The Secret Truth About Walmart Skateboards...

[@rickyglaser]

www.twitch.tv/rickyglaser I've been having lots of fun livestreaming IRL skateboarding on Twitch follow along to catch me live :)

[@keneticzbic6796]

Yes

[@countertask]

Nah it was a target one 💀💀💀

[@con4018-o8u]

Same

[@BodkinVanHorn-zs8np]

Mine was a birthday present from KMart. Hobie the Cat. The graphic was literally a giant paper sticker, the bearings didn’t spin regardless of how much 3in1 I doused them in, the wheels were plastic and cracked and split, and the grip was paint with sand in it. Worse by far than anything at Walmart today.

[@bibianachavez3017]

K mart

[@JeniseSpiteri]

Mine was probably from Toys R Us in like 1999 for my birthday. It had pikachu on it and I don’t remember it rolling as badly as the typical Walmart boards do these day

[@rickyglaser]

Thanks for watching!

[@Scharfster]

my cousin had a Hulk board that rolled pretty good too, the board was ass though lol

[@Just_SK8]

Probably cause you were lighter as a kid

[@Iwas20in2000]

i still have my skateboard i got from toys r us in mid 90s and it rolls better than my real skateboard.

[@joshualopez2105]

My mom got me a complete used board in 2003 for my 13th birthday in El Salvador don't remember the brand tho.

[@anowysz6]

i think the higher quality walmart boards can be good enough to get people into skateboarding, but the bad ones are bad enough to make me think they do more harm than good. i wish there was some kind of quality minimum they all had to have. even for the newest beginners, the worst walmart boards seriously have no use. they're difficult to do anything on even if you're really experienced, and can't really be transportation either since they don't roll. at that point, all we're doing is hurting the environment by wasting materials, and scaring some people away from skateboarding because they get fooled into thinking its harder than it is

[@heathenshaunt681]

Capitalism at its finest they only want the money and have no idea what integrity and a quality product is

[@likaner1]

This is unfortunately why I was deterred from skating at a young age. As a little kid those boards were way too heavy and wide, only thing could I use it for was riding down driveways until I got bored. Even that felt dangerous cause the wheels and bearings were so cheap, asphalt made me feel like I was vibrating.

[@Ghost16-k5n]

Couldnt you just get some actual good bearings and make it go smooth?

[@anowysz6]

@@Ghost16-k5n it would help for sure, but i think the wheels are a big part of it too

[@heathenshaunt681]

@@Ghost16-k5n you would need to replace it all walnart boards are trash

[@MultiHeheboy]

This informative, video essay type of video rocks. It's researched, edited, and informed. Just what scratches my brain.

[@rickyglaser]

More to come!

[@janbeninde2691]

0:16 seeing that woman be so happy just made my day 😊

[@vandavis000]

Was more 17-19 sec

[@YSEternal_]

That scene was shot in my hometown 😅

[@EzraHaviland]

I currently have a Walmart board, I’ve replaced the wheals and bearings and am waiting till I’m good enough for it to snap before I replace the deck and trucks. It’s chipped to hell though.

[@HanCholo112]

I love Shaq, he's a great man.

[@MCboombox]

Yeah Shaq is funny and kind

[@manashieldworld]

He's a capitalist. He does things for money.

[@Kingstopclothing]

Real 🎉

[@bbsara0146]

I had shaq shoes when I was a kid but I had to grow in to them.

[@Jeremy_Adams]

I appreciate Walmart boards. Not all parents have the money to spend $100+ on a skateboard for their child to try it out. I would prefer to spend $30 or $40 on a board and see if there is genuine interest before I drop $100 or more!

[@malachiteofmethuselah9713]

While it would be difficult to argue any of your points... A lot of the bottom-of-the-barrel hobby entry ramps have a tendency to create frustrations that ruin any chance of said interest being kindled, when the product fails to meet basic operational needs. I.e. Skateboards that cannot turn or roll far, bicycles that are difficult to pedal, VR goggles that cause headaches, Kites with strings that break if they see enough wind to actually fly, Kayaks that have high drag, ect....

