How should you care for and maintain your skateboard?

The life of a skateboard isn't always easy. With its wooden deck and steel trucks, it may seem very sturdy at first sight. But when you skate, and particularly when you do tricks, your board suffers some very big impacts. If you have your weight too far back and fall off, your board might go flying into a wall or - even worse - into a corner. And when you land your tricks, your feet aren't necessarily over the bolts (if only they were, we and our boards would all be much happier...). The combination of impacts, twisting and exposure to sunlight, rain and damp will damage your skateboard.

But there are still some things you can do to give your skateboard a fighting chance of lasting longer. Your body and your wallet will both thank you for taking good care of your skateboard.

The sworn enemy of the skateboard is water. Never soak your skateboard. Your deck won't like it at all, and neither will your bearings. If you end up riding somewhere a bit damp or if you accidentally skate into a puddle, then bang your board against the ground or do a few ollies to shake the water off. Once you've finished skating for the day, we recommend wiping your board down with a cloth or whatever you have to hand (as long as it's DRY!).

Store your board somewhere where the temperature doesn't vary too much. Heat, cold and damp will all weaken your board. So your car's boot and your garage are bad places to keep your board. That said, there's no need to take it to bed with you. Simply keep it somewhere dry that's neither too hot nor too cold.

Avoid skating on grass, dirt and sand. It's a skateboard, not a quad bike. Your bearings could get clogged up or even completely blocked, while a dirty grip could be dangerous.

Before you get onto a new board, we recommend doing up the bolts so that they're secure but not overly tight. If you overtighten them, you could weaken your board to the point that it could break next time you land a bit too heavily. Do a few skating sessions then tighten things up some more, as the wood will "soften" slightly with use.

The same is true for the wheels: leave a little bit of wiggle room between the nut and the bearing. If you tighten them too much, they won't roll and you might damage the bearings.

Same for the bushings (on the trucks). Too tight, and they'll break.