The Physics of skateboarding

The Physics of Skateboarding

Skateboarding is a popular and exciting sport. It may not seem like it but it has a lot to do with physics. In fact skateboarding wouldn't possible with out physics. And while many aspects of skateboarding amaze people, and seem to defy the laws of physics, but actually use them to their advantage.

One of the main parts of a skateboard is the deck or board. It is usually made of 7-layered plywood, although there have been boards made out of many different things. The way most decks are made is with a hydraulic press (like a big powerful clamp), several thin layers of ply wood and industrial strength wood glue. The layers of plywood are set in one position; all lined up and are then glued together. After all the layers are together they are put down on one half of the mold for the hydraulic press (because the are still soft) and then the press is closed until the glue is dry.

SkateBoard

The underside of a skateboard. In this photo the d...

English: A skateboard truck.

The board is then cut into the desired shape and the holes for the trucks are drilled.

The deck is the part of a skateboard that has the biggest effect on your skateboarding. Many of the aspects of the deck have different effects on your skateboarding, some bigger than others. One aspect is how much it weighs, usually you want the board to be as light as possible so that it won't weigh you down, but in some cases you want the board to be heavier. In Vert riding you want the board to be fairly heavy as it will give you more momentum when going down a half pipe. You would also want a heavier board when you are doing down hill racing also to give you more momentum. You mainly...