[@slapshotjack9806]

It’s really a workout to push some of those boards you gotta loosen the wheels just a bit to get a bit of extra give to them

[@Biggreenhat7]

Then when your kid bounces his head off concrete because of the terrible wheels and plastic trucks we can start the conversation of You get what you pay for

[@Jeremy_Adams]

@@Biggreenhat7 that’s what helmets are for

[@Motoxbrox]

Um no that's just stupid don't be cheap and just buy a real board from the start

[@Chocalateshake]

They are affordable and often help in bringing the skate industry to a greater broader audience, i see them as the introductory skateboard for kids, to get them rolling around

[@ThankMeNowBro]

I agree. My only real issue with Walmart boards is that they DON'T ROLL!! Now I'm well over a decade past my Walmart phase so maybe they've gotten better since then, but I just wish that the board would actually roll as intended. Not asking for Swiss bearings, just something to get you past 1ft per push (even less in non-skatepark environments). The boards are clearly not meant to be built for stair sets etc, which makes sense as to why the ply isn't strong at all - I just feel like a beginner should be comfortable learning to navigate on a flat plane without hindrance.

[@whynotquit]

unless the board can't roll tho

[@Gimmemi]

@@ThankMeNowBrothe boards have gotten worse. If there were 40 Walmart boards only 1 which is would be the least designed and desirable to a newcomer is the one that’s best for the newcomer

[@ThankMeNowBro]

@@Gimmemi best to save up and buy the cheapest complete at this point.

[@Theodore-Teddy-Roosevelt]

this is awesome, i love this style of videos. not only interesting, but actually from an deep insider of skateboarding culture. u have the perfect voice and delivery for video essays

[@rickyglaser]

Thanks!

[@richbonnau5807]

I started skating on a Kmart board back in 82', my brother broke it on the second acid drop, but he replaced it with a Powell Perelta deck. As a kid i was crushed, but happy with the new board, and looking back it was probably the best thing to happen. At 50, I still love skating and am currently getting back into it.

[@robertlee8400]

I,d like to see someone go & buy one of these cheap board & dissect it , tearing each ply apart , maybe see what kind of wood there using , what kind of glue , if there’s cross layering , what are the wheels made of , what the grip is made of , what kind of metal are the trucks made of , the bushings , the bearings who makes them , the hardware , every inch of the board , just make it scientific so we all know what materials there making these boards out of so we all know how these company’s could improve on these boards . Kinda like reverse engineering them .

[@phoenixtheshark]

Most Walmart boards use plastic trucks, funnily enough.

[@Clownish.mp4]

@@phoenixthesharkthis hurt my soul

[@rickyglaser]

Was a Walmart board your first skateboard?

[@PressureFlipperZ]

My 1st real deck was a alien workshop complete & I learn so many tricks on the deck great memories:)

[@MacGuffinExMachina]

Yep. Back when their skate brand was called 2Xs in the late 90's. At least their boards now tend to have some concave. That shit was flat back then apart from the nose and tail. They also made skate shoes in that 90's Airwalk and Vans style. We were poor, and my parents didn't understand why the price mattered until it broke from... pretty much nothing. They ended up getting me proper skate shoes and a complete from the shop nearby for my birthday. The owner was awesome. He would make certain shoes and boards cheap for families. Like I got éS Accels for like 20 something to 30 bucks. They used to grip your board for free

[@MrBrianxero]

My First was a... "take this, because youre gonna learning how to board''.... type of Skateboard...

[@TrippyStixx_]

A world industries flame boy complete .

[@humanblibord7386]

Course it was

[@TchSktch]

it would be sick if the walmart board companies put a little note in each package that says "if you enjoy skating and want to get more serious about it, we highly recommend looking at stores specifically for skating to get higher quality gear!"

[@manashieldworld]

You genuinely have a warped idea of America and Corporations if you think Walmart would ever recommend you spend money somewhere else.

[@TchSktch]

@@manashieldworld Are you dumb? That's why I said the companies that put the boards in walmart should put them in the packaging.

[@Frisk_SkyeVR-]

Lol​@@manashieldworld

[@SpeedyGwen]

yeah but they would only do that if they get money from those stores so that probably wouldnt go to walmart sadly

[@humanbrisket7718]

Got to start somewhere, as for those that started with a shop board….must be nice! Thank your parents and give them a hug Give them a hug even if they paid for the Walmart one

[@rickyglaser]

Yes fr!

[@thatequestrian_karlee]

I just bought mine paid on my own

[@NiikTheNeko]

​@@thatequestrian_karlee same omw to hug myself

[@Wangertron]

Mini logo is really great and so affordable. In the UK there is AWALYS online skate shops has them on sale, you can pick them up for under £50. Quality is mind blowingly great and not talked about enough at all. So underrated!

[@nickgarber30]

never regretted a mini logo purchase, the trucks don't get talked about enough

[@trontosaurusrex9532]

​@@nickgarber30 I agree. Mini Logo is solid,and affordable. Haven't tried their trucks yet,are they similar to any of the big brands like Indy or Thunder?

