Last Minute Gift Ideas for Skaters

Oh. Crap. It’s the 22nd? When did it become the 22nd of December? This month, despite having few skating days available in the northern hemisphere, seems to have flown by. If you’re like me, your poor sense of time management means you’ve learned to do your gift shopping in November. If you’re not like me, but you know someone like me (that is, a skater), then you might want some ideas for what to get them.

Side note: hey, family members and Santa, this is not a last minute addendum to my Christmas list, though a few items from it are present (pun intended) here.

Cold Hard (Digital) Cash

Get them a gift card! Let’s face it, a lot of us have our eyes on a particular deck, set of wheels, or maybe we want to see if a certain set of trucks holds up to the precision trucks they’re modeled after. We’re limited by one thing: the sad state of our bank accounts and credit cards. So, if you’re looking to help a skater out, cash is a fantastic gift. Picking a place they would love is a good way to ensure they’ll know you put thought into it.

Some potential locations:

1. MuirSkate. This is an ordered list for a reason. MuirSkate has a ton of great skate gear, they’re active in the longboarding community, and they’re really helpful. I don’t want to think about how much money I’ve spend there, but I’m sure they’ve got the receipts. Plus, for things that are difficult for sizing, like pads and helmets, you can leave it to them to measure themselves for the right gear!
2. A favorite skate company of theirs. Know if they lean heavily on Landyachtz boards? A third of my quiver has some parts from Landyachtz, it happens. How about Bustin Boards? Maybe they’ve been complaining about mushy stock bushings, or they’re nearly out of some good wet formula lube? RipTide’s the answer. The possibilities are endless. If you’re afraid, ask! Just nonchalantly say, “so do you have every board they make or something?” Or, “If you love Moonshine Mfg. so much, why don’t you marry them?”
3. Skate Warehouse. This is more for street skating, but I’ve gotten a few parts here. Plus, you never know, maybe they’ll also want to build a street deck!
4. Stoked Ride Shop. They’ve got a bit of everything.
5. Amazon (affiliate link), Zumiez, and others. Skaters won’t like to use these places as much, but they do have a great variety, from shoes to parts.

Wheels

Wheels are so very subjective. The right formula can be perfect for sliding with some hardness, but feel icy and unpredictable in others. Furthermore, depending on the skater, they may have issues with wheels that are too small or too large. Maybe they’ve got a topmount deck, or a cruiser, and they’re worried about wheel bite. Maybe they ride something low to the ground, like a Pantheon Pranyama, and worry about scraping the road or curbs and need a larger wheel. So, I’m recommending a few middle ground wheels here that will be fun for people of the many longboarding disciplines.

The fact is, even serious downhill longboarders like to put the wide square lipped wheels aside on occasion and grab some freeride wheels and just slide it out. Just about everyone will be happy to find some Remember Lil’ Hoots (MuirSkate link) under the Christmas tree. These fun little wheels have rave reviews online. They’re small enough for topmounts and even cruisers, but large enough that they wouldn’t feel awkward on most decks. However, there’s a larger version (70mm) for those with double drops, or serious downhill decks with wheel wells or cutouts. 70mm is a great all around size, perfect for everything but cruisers and decks with small tolerances.

For the same reasons, you couldn’t go wrong with Powell Peralta Snakes. They’re a staple in the freeride community. You can get them in 66mm or 69mm sizes. If they can go larger, those 69mm sizes will last them a bit longer, and are equally nice.

If you really want them sliding around, and if they also need a smaller wheel, you could consider the Skiff from Orangatang. Its thin contact patch and small size means they’ll likely burn through them quickly, but you’ll give them hours of fun sliding around before that happens! You could also consider a slightly less slippery wheel from Landyachtz, the Easy Hawgs. These are definitely good for sliding, and are slightly wider for more control. I’ve actually been playing with them on my Drop Cat, though rain, salt, snow, and freezing weather haven’t let me spend much time on them yet.

If your longboarder is a dancer, consider smaller but cool looking wheels (style matters!). Getting good pop on a large deck for tricks means lightweight wheels are king, but you don’t want to go so small that they lose all their rolling speed. Pushing can really interrupt your flow. Look for something around the 63mm-66mm range. Landyachtz’ Fatty Hawgs would work well, but are on the smaller side. On the larger side are the Orangatang Keanus or the Orangatang Fat Free (I like these on one of my Dinghies). But really, dancers can go up to 70mm, if they are okay with the added weight, and still find lots of pop with the right deck. Also, the Lil’ Hoots or Easy Hawgs will still work great for this!

Shoes

Between pushing, foot braking, rough grip tape, tricks, and even falls, skating is rough on your shoes. Towards the end of the Broadway Bomb this year (I’ll upload the video eventually!), I noticed my foot was starting to feel the heat from the ground. By the time I got to the finish line, I saw why. I put a hole in my sole for the shoes I just got a few months prior. There are a few good shoes. If your skater is just doing downhill or freeriding, standard skate shoes with a good thick sole would be best. If they’re dancing, freestyling, or doing street tricks, you’ll want to make sure they have high rubber sidewalls and a suede top. I’ve put a hole on Converse in a few minutes doing street tricks. I love my Chucks, and the soles last a while, but I don’t recommend them for tricks.

However, I do like DCs. Etnies are also not bad, though these are the ones I wore through quickly. Addias and Nike make skate variations. Then there’s Vans. They have many skate inspired styles, but make sure you go for ones that are actually made for skating. I actually have my eyes on a few styles of Vans.

