If you are new to skateboarding, you may think that buying a skateboard is really all you need. However, if you want your board to last and if you want to be able to do all the great jumps and slides, you will need to know how to take care of your board. Skateboard wax is used both on the boards as well as to oil a rail and really is a skateboarder’s best friend.
What Sort of Skateboard Wax Should You Use?
When looking at buying skateboard wax, there are a few things to consider before choosing the best type for you:
- The price. Let’s be honest, in this day and age, we simply can’t afford to pay over the odds for something that’s not worth it.
- The ease of application.
- The brand.
Skateboard wax, or paraffin if you want to make it yourself, is available at very reasonable prices from Amazon. Why not buy a few smaller pots, so you can experiment with what works best for you, for example? If you want to be really authentic, you could also consider making your own skateboard wax.
How to Apply Skateboard Wax
Skateboard wax is incredibly easy to use: just put some on your hands and rub it on the surface that you want to use for your stunts. Also rub some on the bottom of your board. Experimenting is the key here: the more wax you use, the slippier it gets. Your person levels of skill and comfort on a board will determine how much wax you can use. Start with a small amount and if you feel you can handle that easily, put a little bit more on. If the rail or your board gets too slippy, you are at great risk of getting hurt, so never start with lots of wax but build your way up.
How to Take Skateboard Wax Off
Taking skateboard wax off can be quite difficult. There is a variety of techniques, including rubbing or using heat to remove it, but generally some smudging will be left on the surface. It is possible to use commercial cleaning products to get the wax off, or power cleaners but it can be quite hard to carry these along, of course. Luckily, you can buy wax remover, which is generally made to remove stains made by candle wax. This can be purchased in a range of places, including Amazon of course, and is quite reasonably priced. It generally comes in small containers, which is good because it makes it portable, but you do need to make sure you have enough with you.
One last word of warning when thinking about using skateboard wax, is that you can’t go and apply it on every rail you see. If you are thinking of doing a jump on someone’s private property, you would actually be committing an act of vandalism, for which you can be arrested. In many places, skaters already have a bad name, so please don’t live up to that reputation and show others that skateboarding is a fun and valid sport.