[@lurklingX]

6:50 OHHHHHH!!!! you're bloody-shins ricky from those vids at braille hahaha! that's why you popped in my recs! (kneepad review, was amazing. but rip to your shins, man, brutal.) tbh cant remember the channel name or the actual location's name as i'd just started watching them. but i was so stoked to land on all this, love the presentation, too.

[@Ohgreatcj.]

My first board was a SpongeBob board from Walmart. I was in fifth grade (10-11). It was an awful board but I was determined. I learned my first kickflip on that board and snapped it going off a small two stair. The skateboarding barrier to entry is expensive at first and can scare people away. I see “cheap” skateboards as a necessary evil. They don’t have to be bad quality. Guys like Kyro, Lutzka and the dudes at Darkstar are godsends for seeing the need in the market and trying to provide good bang for the buck skateboards. We need to appreciate them and encourage the young kids we see skating those boards.

[@gamerunknown3507]

I bought a Walmart board to ride with my youngest son four years ago , it's still holding up good... I went to a skate shop last weekend and let them put new wheels on and bearings for $67 bucks . I loved this video too ! 🤜

[@timothyquinn4919]

The braille walmart board was fire. Shame it was discontinued before they got a chance to promote it because it stomped most completes. The wheels and bearing were solid.

[@nickleo6459]

Wdym? I just bought one on the official Walmart shop online today, they’re not discontinued then right?

[@PressureFlipperZ]

The Darkstar decks are good af honestly the braille deck that I got from there complete was also good af used it as a back up got a good sesh out of it in Monterey came in clutch;)

[@Zynjo7]

i just got one of these and it broke within 5 hours of skating it. the tail snapped when i went to pop an ollie

[@VintageSk8]

Another way to buy an affordable board is to look at flea markets, swap meets and even garage sales, I found a Stevie Williams DGL with Royal Trucks and Bones wheels at a flea market for $20 that was board I started to learn Ollies on.

[@TheKeyDateKid]

My first board was from K-Mart. Right about the time rollerblading was going out. I waited for 4-6 months to get the skateboard. Watching my friends who had them and skate videos. It ended up being the last skateboard I ever owned.

[@NateB1976]

Back in the early 80’s when I was a kid learning to skate the cheap beginner boards were mostly made by 2 companies. Either Variflex or Nash. You could get them in the big department stores or sporting goods stores but Walmart wasn’t a thing here yet. I do feel like they were a better quality beginner board compared to what you get at Walmart these days and I actually loved my first Variflex board. That thing was a beast and lasted forever. Small, not very wide, no kick tail but a solid piece of heavy wood with nice big soft wheels great for cruising. Decent bearings too. I rode that thing everywhere until I got my first pro board. Schmitt stix Lucero x2.

[@Mr.A_nyc]

I had a Variflex, friend had a Nash.

[@NateB1976]

Same for me too. I had the Variflex he had the Nash.

[@carlnorthcutt8383]

Dude can you put Shaquille on a skateboard lol

[@MrBrianxero]

Guy would be Kickflipping longboards

[@timothyquinn4919]

He can unironicly ride eggzilla with his giant feet.

[@heyjustj]

My FIRST board was one I bought from my brother at our family garage sale. It was old school shaped yellow “Killer Bee” board made by “Sportfun” had all metal trucks, risers, plastic rails, plastic tail plate and nose cover and a back truck cover I haven’t seen on any other board to this day. It gave sort of a ramp up onto the back truck so you could just lift your nose up onto a curb and the back truck would slide up the curb instead of smashing the kingpin or needing to Ollie. Soon after I realized that board shape wasn’t cool and I NEEDED a popsicle shaped board with a nose that had concave. I found the perfect board (because the graphic was SO cool to me) and it was at some sporting goods store. It was Nash brand and the WORST board I could have chosen. The graphic was literally a printed piece of paper stuck on with spray adhesive. It flaked off as one big piece. The hanger on the trucks was that cheap metal and the baseplate was plastic. Wheels were atrocious. The wood for the board itself was garbage and the paint on it was like they dipped the board in some black plastic/wax that chipped away and was super sticky. I can’t believe I made my parents spend like $60+ on it now knowing what I know. I will say most skate shops in my area at the time were SUPER intimidating and I would have been afraid to go in even with my parents. I knew nothing and didn’t want to look stupid. Plus the some peeps skating community can be a bit unwelcoming haha. It’s why I love Braille and a lot of the new vibes from modern skating.

