| Grip tape, as mentioned in the summary, is one of | | | | Skateboard griptape can be applied with a tiny bit of |
| the most important elements of a skateboard. Yes, | | | | effort and some light. Before installing skate grip, you |
| the wheels allow you to move, and the trucks keep | | | | will want to make sure you have enough. Some |
| the deck off the asphalt, but what keeps you | | | | skate decks are wider than others, and you don't |
| attached to the board? Skateboard grip. | | | | want to apply grip tape that won't cover the entire |
| This stuff is basically just a piece of black sandpaper | | | | deck. Check your local skateboard shop if you get |
| with a sticky backside that keeps it stuck to the | | | | the wrong size. |
| skateboard. Skateboard grip doesn't wear down as | | | | Now that you know whether or not you have |
| fast as sandpaper, though. Skateboard grip is also | | | | enough grip tape for your skateboard, you are ready |
| quite sturdy and reliable. | | | | to apply it to the deck. Peel off the backing, and lay |
| This stuff is actually so sturdy, that even if it | | | | down one side on the tail/nose of the deck, then |
| becomes a little bit dirty, it retains its grip. A little bit | | | | work your way to the other end. Try to smooth out |
| of dirt or water is not enough to keep the grip tape | | | | any bubbles that show up in the grip tape by pushing |
| on a skate deck from working correctly. Grip tape is | | | | them to the sides with your hands. |
| also versatile enough to be painted on, without losing | | | | If you do come across bubbles in the grip tape, it's |
| grip. Some skateboard shops have pre-colored tape, | | | | easy to remove them. Simply take a sharp knife, and |
| with cool patterns on it, eliminating the need to paint | | | | poke a hole in the bubble. This should let the air to |
| the tape. | | | | get out from under the grip, giving you the chance |
| The very first skateboards were crafted from a | | | | to flatten out the bubble. |
| slippery fiberglass material. Fiberglass is very slippery, | | | | Once you've installed the grip, you will need to |
| and doesn't make a very good skate deck. Originally, | | | | remove the excess tape surrounding the deck. Start |
| the manufacturers simply added a waffle pattern to | | | | by removing some of the grit on the edges by |
| the skateboards to combat the slipperiness. This kind | | | | scraping the tape with a nail or other metal object. |
| of worked, but the fiberglass was still too slippery. | | | | Removing the grit will make it much easier to remove |
| The solution was grip tape. | | | | the extra tape, giving you a clean finish. |
| Grip tape probably showed up on the scene in the | | | | Now that you have removed the grit, remove the |
| late sixties, with the dawn of the first | | | | extra grip with a razor blade. You will want to cut in |
| mass-produced skateboard decks. These massively | | | | one smooth motion, as it will help the end result look |
| produced skateboards often came pre gripped. This | | | | smooth and appealing. You can take some of the |
| means that skateboard griptape was already installed | | | | excess grip and sand the places you cut if you are |
| on the boards so that the buyers did not have to | | | | unhappy with the result. It is sort of difficult to ruin |
| fret about putting on the tape themselves. | | | | up a grip install; try to have some fun with it. |
| Grip tape can be fairly tricky to apply to a deck. | | | | Since you now know the history of the magical black |
| There are many videos on Youtube that can help a | | | | stuff, how to install it, and why skateboarders need |
| person apply grip tape to their board. If you're | | | | to have grip in this modern day and age, you should |
| looking for a text description of how to apply grip | | | | go out and skate. But don't forget your grip, and be |
| tape, continue reading. | | | | sure to have a blast! |