January 16th, 2012 — Skating, Surf Skate Wake
In the worlds of inline and board skating, you will find many areas of much debate. However, one of the most contested areas you will encounter is that of skate bearings. German? Swiss? Ceramic? Stainless Steel? ABEC rating? So many choices, and so many opinions on what is better and what is not. When I was in grade school and into skateboarding, most boards had one of 2 types of bearings: cheap, crappy “American” bearings universally known by their shape which could be described as either mushroom, or T shaped like the Tetris piece, or “German” bearings, which were flat in that profile.
Needless to say, “German” bearings were the bees’ knees. They rolled smoother, longer, and generally faster. They were of much higher quality through and through, while the “American” bearings had cheap shields, generally a press fit cap style. They were sloppy and wore out quickly, as well as being slow in general. If you were rich, you could buy a pack of Bones “Swiss” high precision ceramic bearings, and you would get all the notoriety that came with it, provided you could skate worth a darn. One of the terms tossed around with the “German” bearings was “German Industrial Grade 3” bearings. Those, per all of my skateboarding buddies, were the best, bar none. They made you roll faster, ollie higher, kick flip more accurately, and anything else that could be attributed to such mythically awesome bearings.
If only us kids knew then what can be known now, we would have saved ourselves and our friends some cash, which we could then have spent on more important things like Garbage Pail Kids, marbles, skate shop stickers, and M.U.S.C.L.E. men, among other things. But I digress. Today’s ABEC ratings share a lot of similarities with the bearings of old that I and my friends knew, especially when it comes to sales pitches. Most notable of all being that a higher number equates to a better bearing. Now this is not entirely a lie. In certain industries, a higher number is indeed better. But this would be for reasons that pretty much mean jack for inline skaters and skateboarders alike.
You see, ABEC ratings cover a whole load of tolerance requirements for a bearing, but not much in regards to component quality, lubricant types, or any of that. So basically, ABEC ratings mean next to nothing for skaters at all. The tolerances and precisions that ABEC ratings deal with get mangled in the first few minutes of the bearings life by the simple act of getting on and riding down the sidewalk.
What am I talking about exactly? Well, let us just use the facts: ABEC ratings only specify the eccentricity of the bearings inner ring, or rather, its out of roundness. ABEC 1, the lowest grade, the max allowed out of roundness is .0075mm. As you can see, that’s pretty darn precise already. ABEC 3 is .005mm, ABEC 5 is .0035mm, ABEC 7 is .0025mm, and ABEC 9 is .0012mm.
Continued in part 2.
Photo Credits: Josh [unemployed IT dude]
Originally posted 2009-09-21 03:15:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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December 26th, 2011 — Surf Skate Wake, Windsurfing
There are fins present on the windsurfing board that can be replaced if anything ends up happening to them. Some people believe that these boards need to be placed right off the bat but this is neither always true nor necessary. Generally if you are buying a brand new beginner board, then the fins present on the board are also going to be designated for use by beginners, meaning that you should leave things the way that they are.
The board is going to need a sail, otherwise it isn’t going to do you much good at all. There are a number of different types of materials that can be used for sales, and different qualities can be found from one to the next as well. Monofilm is one of the best choices for sail material. It is a clear material meaning that it provides an excellent amount of visibility, and it is capable of holding its shape, especially in comparison to other commonly used materials for sales.
You also are going to want to check how soft a particular sail material is. Sails that are softer are going to be easier for you to use in general. For beginners, good materials are Mylar materials and Dacron materials. If you are an advanced wind surfer on the other hand, or if you are participating in a competition, then you should be looking for a more rigid sail, which is going to offer a greater level of speed in conjunction with a much greater level of control.
The biggest rule that you need to follow when it comes to sails is that you should absolutely never buy a used sail for your windsurfing endeavor. These sails can easily become stretched out of their usual shape or they can sustain damage that may not be immediately noticeable. You are never going to want to buy a sail that is used and then end up being placed in a potentially hazardous situation because you made a poor decision about the quality of the equipment that you’re using.
While many beginners do not put a lot of thought into it, you really should look into buying a harness. Having a harness for your wind surfing endeavor is going to keep you and your board from becoming separated. If you fall off your board, which is going to happen sooner or later, then you will not have to worry about losing your board. Even if you become more proficient at windsurfing, losing your board is a big deal and is something that you are going to want to avoid. If you get separated from your windsurfing board, you could hit someone or hit something with it, damaging your board or hurting someone, and it would leave you all alone in the water which reduces your ability to get back to shore and leaves you vulnerable. If you do not have a windsurfing harness already, you should certainly consider getting one in order to improve your experience.