[@CoasterkidVlogs]

When I saw your face I was so happy I looked at your pfp and was like “RICKY” it’s sad to see you leave braille

[@yuingoo]

2:10 this was my case , i really want to skate but in my area there's no skate shop or any shop where i can get a good one

[@TroyWagnon-s4r]

Dang I have like 10 skateboards I make pretty good money working for the state

[@clintwilson6380]

A dude left a Walmart South Park skateboard when he moved out, it doesn't seem terrible, it has metal trucks at least(not plastic)but it still has that 'straight to the emergency room vibe' and I'm too old for that stuff...he left some atrocious 5 color suede Vans too, but they growing on me.

[@SniffHeinkel]

If I ever bought a skateboard, I'd buy one off eBay.

[@HalfLifeOfHumanity]

Small side comment but helll yeah, my daughter's first helmet, the spidey helmet, was in your video. I got it for her when she was 4 and we had just watched the dope Spiderverse animated movie together. It was one of the few movies she had the attention sit through watching start to finish without bailing, and while she did jump on me several times, spider crawl up on top of my head until she was crouching on my shoulders, scouting the streets for crime she could stop as 'Spider Girl'. Much love to this helmet and anybody who repped it. I have pushed my daughter to wear a helmet while skating so heavily, because I saw several friends and school mates get severe traumatic brain injuries skating, and a handful of them sustained significant brain damage and were never the same again.

[@VictoriaHudson-pe2vn]

Walmart boards really ain't that bad you just got to have a friend that knows boards that can tune your board while you learn how to ride.

[@LittleBeeeee]

In the 90s we called any crappy skateboard a Nash. I didn’t know why at the time but later learned that Nash is one of the old skateboard companies. It’s funny how you hear something as a kid and just role with it as truth. You see plastic trucks and say aw man you riding a Nash?

[@stephanyampolsky7187]

Awesome breakdown video Rick, i like how you covered all the basics and then got right into it

[@rickyglaser]

Thanks, im really trying to improve

[@bowenupholsterygroup8356]

First board was Variflex in 86. It wasn’t good, but I learned to ollie on it. Replaced the deck with a used Tony Hawk deck. Eventually got trucks and wheels and learned to skate. It’s good to have cheap boards to get kids interested and learn. No parent wants to invest in an expensive thing that a kid will only be into for a month. This was a good realistic take on it.

[@qwassred2539]

very thorough analysis and great comparison with shaq :D

[@rickyglaser]

Haha thanks, notice how i didnt read random reddit comments 😂👊

[@qwassred2539]

@@rickyglaser the key to finding objective truth seems to be not reading reddit comments

[@bharrisnicholas]

I started with a Walmart board. I learned to Ollie and heelflip on it while I was saving my money for a year to be able to buy an actual skateboard. My first actual board was a brand called Status, with blank wheels, black magic grip, and hurricane trucks. I immediately got buyers remorse. I had never had that much money before and it was all gone in a matter of minutes.

[@ItzTheThrill]

Thanks for all the great content Ricky!

[@shyme8116]

As a beginner from egypt its hard to find wooden board all the skateboard are plastic here

[@RATTU5_]

every time I walk into my local KMART I always end up in the 'wheels' section just to see if the boards have gotten any better or stay the same and even spotted a set of just 52mm wheels in a 4 pack for $4 one time.

[@STIZZUH]

Yup, my first board was a Walmart board back in like 1997. My parents wanted to make sure I was not going to bail on the hobby right away before they coughed up the money for a "real" board. After a month or two I talked them into going to the local skate shop and got a proper set up.

[@sandhanitizer15]

My first board was a complete Vision old school set up. My neighbors aunt bought 3 completes from a tag sale and gave them to him. We tried cruising around on them the first day she dropped them off and I was instantly hooked. I used it for about a month and then my mom took me to a local shop called Sartorius skate shop to put together a real complete. My first set-up was- Indy trucks, Spitfire wheels, Black Panther bearings, Black Magic grip, and my first deck was the 8.0 red Shortys Muska silhouette board.

[@ashmoore9945]

As A skater that started in the late 1980's I can understand you arguments about "Walmart" skateboards. This is 2024, and with the internet and "smart phones", kids have access to information about Skateboarding I would have wished for in 1987. If I had that access. I would not have bought the Santa Cruz Slasher I did. It's to easy to learn, today, about what is a good/decent/rubbish product.

