Skateboarding Videos: 2007

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Choosing the Right Skateboarding Shoes for a Great and Safe Skateboard Experience

Skateboarding is one of the most popular pastimes in America. Several decades have already passed and it seems that this activity, which was just once a fad, will never lose its popularity. While skateboarding is indeed fun and exciting, it is not devoid of hazards as any pursuit that involves wheels. Special precautions must be made when riding the skateboard and one of the most important things to do is to wear an appropriate pair of skateboarding shoes.

Skateboarding seems to be a very uncomplicated pastime because practically one just needs a skateboard and a paved surface to go about it. For safety, skateboarders are required to wear helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads. But that is not actually enough because one also has to protect a very important part of the body used in skateboarding – the feet. This is where skateboarding shoes come into the picture.

Usually, people would think that any sport shoes would do for skateboarding. However, this is not true. While regular sneakers may seem to work, they might not be able to provide the right protection and maneuverability that skateboarding shoes can offer. And it is not enough to just get the next pair of skateboarding shoes you see off the rack. You have to be careful about buying new skateboarding shoes.

When buying skateboarding shoes you have to look at four important things: the ability of the shoes to give protection, the shoelaces, comfort, and grip.

Protection Features - The most essential role of skateboarding shoes is protecting the skateboarder. Being protective, the shoes simply have to be durable and flexible enough to withstand the rigors of skateboarding. Good skateboarding shoes should have Ollie protection to allow the rider to do those backbreaking tricks. Moreover an excellent pair of skateboarding shoes should have great coverage of Ollie protection, preferably the a large bulk of the toe area, if not the whole area entirely and nothing less.

Shoelaces – skateboarding shoes need special laces that do not easily fall apart especially when subjected to pressure. Normal shoelaces would easily rip off after just a few hours of skateboarding, especially for advanced skateboarders. Thus skateboarding shoes should have laces made of more durable materials than other kinds of shoes. Also, it is also better if the skateboarding shoes have laces that are arranged inside to avoid any accidental tripping due to lose laces.

Comfort – just like any kind of shoes, skateboarding shoes should be comfortable for the wearer, otherwise, it will be difficult to be wearing them for long periods. Uncomfortable shoes may cause sores or blisters when worn during skateboarding for over two hours. Uncomfortable shoes may also make it difficult, if not impossible to do certain tricks during skateboarding.

Grip – last, but not the last, skateboarding shoes should be able to have strong grip on the surface of the skateboard. Shoes that do not have enough gripping power might cause the rider to slip off the board accidentally. The soles should be made of materials with good gripping capacity. Experts recommend skateboarding shoes with soles that are made of gum.

Skateboarding shoes are indispensable in skateboarding. They provide protection, security, comfort and grip during the most difficult rides. It is important to pay much attention when buying skateboarding shoes in order to get the right one.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Why Make Your Own Skateboarding Video?

Skateboard pro shops around the world are replete with skateboarding videos of famous skateboard champions. These videos are the best means of passing the knowledge about techniques and tricks in the sport. Oftentimes in the form of a series and sometimes collaboration between two or more skateboarding masters, a skateboarding video is a fountain of hope for new skateboard hobbyists to become skillful thrashers themselves.

As a compilation or a team-up between respected skateboard artists, a skateboarding video provides lessons and advice that can not be drawn from reading ordinary how-to books. Skateboarding videos work far more effective than books as instructional materials because the former can be easily comprehended by showing the moves and tricks as they are being played over and over again. Anyone who is interested in skateboarding can quickly learn tricks, from basic to daredevil moves, by simply watching the videos.

Through the convenience of skateboarding videos, fundamental and advanced tricks can be broken up and analyzed into easier sub-steps and sub-techniques. Truly, a skateboarding video is indispensable for your dream of becoming an ace skateboarder; without you going thru years of learning by trial and error!

But skateboarding videos are not just for masters and professionals. Anybody who has a fresh and extraordinary skateboard move can share to the world such ability by making a personal skateboarding video. If you have your very own skateboarding video, the chances that skateboarding enthusiasts will recognize you will be higher; and when this happens, it might not be long for skateboarding companies to bankroll and promote your feats. A quality skateboarding video will be your stepping stone as you go up the world of skateboarding.

If you want other people and big companies sponsoring skateboarding as a sport to notice your talents as a thrasher, you can try making skateboarding videos for yourself. Making skateboarding videos can be easy, especially if you have the determination and the right equipment. Always keep in mind that your video must be satisfactorily or excellently made. Who knows, the video you make may be your ticket to skateboarding stardom!

To create your very own skateboarding video, you have to ask help from a friend to work the video camera and do the filming. It is plain impossible for you to handle the video camera as you do your stuff. A fellow thrasher, if possible, would be great as cameraman as he will know all the important moves and angles that needed to be included in the video.

Now that you have your cameraman, you need to consider the location for your skateboarding video. A good skateboarding video is shot in a variety of locations. From sidewalks to skateboarding ramps, an assortment of settings for different scenes in your skateboarding video will surely keep viewers hooked on it.

Above all, do not forget to perform amazing tricks for your video. Potential sponsors and ordinary viewers of skateboarding videos want attention–grabbing and uniquely amusing stunts on the deck of your skateboard. Therefore, your video should showcase your skateboarding skills.

Remember to keep your skateboarding video concise. Summarize it in such a way that only the greatest parts are shown. Edit out the scenes where you fell to the ground face first or the part where you broke your ankles; unless you are trying to be the world's most daring skateboarding clown. Even so, make sure that your video is still full of cool and dazzling skateboard moves to keep your viewers interested.