MGP How To: Make Your Scooter Deck Last Longer
Let's be honest, just like any other traditional sport, scootering isn't a cheap sport to participate in. One of the biggest costs associated with scooter riding besides competition fees and one-on-one lessons is the upkeep of the scooter itself. Beginner riders can go through a lot of scooter decks which ultimately can break the bank. Although breaking a deck is somewhat a right of passage, it can be avoidable in most cases. Our team put together a list of tips to make your scooter deck longer so you can practice more and save some cash.
Our 4 Tips on Making Your Deck Last Longer
1. Ride More Transition Features
If you find yourself constantly breaking decks, our first tip is to try riding more transition features like box jumps, quarter pipes and spines. Landing fly out is great for learning new tricks but it is damaging to the deck. When landing fly out, you lose all momentum when landing which results in a harsh downward pressure on the deck causing it to break. Basically, you don't want to come to hard stop, you want to keep a forward momentum after you land.
Fly out Example
Transition Example
2. Apply Wax When Grinding
If you are a street rider and you are breaking decks, you should start using wax asap. Apply wax to grinding features and keep the grinds on rails or coped ledges. Grinding curbs or chunky asphalt can cause dents and cracks in the bottom of the deck. We aren't saying stop getting creative with your grinds, but maybe wax that tree trunk before you give it a go like Juzzy Carter.
3. Improve Your Style
This next tip is a hot topic in scootering but it is true, work on style! Landing heavily on the front or back of the scooter can cause the scooter to banana (bend in the middle). This happens a lot when people are first learning flips since they tend to under or over rotate. There are a few examples in the industry of riders with good style but our favorite is three-time world champion, Jordan Clark.
4. Make Sure Your Scooter is Dialed
Your scooter is a whole unit where if one thing is off, crazy things can happen. Before riding always make sure your headset and back axle are tight. If either are loose it can cause a lot of play on parts of the deck that normally aren't a weak point when everything is nice and snug. Need tips on how to dial your scooter? Check out our how-to below (yes, we thought of everything).
What's next?
Another good tip on making sure your deck lasts is to pick a deck that best suits your riding. Guess what? We have a blog on that too! Click here to find out which scooter deck is the best fit for you.