[@SpeedyGwen]

I lost my board I had as a teen and I really wanted to get back into skateboarding but I cant find anything under like 60€ which is WAY overpriced for me, learning that there are actually boards super cheap at local stores, now that intrest me~ even if I will mostly do cruising around, am pretty light so I dont think I would break one easily (as long as I dont do anything dumb) maybe they arnt great but its better than 3d printed trucks and wheels glued to a random piece of wood that was laying around I mean, cheap fragile board is better than no boards at all

[@izzyaq_]

A tony hawk walmart skate board was my first skate board😭😭

[@Airwick_Trash]

I recently bought my first ever board from Walmart, and despite learning how to ride from zero, it still feels off, even on flat concrete

[@jimkozminski7693]

The concept and market share of Darkstar was actually a really good idea, and they had some decent skaters on the team. It's not a bad thing to sell to the entry level market, and it doesn't mean that people who want a sweet setup can still buy one. I can still buy the Antihero boards I like. I don't understand why people get mad about it. It doesn't really affect more experienced skateboarders

[@pulsupipo]

My first very own board was from a supermarket and it really sucked, but somehow I managed to even hillbomb with it successfully. Soon after that I got a random tony hawk / birdhouse board from a local sports shop, and I'd say it was 5/10, it helped me to learn more, but unfortunately I didn't have money to buy a real skateboard so I got tired of it. This was around the ages of 10-13. Now that I've started skating again as an adult, I first bought a complete that I personally didn't like. But this year I'm skating the "professional" one which made me learn like 3 different tricks in a month or so. So I highly recommend getting a proper skateboard that you build yourself. You won't regret it and even if you do, you can always resell it and get some of your money back.

[@caskadestudio]

I only recently upgraded from a Kmart board to a proper brand (beginner complete bc budget) and it was the best feeling. However, I do credit the Kmart board's A$35 price tag for actually getting me into skating and being able to learn the basics. I was lucky enough to have found one which wasn't absolutely terrible construction, the wheels were poor but not horrendous and the deck had a proper shape and was not exceptionally flimsy. I did lose my pivot cups within about 2 weeks of the Kmart board's purchase but other than that, yeah.

[@danielrose933]

I was a manager at WM years ago... that company has been the last nail in the coffin to many company's sales

[@AidenDavison302]

I’m from ou so we don’t have Walmart, so my first board was a board from sports direct . It rolled horribly and the grip tape peeled off so easily

[@Toucan101]

I just got a $15 board at 5 Below and the grip tape comes off really easily. But I got better wheels from Amazon, but I normally just Ripstik.

[@FadedSylveon]

17 years ago when me and my brother were first trying to skate, Academy sports sold Darkstars and Birdhouse, the cheap complete ones of course, but nonetheless that Darkstar board was so close to a pro deck it lasted so long, was thin and sleek like a real pro deck, and had great bearings, like Abec 7s and made it long enough to get him into a real pro deck and fully enjoy the hobby, Academy has Kryptonics now, but still for $40 I think parents or first time skaters should buy one and just ride for a while and see if they enjoy it, and stay away from anything that has plastic trucks and plasticky wheels lol. Spending an extra $20-40 to get a nice complete from a renound brand is much better than buying two or more crap decks and end up hating the hobby. the right tool makes all the difference. Great video Ricky.

[@FrankyGuyMan]

When I was a kid it was perfectly all right because I wasn't very heavy. People were so confused over my skateboard not having any really scratchy sounds when I roll it was smooth as butter. When I told him it was a Walmart board they were even more surprised.

[@lucidgraphics7181]

My first board in the 80s was a hand-me-down plastic deck board that looked kinda like a Penny board but unironically. The trucks were probably 2” wide but it’s what got me going. I skipped the Variflex or whatever other complete was sold at Toys-R-Us and I went to a real skate shop and got a Jason Jesse put together with Gullwing trucks and OJ wheels. It’s probably been around 30 years since I even thought about that setup.

[@Siberius-]

1:11 - I'm curious to hear more about this beginner complete 2nd category for a beginner, and the various ways it differs from a professional board.

[@ivanterrible7362]

I'm old. I got my 1st board in 1975. It was an injection molded plastic Zephyr with clay wheels. I took my skate tool to the Toys-R-Us and stole the good wheels off of a roller skate to make the thing rideable. It was a piece of garbage. But now I'm in my mid 50's and can still ollie a fire hydrant on.

[@SatanicMind666]

My board was an amazon board With cast iron trucks

[@turtleboy4111]

Mine was a "No Rulz" Kmart board, which slowly became a Kmart board with second hand bones wheels and bearings. After 3/6 months, I had a second hand Alien Workshop slick given to me. My first new professional level skateboard was a Powell - Mini-logo. GM Trucks. These really soft Bones wheels and Nachi Bearings. Was an awesome birthday, and got some Johnson Emerica's for Christmas 2 days later.

