Just starting skateboarding? What you need

Well done! You’ve bought, blagged or borrowed a skateboard and are keen as mustard to get started. But, as a beginner, you may also be wondering what other gear you need. What do you really need to invest in from the outset, which pieces are nice to have but not essential, and which items really can wait until you have gained more experience and are sure you want to carry on with skateboarding?

After your skateboard (choosing one is covered elsewhere in this blog) think about what to wear on your feet. Sure, you can try regular sneakers and see how you get on, but it will be more difficult and even potentially dangerous.

Proper skate shoes are constructed to have a big, flat underside to give a better grip on the board, and will be strengthened in places where they are most likely to be worn down.

With a great range of styles, colours and sizes in today’s market, it won’t be hard to find something you love.

Next up is the helmet, clearly a vital piece of safety kit. Don’t even think that you’ll look uncool or silly in one – some skate parks now even require boarders to have them. It’s just common sense to have one, especially as a novice skateboarder.

Protective pads can also be a good idea, and you can get elbow and knee versions as well as wrist braces. A lot depends on how complicated the tricks you have set your heart on doing are.

In terms of what to wear, you can of course just wear regular, comfortable clothes that you don’t mind damaging if you do take a tumble.

But, as you gain experience, you may well want to take skateboarding fashion more seriously, especially if you take part in boarding competitions and other events.

Again, a wide range is available in today’s market, and a skateboarding theme is behind a lot of modern street fashion, from hoodies to sweat tops and pants.

The more you get into skateboarding, the more you will want to look the part!