boards provide less driving safety because you simply have less under your feet. With wider boards, on the other hand, you can ride smoothly even at high speeds. Due to the larger surface, the board forgives you more mistakes when catching tricks. But it is precisely because of this large surface that the boards are more difficult to flip.
The bottom line: If you tend to flat skate or you just want to hit everyone in the park in the game of skate, then a narrower board is probably a better choice for you. If you're more into shredding the bowls and halfpipes, then a wider board will definitely suit your interests better. Nevertheless, the width of your skateboard is purely a matter of taste. This guide is only a recommendation from our side. The best thing is to simply try out different sizes and find out for yourself which size is best for you. Sometimes it's fun to change the size.
art and skateboarding
You only see the product of most things in life. The finished shoe, the built house, the meat at the butcher or in the supermarket, or the finished skateboard. But you rarely see the long history of the products, all the different influences and work steps.
Today we want to give you an insight into the development of a deck design and clarify what the background thoughts and influences are here. We interviewed the designer of the skateboard brand Über, Simon Büßem.
Simon commented as follows:
He said it's difficult to establish a clear flow when designing a deck because each graphic has its own unique story. It often starts with just one basic idea, which he writes down on a scrap of paper, even if it's just a single word. A lot of work is also done with external sources of inspiration, whether out in nature when he walks his dog, or on social media. Anything can be a creative influence. Old paintings that Simon discovered became a great source of inspiration for the "Flowers" deck series. When a good idea emerges from all the influences, he sits in front of his Mac and starts designing the deck with Adobe. He regularly consults with Max Ritter, the CEO of Über. The design process then often looks like a ping-pong match between the two of them, in which they constantly complement each other and the product becomes more and more perfect step-by-step. Max has a practiced eye for design. For example, he created the sketch for the “Pissboy” series, which Simon then converted into a finished design.
But that doesn't mean that every sketch, every idea becomes a graphic. On the contrary, ideas are often discarded again, or they are put on the back burner. But if a sketch turns out to be good, it gets fine-tuned. The attention to detail is the decisive factor. You can look at the Flowers deck for minutes and you keep discovering new, small details that you hadn't noticed before, so it's always fun to take the time and look at the board in detail. When the graphic is finished, it is reviewed by the entire team. Then, when everyone gives the go-ahead for the graphic, production begins.
What does "concave" mean?
You've probably stumbled across the words medium concave, high concave or low concave when buying a skateboard. But what is meant by these terms?
Concave is the curvature of your deck. These can vary in strength.
• High = strong curvature
• Medium = medium curvature
• Low = low curvature
What is the concave for?
These different curvatures have an influence on the handling of your board. In general, the more this curvature is, the more responsive your skateboard is. A high-concave skateboard flips faster, but also behaves a little less safely. The reverse is the case with the low concave.
Most decks have a medium concave as this is both responsive and relatively stable at high speeds.
You can only find the right concave for yourself by trying it out. Basically, you can't go wrong in the beginning with a medium-concave deck.
The Advantage of Complete Boards
Completes are perfect for beginners who have never assembled a board before. With us you get high-quality skateboards with coordinated components, with which you can start rolling straight away. You don't have to worry if you have everything or if the trucks fit your board width, you can just enjoy skating. But our completes are not only a top choice for beginners. Also for former skaters who want to get back into it, or just skaters who need a new set-up.
What makes our complete boards different
Complete skateboards are discredited by many skaters. Completes are often associated with cheap boards that break after the second shove-it, bearings that don't roll and toothpick trucks. You always run the risk of buying bad quality.
With us you will only find quality. The deck is a professional skateboard deck, which can take a beating, just like the trucks. The wheels are also made of a high-quality urethane mixture and are extremely durable and don't get flat spots that easily.
Each board is quality-checked again by our employees and properly matched so that you only have to unpack the board.
How to order from F1RST
1. Select item
If you like an item and want to order it, simply click on the "Shopping Cart" button. If this button is not available, then unfortunately the product is currently sold out. Then stop by the shop on another day and the item will definitely be available again.
When you have all the items you want in your shopping cart, click on "Shopping Cart" and then on "Checkout". If you now pay with PayPal, steps two to four are skipped and you get straight to point five, the confirmation
2. Sign in
Register once on F1RST Skateshop to create a free customer account. If you already have one, you can simply log in with it.