[@deirdre444]

It was 1972. I was 9 and one of the few girls in my neighborhood to ride a skateboard. My first board was a simple wooden skateboard with brand new on the market Cadillac yellow urethane wheels with loose bearings. Moved on to Logan Earth Ski, then Sims boards and wheels, BennettPro and Tracker trucks.

[@scottster8858]

My first board was from walmart in 1996. Current walmart boards are orders of magnitude better than those were. The graphic was a big sticker, the grip was sprayed on (not tape), and the wheels were hard plastic. I even upgraded the bearings, didn't fix the slow ass wheels, so I put real wheels.

[@Jester5110]

My first had been a Gordon & Smith complete-board from a local PX-Sport Store, here in Germany, back in 1989. It was pretty good quality and lasted about eight years, before it was to damaged, to be ridden again. Bought this before the popsicle decks hit the scene, in 1992, for around $150,-. Been my 13th birthday and my godfather made this my birthday present. A school friend, whoms father served in the army, helped to get it bought, because I've been a born german. Luved that board a lot. :o) I'm 47 now and wish to get back into it. Just to experience the difference, of the new designs.

[@mikecynic5167]

Not only are they super low quality, they're dangerous. You can't have shit lock up or bend or break easily, you're gonna slam HARD and that's probably gonna be especially bad if you're a little guy who has no experience. Spend the 100 bucks, it's cheaper than a visit to the ER.

[@TheBlondeSway]

I started with a skateboard from some local store for $24, the trucks, bearings, and wheels sucked, but the deck itself held up. I eventually bought a new set of trucks wheels and bearings and that's still what I use, cheap and good for me as a begginer

[@SunShineCoastStoner4]

1st deck was a blind, venture trucks, spitfire wheels and speed demon bearings, was about 260 cnd dollars in the 1990s For a smaller town we had 4 very awesome skate shops

[@xtlm]

I always figured they are just beginner boards. Like ones you would use to just learn how to balance and roll around the neighborhood. Maybe an ollie or kickflip. Then if you make it that far and are still interested, start upgrading. Kinda like walmart bikes...or basketballs....or whatever lol

[@KenzieTrinityDeasy]

I don’t think I ever bought a skateboard from Walmart or Target. My first skateboard I bought was from a skate shop called DLXSM. It was an Element board with Venture Trucks and Spitfire wheels and red bearings

[@toxicghoul238]

Just bought my first board off Amazon a few months ago. Element board. Most of the terrain around me is rough so the wheels and bearings didn’t hold up. But after a few modifications it’s running smooth for a beginner board

[@th00perman_]

My first board in 1998 was from China, had a (bootleg) Goku DBZ logo. Board had no pop, plastic trucks, and the worst possible bearing/wheel combo. Push as hard as you can to roll 2 feet. Gotta start somewhere lol.

[@xvgem181]

My first board was a walmart board, I learned the basic skate tricks on that board so theyre not useless, but you cant really move around with them as per say a custom bullt board.

[@thefamilymans2545]

As a parent these days, i dont want to spend $250 on a skateboard, to have my kid not want to skate. Once they say yeah, i will do this everyday, like i did, then i will spend more money. I remember making fun of the "huffy" brand boards when i was a kid. Now i understand why they are there.

[@TAGSProle]

In england I've got back into skateboarding after 17 years as im teaching my 3 year old, since he was 2 on a ookkie board now got him a new deck. On a deal i got him the starwars tie fighter element prebuild for £25 and in the deal i got a enuff prebuild (which i swapped out the bearings after one skate) for £18 tested both and both are solid and have good pop to them, im no way smashing stair sets but for both to get a session on, a absolute bargain. I have 7 boards on order as im building him wall art and shelfing out of decks and a selection of £40 decks is all good, better than the £80 toy mashine, girl, zero decks i was burning though when i was 19

[@jon_ukeguitar9548]

I won my first skateboard at a carnival game at the Houston rodeo in the 90s. Getting all 3 balls in the jug toss game. Lol I remember my cousin setting it up and loosening everything enough to actually roll, it survived almost a year of learning. It had a shark with pink sunglasses on the design lol.

[@deezgex]

I had a board, branded static 25 years ago. After deep research found it was made by the cheap brand veriflex. However the board was around 100 bucks, was a slick and actually held up like a name brand board for many years. Wished i still had it tbh

[@lewisisdaman]

I grew up in the UK. Born early 90s. If it wasnt for the shitty cheaper boards being available then me and all my friends would have never had a chance to get into skating to begin with. Every childhood hobby starts with a small investment from a parent. And skateboarding as a child is definitely one of them.

