Buying skateboard in Helsinki

gnuton · Post by **gnuton** » Fri May 22, 2009 10:31 pm

Hi there,
I would like to buy a skateboard. I took a look in several shops in kamppi, intersport and stadium.
I'm just a beginner, but googling I realized that a good complete skate skateboard can be bought for around 60-70 euros.
Despite the big amount of skateboarders in this city, I can't find a good (cheap and with more choice) shop.
Can anyone point me out to a good shop?

Thanks in advance,
Toni

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Bubba Elvis XIV · Post by **Bubba Elvis XIV** » Fri May 22, 2009 11:14 pm

I think that's what you'll pay! They're not cheap in Europe (and at that price, if I am not too out of touch, it won't be a good deck or trucks).

Best buy a second hand one.

I was looking at longboards on the net today. Too old to skate again...but it would be fun to cruise around on a longboard.

Bubba Elvis XIV · Post by **Bubba Elvis XIV** » Fri May 22, 2009 11:29 pm

Or are you that Russian guy who comes on every week asking to buy bikes, motorbikes and now skateboards?

gnuton · Post by **gnuton** » Sat May 23, 2009 7:32 pm

No, I'm not russian

BTW I understood that prices are around 100 euros for a good skateboard, then I was wondering what the different between a "toy" skate (40 euros) and a good
skate (>100 euros).

For example I found these ones:
http://www.stadium.se/sport/skateboard- ... e-jr-7-125 or
http://www.stadium.se/sport/skateboard/ ... -skate-7-5

What do you think about those? Are they very toys, or are they good to start?

Thanks for your help,
Regards
Toni

Bubba Elvis XIV · Post by **Bubba Elvis XIV** » Sat May 23, 2009 8:09 pm

Hard to say and I am very out of touch but they look like 'toys'. I would pick one up from a proper skateboard shop. the diffrence will be in quality and strength of wood and trucks quite simply and of course, you pay for the name.

The problem I have with buying entry level stuff, whether its a bike or a guitar or deck is that you will quickly want a better one and buy something new with in a few months. So the entry level is say 40 euros and then the better one is 120 euros, so you spent 160 in a few months. I would rather buy a board at say 90 euros and have it last a litle longer. And If I dont like it, not too much money wasted.

And sometimes the entry level stuff doesnt feel so good and it's not as good to ride / use / play which could mean you don't actually enjoy it. Of course, there are exceptions.

Personally I would buy a good second hand deck or a an average 'proper' board.

If you have any friends that skate you could even assemble one yourself...buy the bits and then stick them together. It's not that hard. You can save a bit of cash too. And it's a skill you should learn.

Bubba Elvis XIV · Post by **Bubba Elvis XIV** » Sat May 23, 2009 8:16 pm

But it would be better to try a proper skateboarding forum and ask them what's going on and what are good decks...cos they has been a few skaters here but not for a while.

mikeyh · Post by **mikeyh** » Sun May 24, 2009 8:37 pm

hi gnuton.

Good to see a budding skater ......

Hey, check these shops , they might be a bit more informative about your purchases , e.g what size is your preference , shape , depth of concave , twin nose and tail, ,and they should offer a service to `grip´ the board, by which i mean application of griptape.But eventually maybe you will learn how to do this yourself

like bubba said in his earlier post , setting up a board is a skill you should learn.

Also they can help with wheel selection. They are available in many durometres(hardness) and diameters for different usage.I prefer softer wheels for street skating and slightly harder for indoor park/ramp use.Last but not least is the pruchase of trucks , these come in various widths and heights( to acommodate the wheel diameter and prevent wheel bite on the underside of the deck)and also the rubbers that surround the kingpin

come in different hardnesses too.

But these things come down to personal preference/experience and you will eventually learn what is best for you throughout your progression.I feel that a budget of around 120 will get you a pretty damn good first setup which should last a decent amount of time.

Best thing to do is shop around in finland as prices do vary and also try googling : skeittikauppat

http://www.ponkes.com/kauppa/cat/

www.lamina.fi

Good luck and happy shredding!!!!!

gnuton · Post by **gnuton** » Mon May 25, 2009 10:32 pm

Thanks a lot guys,
to be honest learning so much things scare me a bit.. Skateboarding has been a my passion since I was younger.. Unfortunately I come from a country where there is not a sk8 culture.
Here in the cap area I really love to see so many skateboarders...

I would like to became one of them too.. but I know that learning to sk8 won't be so easy...
but let see... if I'll be able to don't break an arm or a leg before to do some tricks correctly... ;D

So thanks again to you all and see you on the street!

Cheers,
Toni

Bubba Elvis XIV · Post by **Bubba Elvis XIV** » Mon May 25, 2009 11:04 pm

So where are you from?

Best thing at the end of the day is make some sk8 friends and try their boards out. It's ok to go to the shop and ask about the trucks and wheels but unless you can ride it for a while...it's not the same and doesnt mean much at the start....just look for people wearing hats at the wrong angle! hahah...

Took me a few days on a surfing holiday to get the right board - I was well p!ssed off - well cr@ppy coaches.

I was lucky as a lot of my friends skated so there was always advice and we could swap decks and there was always and old deck around to buy for 10 quid.

Bubba Elvis XIV · Post by **Bubba Elvis XIV** » Wed May 27, 2009 2:51 pm

I was just down the shop looking at long boards (200 euros plus!!!!!)

But Antihero decks were 55 and they're good decks and look f***ing cool - which is the most important thing.

Forgot to check the price of trucks etc, sorry.

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