Photo Credits: Tushar Pokle
Originally posted 2009-08-31 03:22:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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December 13th, 2011 — Clothes Shoes and Gear, Skating, Surf Skate Wake
Rollerblading is a truly wonderful sport and it provides for great exercise, keeping you in shape. People from all over the world and all kinds of walks of life can enjoy rollerblading simply because its very nature is fun and easy. Coupled with the enjoyment of the sport of rollerblading, however, you also have some important safety measures that need to be followed if you want to avoid accidents, falls and injuries.
Certain rollerblading situations are going to be beyond your control, and knowing this is important. However, this does not mean that you should simply throw all caution to the wind. You may have to take a nasty spill occasionally while rollerblading, but you’ll likely only suffer minor scrapes and injuries if you are careful. You may also crash while rollerblading, which can result in a concussion or serious injuries if you are not careful. It is vitally important, as you can tell, that you use the proper rollerblading gear when you go out so that you can either completely avoid these injuries, or at least lessen how badly they injure you when they do happen.
First and foremost, the most important piece of protective equipment for rollerblading that you can have in your arsenal is a rollerblading helmet. You should absolutely never, ever go rollerblading without first securing your helmet properly on your head. It should fit your head adequately and it should be tightly attached in order to protect your head. If your rollerblading helmet is oversized or too tight, it will not help you. Oversized rollerblading helmets are not going to provide any kind of protection whatsoever, and on the other hand small helmets will be too uncomfortable, too tight and may even restrict your vision. The interior lining inside your rollerblading helmet is also important, as you need cushioning and padding in order to maintain protection and comfort.
You also need to make sure that you have the complete package when it comes to your protective gear for rollerblading, meaning that you should also have elbow pads, knee pads and wrist guards in order to keep yourself safe when you go rollerblading.
It is also vital that you learn the basics of rollerblading before you hit the streets. If you want to avoid rollerblading accidents then you need to be willing to practice all of the basics including rollerblading forward, rollerblading backward, stopping, turning and even falling. Do this before you hit the streets, because they are far less forgiving when it comes to crashing or potentially hurting yourself.
Other things matter as well. For example, you need to watch out for potholes and cracks in the road, you need to watch out for water and slippery oil, and you need to watch out for road hazards and road signs. The more aware of your surroundings that you are, the better off you will be in the long run. Rollerblading is not really a dangerous sport, but it can be if you are not careful.
Photo Credits: aprilzosia
Originally posted 2009-08-18 03:38:18. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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October 22nd, 2011 — Consider This, Surf Skate Wake, Wakeboard Reviews, Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding is a sport that is booming all around the world. Many people are describing this unique sport is the new age of surfing. Anyone all around the world can take advantage of wakeboarding, providing that there is a body of water nearby that can be considered suitable. In order to get started on your own personal wake boarding excursion, you need to have some basic tips in your arsenal that will make it easier and more advantageous to choose the right beginning wake board. Having the right equipment for wake boarding is absolutely vital if you want to learn how to wake board effectively. Having all of the right tools is one of the most important aspects of enjoying your wake boarding adventure, so choose right the first time and you will surely benefit.
Not all of the wake boards that you encounter while shopping around are going to be well suited for you if you are a beginner to this unique and enjoyable water sport, so it would not be wise to simply go out and buy a high quality board right from the start unless you have a good idea of what you are getting yourself into. The best and most expensive wake boards are not going to suddenly, instantaneously turn you into a better wake boarder, so don’t waste your time or money. The shape and the size of your brand new wake board are the determinant factors in whether or not you will get off to a good start, and they will also play a large part in determining how well you do the first time you hit the water.
A wake board that has squared edges is generally going to be one of the best options for beginners, because it will give you a larger amount of control, which is what someone new to the sport should be looking to achieve. You are simply going to want to learn how to gain control first before you learn any cool or interesting tricks. Learning how to wake board is all about taking baby steps and mastering each step before you move on to the next. There are also single and double tipped wake board options. Double tipped boards are ideal for beginners as they are rounded on both ends and offer a higher level of control, and they are also lighter which means that making jumps is simpler as well. You may also want to consider getting a longer board, which is generally more ideal in terms of getting better control while wake boarding.
You never go out onto a baseball field for the first time and begin to hit home runs, and wake boarding for the first time will not allow you to produce incredible tricks. You need to learn control first, and having the right wake board will allow you to achieve this as long as you are willing to take baby steps for the best control.
Originally posted 2008-12-11 05:09:55. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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