[@lilredv2]

Really Nice Editing on the Video Ricky! Keep it Up!!

[@Juice5522]

My first was a Walmart board back in the 90s but they were wayyy worse than they are today. 2 inch think board, plastic truck and plastic wheels were 60$ and that’s back in the mid 90s

[@PHeMoX]

I think the first experience with skateboarding should not be a terrible walmart board though. As much as it is affordable, the crappy quality and even danger involved will probably scare off more kids than getting them into skateboarding. Especially those heavy enough to break these boards. Yes, a cheap alternative can be good, but I'd recommend looking into Mini Logo or maybe stuff from Decathlon. Stuff that will really last in a normal way. It makes no sense to complete waste $50-100 on a board, truck, wheels and grip that sucks. It's actually cheaper to commit to one of the cheaper 'real' skateboards.

[@xdmon1220]

great video, skateboarding related video essays like this might be the move for the youtube

[@rickyglaser]

Thanks i have some other idea fun ideas

[@exiaR2x78]

As a Kid my first board was a Dragonball Z Licensed board. It was ass the bearings were so bad you couldnt really ride, you had to always be pushing to go anywhere which kind of left a sour taste. I got more into Skating as a teenager and knew about local skate shop at that point, which was around the time powell dragon completes were new. If skate companies can get into wallmart and put out reasonable boards I think itll do a lot for skating

[@veritechz]

I wish somebody would go back and catalog these “toy” decks. There are so many people who had those first, realized they were trash, and moved on, but it can be impossible to track down even pictures of them now because they are just insearchable. I can remember having a TRUToys (toys r us brand) deck as a kid, and I wouldn’t mind getting one now for the wall while they are pretty valueless, but man they are hard to search lol.

[@parkermashburn3717]

I got my first board at like 15 or 16 from my neighbor, he knew i wanted to skate but i didn’t have money and he wasn’t planning on using it. I just replaced parts as needed but now i got a whole new board with none of the original parts

[@nexobro348]

actually i think there is a middle point between 3 - 2 because i bought a 60 to 70 dollar board at amazon. It currently works well but the bearings are a bit wearied out.

[@MikeRigs-rv6lr]

My first board was from Sports Authority, and it said “Snake Eyes” on the graphic lol. It was actually solid for a beginner board, I replaced the bearings (which were trash) and it was good to go.

[@calypsofox150]

Got a kmart drop through a few years ago. It was a solid ride, and honestly still is. I moved on to the "build your own" after 6 months, but honestly it's still a decent getting around board.

[@bobbyvasseur894]

My first skateboard was a Walmart board. I don’t remember the brand but it had plastic trucks and those broke on my first day out with it. So was my 2nd one but it was a Tony Hawk one. I learned how to ride on the TH one, and later on learned to ride better with a Death Wish board that was given to me. Now I’m 26 and have a beginner complete and am trying to learn some tricks

[@bbsara0146]

A walmart board is probably fine for a 70 pound kid. They are not expecting someone who weighs 200 lbs to ride it. with like drop 10 stairs with it. they are made for someone to ride around in their driveway and get used to standing on it and maybe drop in to a small ramp.

[@stonedViking304]

I mean if skaters don’t want skating to be easier to try out for new people, they do realize that’s literally going cause a decline in skaters, which means decline in relevance for skating, decline in profits from skating, decline in skate companies and pro skaters…they would basically watch the thing they love die a slow death… but imagine if everyone tried skating once, how many would like it and stick with it, what those people would go on to possibly add to the world of skating, it could become as mainstream as let’s say pro wrestling or boxing, I compare it to those cause all 3 are a particular taste kinda sports related thing

[@ShadamyLover15]

Not a skater, but I whole heartedly agree. You need the entry level stuff for people to to want to try it and see if they like it. I'm personally a artist and there's so much art supplies that are just absolute garbage. And there's also supplies that are mid range and little better while still being affordable. Most parents aren't going to drop $100 or more for their kids to possibly quit skateboarding if they decide it's not for them. It's very telling if some of these people in the community don't have kids and are judging parents for buying a cheaper board first. Kids go through interests like flipping a light switch. Until they know for sure it's what they are passionate about, entry boards are the way to go.

[@Thegetitguy]

honestly, the cruisers I've gotten from Walmart have been pretty alright. their offbrand pennyboards and the quest one I got recently.

[@user-zx8de8op9l]

My first wood board was a Variflex Ramp Rat in the summer of 1986 at age 11. Next was a Powell Peralta Mike McGill for Christmas 1987.

