Extreme Sports

Every skateboarder is passionate about assembling his skateboard. This is definitely a very technical and tiring activity. But to design one’s own skateboard and then skate over it is a great feeling by itself. This is the reason why every skateboarder has very good knowledge about all the skateboarding parts starting from skateboard deck to skateboarding wheel bearings. The wheel bearings are important parts of the skateboard as they keep the skateboard parts intact together. The bearings are actually attached to the wheels so that they are fixed up properly with the board. The skateboarding wheel bearings are four in number, one for each wheel. This is an important part because if one wheel is left loose with the bearings; it may come out at any point of time while skateboarding. This might prove very fatal as the skateboarder may not be able to balance himself when in motion. Thus, the skateboarding wheel bearings should be tightly attached to the wheels so as to balance the board as well as the skateboarder in the best way. As the skateboarder is involved in assembling the skateboard, proper care should be taken and all the parts should be doubly checked, before the skateboard starts rolling. Making a recheck of all the parts attached will ensure that the skateboard has no loop holes and the board is set perfectly for a run.

The skateboarding wheel bearings are made up of strong metallic piece which is flexible enough to rotate and also creates friction at the time of motion. This increases the time span of the bearings and also the wheels so that they can last longer than their normal life. The bearings are further attached with nuts so that they can be screwed with the skateboard. One very important thing is that the wheels should be aligned to the same level. This will be possible only when the wheels are at equal distance from the board. In case there is a difference of one centimetre then the skateboard will shake while in use. Thus, at the time of assembling the wheels should be placed at perfect balance and the skateboarding wheel bearings should be fitted properly.  Read more...

• Class of 2000 has bonus footage of Andy MacDonald’s Big Air Jump, and Steve Caballeros ASR presentation
• Bones Bearings products have a lifetime warranty which protects them against manufacturing defects.

Product Description
Features skating by Steve Caballero, Willy Santos, and Danny Wainwright, an introspective part with Frank Hirata, and vintage Plan B era Jeremy Wray. Includes sections featuring Brigade amateurs Gianni Zattoni, Rodney Jones, vert dogs Max Dufour, Mathias Ringstrom, Phil Hajal, Philly represent Kerry Getz, Mike Maldonado, and a segment with Brad Staba, Jaya Bonderov, Jon Comer. Add a combo vert part with Jason Ellis, Andy Macdonald, a tech and tech with Pat Channita… More >>

Bones Bearings Presents Class Of 2000 Skateboarding DVD

Firstly, what is your skateboard bearing? The skateboard bearing is the component that allows the wheel to spin freely so the board can be ridden. Each wheel is mounted by 2 ball bearings. Generally there is only one size to skateboard bearings, there are a few exceptions but mostly they are a standard “608″ size, a bore of 8mm, an outer diameter of 22mm, and a width of 7mm.

Buying Guide – How do you know which are the best skateboard bearings to buy?

The best piece of advice to give when buying skateboard bearings is to buy named bearings. They tend to be a little more expensive than no named bearings but they are of good quality and are worth the extra money. Brand names such as Bones, Lucky, and Black Panther are a good place to start, especially if you are a beginner, after that once you have been skating for a while you’ll know the type of skater you are and will be able to buy bearings that are right for your style. Bearings that are made in Switzerland have the best reputation for bearings, the brand name Swiss Bearings. However not all Swiss Bearings are made in Switzerland so be sure to check the packaging before you buy them.

A few things to look for when buying your bearings for your skateboard include checking how many balls are in the bearing. Bearings with 7 balls have a higher load rating than ones with 8 balls. Check the finishing touches to your bearings are they smooth or rough? Rough raceways will wear out fast and you’ll have to buy new ones sooner. Check the depth of the track, the deeper the track the better the bearing will run. Check the bearing is sealed correctly; contamination is the number one killer of bearings.  Read more...

The bearings on a skateboard are the most important aspect as this controls the whole movement and speed of the board. They are metal cylinders which enclose the wheel to the skateboard but allow the wheel to move freely with hardly any friction.

Bearings are rated using an ABEC scale of 1 to 9 on uneven numbers. This scale rates how precise the bearings are, the problem is the more precise the bearings are the weaker they are which isn’t great for skateboards. The ABEC scale does not go off how durable the bearings will be or their speed it is purely the precision. With skateboards you need the bearings to be very durable as any skateboarder will know the skateboard is under quite a bit of pressure, but you also need a good balance of precision. A good starting off point is to get a skateboard with a bearing of a 3 to 5 and then try them and see how the board feels for you.

Some brands of bearings are better than others but it is not always the most expensive that make the best bearing for you as everyone rides the skateboard differently. The Bones Swiss brand has a good reputation for skateboard bearings, a lot of the pros use them and they are aren’t that expensive and so the normal skater can afford and use them as well. Bones Red are a good bearing to use if you are a beginner skater as they are a lot cheaper and easier to ride and so easier to learn from.

Bearings can be bought from any skate or board shop, and they can be bought online. If you go to any of the major search engines such as Yahoo or Google and type in ‘skateboard bearing’ a list of websites will appear and you can go to the website and buy the bearings straight from there.  Read more...

Skateboarding has become a very popular sport from messing around in the playground with your friends, to skating on the ramps at the local park, to the multi million and international skating competitions for professionals. Many skaters say that the most important thing about your skateboard and the way you skate is the bearings you use. Here are the top ten facts you should know about skate board bearings:

1. Type of Bearing – there is many different types of bearings, in a skateboard the type of bearings used are ball bearings.
2. Materials Used – skateboard bearings are usually made out from steel, although silicon nitride, a high-tech ceramic, is often used.
3. Bearing Scale – all skateboard bearings are monitored using the ABEC scale which stands for Annular Bearing and Engineering Council scale. This scale rates and monitors the tolerance of a bearing which is not really important with skateboard bearings and some brands refuse to have their bearings rated for this reason.
4. Bearing Industry – there are many industries that manufacture and produce a wide variety of bearings for many different applications but there are a few companies who solely specialize in bearings for skateboards.
5. Brands – there are many different brands for skateboard bearings to choose from such as Bones, Bones Swiss, Chocolate Swiss, Death, Diamond, and many more.
6. Switzerland Bearings – Switzerland are known as the market leader and Yoda of bearings, any bearing made in Switzerland is usually of exceptional quality and class.
7. Keep Dry – to enhance the lifespan of your skateboard bearings you should always try to keep them dry. Keeping the bearing dry will reduce the possibility of corrosion and rusting.
8. Dirty Free Bearings – prevention is better than cure some would say and some would be right. Wipe down your bearings after each run. This may sound excessive but it doesn’t take long and it reduces the amount of dirt that gets into your bearing which can cause them to be slower and after time break.
9. Clean Your Skateboard Bearings – there is no doubt about it cleaning your skateboard bearings enhances its lifespan. Take off the bearings clean them, soak them in lubricant and then replace them, magic.
10. WD40 – Never ever use WD40 to clean and lubricate your skateboard bearings. Why? Because it actually gets rid of the grease from within the bearing and will cause the bearing to run slowly and fail.  Read more...