Skateboarding Grip Tape

Without grip tape, a skateboard would be worthless. The skater would not be able to pull off any tricks, and the deck would be so slippery that the skater would fall off all the time. This article will teach you everything you need to know about skateboard grip tape.

Grip tape, as mentioned above, is one of the most important elements of a skateboard. Yes, the wheels allow you to move, and the metal trucks keep the board off the asphalt, but what keeps you attached to the board? Grip tape.

So, what is grip tape? Simply put, grip tape is a black piece of sandpaper with an ultra sticky backing that helps secure it to the board. However, grip tape is far superior to sandpaper, in that it doesn't wear off like sandpaper eventually would. Grip tape is very sturdy.

Grip tape is so sturdy, in fact, that even if it gets a tad dirty, it maintains its grip. A small amount of water or mud is not enough to prevent the grip tape on a skateboard from working. Grip tape is also versatile enough to be painted on, without losing grip.

Fiberglass is very slippery, and doesn't make a very good skate deck. Originally, the manufacturers simply added a waffle pattern to the skateboards to combat the slipperiness. This kind of worked, but the fiberglass was still too slippery. The solution was grip tape.

Grip tape probably came about during the late 60s, with the dawn of the first mass-produced skateboard decks. These mass produced skateboards often came pre gripped. This means that skateboard grip tape was already applied to the boards so that consumers did not have to fret about putting on the tape themselves.

Grip tape can be fairly tricky to apply to a deck. There are many videos on youtube that can help a person apply grip tape to their board.

Grip tape can be installed with a little bit of effort and elbow grease. Some skateboards are thicker than others, and you won't want to apply grip tape that's not going to cover your whole board.

Once you've decided whether or not your grip tape is going to fit your board, you'll need to remove the backing. Starting from one end of the deck, slowly lay down the grip tape. Work your hands over the top of the tape to remove any bubbles in it as you stick the grip tape to the board.

This will allow the air to get out from under the tape, thus allowing you to flatten out the bubble.

Removing the grit will make it much easier to remove the extra tape, giving you a clean finish.

You should try to cut in one fluid motion, as it will help the finished product appear smooth and appealing. You can take some of the remaining tape and sand the places you cut if you're not happy with the result. It's sort of difficult to mess up a grip application; try to have fun with it.

Since you now know the history of grip tape, how to install grip tape, and why skateboarders need grip tape in this modern day and age, you should go out and skate. But don't forget your grip, and be sure to have a blast!