[@TommyReaperProductions]

Walmart boards are great for collecting and using as a spare board when your real board breaks and you’re saving up for a new board.

[@Iwas20in2000]

for me, the bottleneck wasn't the price or finding a skateshop but figuring out which kind of trucks / wheels / board i needed

[@Just_SK8]

My first board was a kmart which had a plastic tail guard. I would ride it on the ashfelt road cause there was no sidewalks where i lived. You had to push even going diwnhill but i taught me good balance and confidence. Later my uncle gave me his old board which was chipped and waterlogged but had awesome bearings. Then i started getting good. In Australia skate parts are super expensive but in the last few years its much better. Wait for a sale and you will get a $50 zero deck $60 indy standard trucks $30 bearings $50 OJ wheels But at retail price that would be like $300 +

[@mathiusq9128]

I remember Sports Authority having some Alien Workshop boards when I was looking for my first board. My dad wasn’t convinced there was any difference to the cheaper Nash complete board and so we went with that one. I skated the Nash but it was not a very good time. I met a friend who had gotten a complete set up from CCS and I could tell how much better it was immediately. I soon convinced my Dad to get me a CCS set up. I think my dad knew what he was doing, he saw me ride that shitty nash for some time and that after a few weeks in the summermaking little progress he decided I could get a real board.

[@mathiusq9128]

Oh I mentioned that AWS board at Sports Authority because they weren’t carrying them anymore a few years later. The noard was very expensive, way way over priced but it was such a unique image on it I wish I could find pics of this style board online. I remember being blown away by how light and nicely concaves it was but it was like $80 back inthe late 90s. It wasnt AWS price it was sports authority jacking it up. Anyway Im 37 now, riding a habitat deck from local skate shop and I can still do a kickflip and other tricks.

[@scaryguy101]

My first skateboard was this thick steel board my mom bought at a surf shop (mid 90s). It as up high and she walked in saying her kid wants to skateboard and that's all they had. I banged my shins on that thing so many times. It was great for board slides on pipes, but it was super hard do any basic trick. Still fond memories of it though.

[@maacsdead]

i swear to god walmart bearings are the best bearings i’ve ever ridden, i’ve had over 5 decks in my life and i don’t know why but i swear to god going from some bearings i took out a walmart board purposefully to bones reds it makes the reds feel terrible. maybe im crazy but maybe it has to do with everyone riding the boards before you get them but them bearings roll FOREVER.

[@3DEditor]

Like Chet Thomas and many other skaters starting out during the early to mid 1980s, my first skateboard was from a major department store called Gemco, the same store, different location Daewon Song and a few others mentioned where they got their first board.

[@generalmits]

I just bought(as in maybe an hour ago) a walmart board as my first board. I am not sure how it will turn out, but for now i dont intend on doing any tricks .I bought it for 20 dollars and I am using this to get into better shape. I started on roller blades but I dont have as much affinity for it like I had when I used my friends longboard.I am very new to this and I was searching for a fun way to do cardio, so I think this could be it. Simply rolling down the street and working on moving faster or cornering would be great exercise.

[@shinanimedubs1269]

as long as the wheels roll good I feel like you'll be ight! my old walmart board would not roll anywhere and made getting into skateboarding horrible

[@TriforceOfTheGods80]

Bikes sold at department stores are called bicycle Shaped Object (BSO), so do skateboards sold in department stores have their name. Funny I remembered Tony Hawk BMX bikes sold at department stores but I know he never bmxed. I mountain bike, would never use a bso as I know it will brake, I will use a single speed before using a bso.

[@Danilad89]

I bought a habitat complete for £50 to try to get back into skateboarding after years off and the quality is really good, ive literally just ordered an enuff complete on sale for £20, there really is no need for these wall mart boards any more

[@trent1984]

My first board came from a surf shop because my mom skated, cruising down hills and just pushing around town, she'd let me ride her board since I can remember, definitely before I could ride a bike, then I got my own board when I was 11, my mom could go down bigger hills than me until I was like 16 or 17.

[@Viktor_Sk8]

Im a beginner skater that hasent even been skating for a year, but my first ever board was a world industries complete from canadian tire (with the red devil) and it is a REALLY good board for beginners. it is actually good wood, metal trucks, good grip, and original abec-7 bearings. i bought it last year april, after learning about skateboards, and now, after not even a year of skateboarding, i can do kickflips, pop shuvs, high ollies, etc. and my best trick: tre flips this summer i want to learn how to boardslide, but i also did buy a good board from my locals, a lucas rabelo blue furbie flip deck, and still using all the other stuff from the complete. im actually glad i bought that board lol.