A Bag

There are lots of options with bags. I’ll sometimes grab a simple fanny pack to throw over my shoulder when I just need a small bottle of water, a skate tool, some cash, my phone, and my keys. Other times, like when going to work or traveling, I’ll use a messenger bag or backpack. It depends on what I need to carry or whether or not I want to carry my skateboard later. Your average skater will likely want to carry their stuff in an unobtrusive way. Here are a few ideas for that.

• Chrome Industries. They make excellent messenger bags, fanny packs, and other slings that are great for skaters. Personally, I love the Kadet as a “take everything anywhere” bag. For something smaller, like a quick session or just running to a friend’s place, there’s the Cardiel Shank or Hip Sling.
• Bustin Boards Skate Everything Bag. The SE Bag can carry a skateboard and a deck, water bottles, and a whole lot more. It’s large, supportive, and can withstand the trip tape on your deck.
• Dakine Backpacks. I’ve got one of these and have been using it for over a year now. It’s been my main backpack. I can strap a skateboard to it, even my Drop Cat, which is 9.5″ at its widest point. I personally like their Mission series, which have straps for a skateboard as well as a pouch for laptops. Because sometimes you have both. Often, if you’re a programming skater like me.

A Water Bottle

Your VSCO loving teenager may want a Hydro Flask, but there are other water bottle options available too. I mean, if they asked for a Hydro Flask, get them that, but otherwise, you can never have too much water (not true, you can actually die from too much water, or having water in the wrong places, like your lungs).

I recently started carrying an actual flask (affiliate link) for shorter runs. That way I could throw it in a small bag. I’m sure anyone who has seen me swigging from it has wondered whether or not I’m drinking and skating (I’m usually not).

You could also go with a classic straw-equipped CamelBak (affiliate link), or many others (also an affiliate link).

A Deck

Bustin Boards may still have their special going on, I don’t know if they still have any in stock, but they were giving away a free Bonsai Mini with orders above $150 for the holidays. It’s a smaller version of their 29″ Bonsai, with a flatter top (no wheel arches), so it should actually feel more comfortable to ride than the larger version. I was fascinated. I didn’t get one, but you could potentially order their Everything Bag and get a cool new deck for someone. Awesome, right?

I mean, sure, a deck will need trucks and wheels before a person can ride on it, but who doesn’t like having a new platform to play with? Finding the right trucks and wheels for a new deck is fun, and planning out exactly what you’ll do with a platform can be fun. You should try to match their style, a downhill deck for a downhiller, a dancer for a dancer, etc. However, there are obvious exceptions. Cruisers are fun for everyone. Everyone could use a fun cruiser to take to the grocery store or to go hang out with friends. For that you could go with a Dinghy, Tugboat, Dugout, or Schooner, Mini Bonsai, Coyote, Santa Cruz cruiser, Billow Bambino, or even a Pennyboard! Plus, skateboards often have fantastic artwork on them, so they can hang it up in their place until they’re ready to turn it into a complete.

Trucks?

It could be tempting, but I’m going to go with no, actually. Trucks are highly subjective, and, unlike Hoots, they’re not completely universal. Could you go with a carvy and surfy all-rounder like the Paris V3 trucks? Sure. Something with a more neutral feel like Cast Arsenals or Calibers? They’d probably be great. But can you be sure they’ll like them? No. Personally, if it’s from a reliable brand, I’m sure I could find a use for any of them. But that’s not for everyone.

Tools, Hardware, and More

I’ve got a total of 4 skate tools. One has a ratchet, which I like, but isn’t good for my longer bolts. Another is a carabiner, for extreme portability. The other two are standard tools. One came with a Bustin Board mystery box I ordered, another I grabbed a long time ago. It’s a cheap plastic one though, and I can feel those flex sometimes as I tighten something. Still, they’re quite durable, and skate tools are always handy. Here’s another one from Paris and one from Independent that also includes a bearing press and axle rethreading die.

Other things that come in handy? Things that are easy to lose, or may rust. This includes bearing spacers, nuts for kingpins or axles, speed rings, and bushing washers. Also things people may forget when buying gear, like soft risers. Also? It’s always good to have some spare bearings, especially if your skater likes to skate in the rain. Zealous make some great cheap bearings, and I’ve always enjoyed Bones Reds (especially those with extended races).

Holiday Packs

Landyachtz this year has a pretty cool special that I want to mention. You buy one of their packages and they ship a brand new board to a child in need. That’s pretty awesome. The packages include a complete board, stickers, apparel, tools, gloves, and other items. Meanwhile, Landyachtz still plants a tree for every board they sell. So you help a child and plant at least two trees!

Bustin Boards also has a variety of promotions for the holidays. As does Penny, who have discounts and free gifts. Look around, lots of skate shops will have specials. Though remember, you won’t likely be able to get rush shipping on larger items, so be sure to check your local skate shops!

A Donation

I did a Facebook fundraiser for my birthday this year for One Tree Planted. One of my friends contributed $50 to it, which was just incredible. It felt awesome to put this thing together and know there were more trees out in the world thanks to us. Donating in someone’s name is a great gift. Here are a few skate-related charities you can consider.

Your Love, Support, and Kindness

Can’t get someone a present? Just be present! There’s nothing like spending time with loved ones. I’ll take time with some great people over the perfect gift any day.

P.S. I got the idea for this from Downhill254. Check them out! Lots of good downhill news and reviews.