The best part? It's a lovefest out there-the cross-community skate support has never shone brighter, with hand-holding, tip-sharing, encouragement, and celebration happening by all. Parks and spots are packed with new youngsters and returning old-timers (tons of us!) riding alongside the die-hards that never left. Skateboarding is all about expressing and challenging yourself, so go for it with your deck.Skateboarding has waxed and waned in popularity over the decades, but the solitary demands of Covid-19 have oxymoronically created another golden age for the sport. Pre-Cut Grip Tape: Loads of companies, like Zero and Element, make pre-cut grip tape.Why not cut that flat part into a shape? A wave, or a jagged edge-you can make this look like anything you want. Patterns: When lining up both ends of the grip tape in these instructions, you used the flat end of the grip tape.Take a look at the picture for an example of an awesome grip job. It can also be very hard, so make sure your gripping skills are up to it, or you may go through several sheets. Cut Shapes: Cutting shapes into your grip tape can look very cool if you do it well.Another option is to spray paint on the top of your deck. These sets come with some painted screws that you can put at the nose or tail of your skateboard, so you can tell which end is which. If you want help telling the nose from the tail at a glance, get a set of Luck Bolts, Shorty's Silverados, or Element Rations bolts. Just apply the sheet of grip tape in one solid piece. Solid Sheet: Easy, simple, and it looks good.There are as many ways to put on grip tape as there are skaters in the world. Just make sure that after roughing, you brush off any dust! Roughing up the surface of the board will help the grip tape stick to it better. If you are gripping the entire board, then just sand the whole thing. Make sure to avoid the areas that you want to have shown through the middle. Then use the corner that you cut off to rough up the areas of the board that you will be applying the grip tape to. You don't want to end up with a weird corner cut out of the grip tape on your skateboard!įourth, take the sheets of grip tape off the deck. Cut off only enough that you won't be taking any that is over the deck. Third, cut off a corner of one of the grip tape sections. Get a good idea of where you would like the grip tape placed. Second, place the other half of the grip tape on the top of the deck, lining up the flat edge right above where you would like it to be. Then, cut the grip tape leaving a little bit hanging over the end of the tail (about an inch). See the picture to understand what this means. So, first, lay your grip tape on the tail of your skateboard and line up where you would want the flat end of the grip tape to be. This will ensure that the edges are straight since they were originally from the ends of the grip tape! You'll be using the two flat ends of the sheet of grip tape to put in the center of the board, next to the graphic that you want to show through. Once you have all of this gear, you're ready to move on to step two!įor this design, you're going to cut the grip tape in half. Pair of scissors: You can use the razor blade instead, but some scissors are helpful. Screwdriver: You can use any tool that is metal and rounded - you're going to be rubbing it on the grip tape (which is basically sandpaper!), so make sure it is metal, and make sure that whoever owns it is okay with this!.You can also use a knife, but trust me, the sharper the better. Many hardware stores sell razor blades individually. Razor blade: You can use a box cutter, or just a razor blade out of a pack. Cheap, generic grip tape will sometimes not stick as well to your board, and it's only the difference of a little bit of money to get a good brand. New sheet of grip tape: Do not buy the cheapest grip tape you can find.Old grip tape can be removed from a board, but it's a pain to do. To start out, you'll need the following gear: Putting grip tape on yourself is a lot easier than it might seem.
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