3. Enter address
Now please enter your address so that we know where to send your package. If you want, you can also provide your phone number. This has the advantage that you can be informed quickly by telephone in the event of complications.
Then click on "Continue" and now select the preferred shipping method.
4. Payment
Now all you have to do is select your desired payment method. You can also enter a billing address that differs from the delivery address, for example to surprise your friends with a package.
Then click on "Next"
5. Confirmation
You will now see all your information about your order. If everything fits, click on "Buy".
Once you have clicked "Buy", we will process your order. You will also receive an order confirmation via e-mail when we have received your order. You will also receive a shipping confirmation from us via email.
shipping costs and delivery time
The difference between perforated and unperforated griptape
But why should my griptape be perforated?!
Quite simply, have you ever used a large sticker or simply stuck on a screen protector? If you don't do this with full concentration, bubbles form there and you either have to push them out with difficulty, or let the air escape with a small hole.
A perforated griptape is inherently riddled with tiny holes that are large enough for air to escape but so small that you don't even see them on the griptape. This saves you time because you can stick the griptape on quickly and easily.
wheel guide
Finding the right wheels is, like almost everything when choosing a skateboard, a matter of taste. But if you just want to find out more, here is our little guide for you, in which we quickly go into the most important basics.
What are skateboard wheels made of?
Skateboard wheels are made from a urethane compound. This substance is used in a variety of ways, whether for insulating materials, sponges or, as in our case, as a roll. It's interesting how much can be made from a single substance.
A?
As we already know, polyurethane can have different haptic characteristics. One of these characteristics is the degree of hardness. This is measured in durometers, where the abbreviation is "A". The degree of hardness of wheels usually ranges between 75 - 101 A. The larger the number, the greater the degree of hardness. In other words wheels with a hardness of 75 A are softer than wheels with 101A.
Hard or soft roles?
As already mentioned in the introduction, this is a matter of preference, but here are a few properties of hard and soft wheels that will hopefully make your decision easier.
Hard roles:
|
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|
Power slides easily possible |
Less dampening, making it more uncomfortable to drive on rough surfaces |
|
Accelerate and roll well |
less grip |
Soft roles:
|
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|
Dampen more, making it more comfortable on rough ground |
Power slides are more difficult |
|
More grip |
Accelerate slower |
Basically, you can say that hard wheels are the right choice for skate parks and smooth floors. If you want to cruise through the city more relaxed, or ride your board to work, you are clearly better served with soft wheels.
But you are rarely wrong if you do something in between and buy medium-hard wheels, i.e. approx. 90A - 95A. With these you can easily perform in the park or on the street without any problems.
Size
Does the driving performance change with different wheel sizes?
Yes, if only minimally. For one thing, with larger rolls you're a little taller, so you have a little more motion and your pop might be a little more, but these are all minor changes.
In general, you can ride faster with larger wheels, but you also have a higher risk of wheelbites. Ultimately, however, it is often just a question of aesthetics.
running width
Now we finally come to the last metric that you should (more or less) pay attention to. The running width is the area that actually touches the ground afterwards. The thinner this surface is, the better you can powerslide with the Wheels and technical driving will be a little easier for you. The wider the contact area, the more grip you have and pure cruising will be easier for you. However, it is often the case that soft wheels are wider and hard wheels are harder.
Summary
When you look at Wheels online, you always come across two metrics. It often says something like 53mm 97A. The 53mm is the diameter of the roll. You'll be a bit faster with larger wheels, but you have to be careful not to buy wheels that are too big, otherwise you significantly increase the risk of wheelbites. The 97A the degree of hardness. The higher this number, the harder the reels. Depending on your preferences and driving style, a different degree of hardness is suitable. In general, however, one can say that harder wheels are better suited for technical riding and are only used in the skate park. For cruising and street skateboarding, slightly softer wheels make more sense.
Skateboards for kids
Apart from the fact that every skater at one point in his life thought: "If only I had started earlier", skating also has many advantages for kids.
Not only does it allow kids to spend more time outside, but skating is extremely helpful for developing good coordination and balance. But the most important thing is that children learn that you may fall down, but then you can get up and keep going. And last but not least, skating is just a lot of fun.
Nevertheless, it is important that children wear protectors and a helmet so that nothing happens to them! Of course you can also buy this protective equipment in our shop.