Recommended Retailers

These are trusted places to buy quality skateboarding gear. Choosing the right retailer helps ensure you get durable equipment that will actually improve your skating. Click items in the list for more info!

Recommendations

  • Local Skate Shops (Best option) Zumiez offers solid brand-name gear, but their staff often lack real skate experience. They are not a true local skate shop, as they operate as a corporate franchise. Tip: Find a real grassroots skate shop.
  • Shop.CCS.com Great online retailer, always sells quality equipment. Tip: Great site to begin selecting proper equipment.
  • SkateparkOfTampa.com Great online retailer, always sells top quality equipment. Based out of Tampa,Fl. Tip: Great site for finding high level equipment.

Avoid

  • Walmart / Toy Store Boards These boards use low-quality wood, weak trucks, subpar grip tape, and bearings that barely roll. They are not suitable for real skateboarding. Tip: Don't buy a bad board, they make skateboarding harder and more frustrating.
  • Unknown Online Sellers Some sellers use a good deck but cheap parts—trucks, wheels, bearings, and grip—to cut costs. Be careful. Tip: If you must shop online, use one of the recommended online retailers I have listed.
  • Extremely Cheap Complete Setups As with most sports equipment cheaper is not better and can also end up being a waste of money because you may have bought a bum product. Tip: A typical satisfactory complete skateboard setup should cost around $100-$150. If it's significantly cheaper, it's likely low quality.

Supporting your local skate shop is always the best move. You get real advice, better gear, and you help grow the skate community.

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