Gliding on your skateboard in a skating rink or a winding road brings a thrilling rush to the soul. Performing advanced tricks on a skateboard or even trying to learn how to skateboard requires a tight feet grip on the board. Without proper adherence, most skateboarders are bound to fall off the board which may lead to injury. Looking to apply grip tape on your skateboard but not sure where to start? Check out our easy-to-follow guide!
Attaching a grip tape onto your skateboard is a solution to all your balancing issues. A grip tape is a sheet which is like sand-paper and has an extremely sticky underside which attaches to the skateboard. It helps you keep a firm footing without the fear of slipping off in any case & applying it is a fairly easy task. It is ideal for rough terrains, roads, and hills equally. Thus, it is a must-have for you to practice skateboard.
Here we bring you an easy-to-follow guide to apply a grip tape on your skateboard. Here, you can also learn the best way to clean grip tape on skateboard.
Size Variations
Grip tape usually comes in black or dyed colors, which you can easily customize to make different logos on the skateboard according to preference. Moreover, this comes in different sizes which can accommodate various varieties, lengths and widths of the deck.
They are mostly sold out under two sizes which you can cut off and alter accordingly, one is 9”x33” and the other is 12”x4”.
Tools Required for Grip Tape Attachment.
A few simple tools are required to apply grip tape on a skateboard, described as follows quickly.
- Hand cutter or a Retractable Blade Knife
- Scissors
- Flat-file
- Screwdriver
Method to Apply Grip Tape on a Skateboard
You can quickly and professionally apply grip tape to your skateboard for traction with a few simple steps. We have simplified these steps and mentioned them below.
Get a New Grip Tape
The first step is to measure skateboard truck you want to apply the grip tape on. Then measure how much tape is required , get one with good quality and appropriate design. Sizing is important as it will provide coverage as well as balance.
Prepare Skateboard Deck
The next step is to examine your skateboard. Take out of the plastic wrapping and make sure that there are no stickers or dirt sticking on it. Your board should be clean, dry and non-slippery.
Peel-Off Grip Tape
You can cut off any access or even make designs by using scissors. Now you can take a hold of the gripping tape you got and peel the backing paper off.
This will expose the adhesive on that end of the tape. Hold the grip tape in a vertical position and estimate the area you want to place it.
Center and Press Grip Tape
In the next step, you must slowly press the tape onto the board. First, apply it to the nose of the board and then to the board’s tail. Examine for any errors, and you can use the blade knife to correct any sides sticking out.
Also, inspect If the tape is centered. You can re-adjust in case of alignment issues. Once the design is correct, Use the backing paper you took off from the tape.
Properly lay it on the applied tape and begin pressing it down. Rub your hands on it so that all air bubbles are removed, and your tape perfectly adheres to the board.
File Grip Tape
Now that you have applied the grip tape, it’s time to file it, If you are looking for all-over covering. However, you can use the flat file tool and drag it on the edges of your skateboard, giving you a guideline for cutting.
For Overall Covering, Cut the Edges Off.
After you have a shape along the edges, use the blade knife and hold it at the bottom of the grip tape. It is essential to tilt the blade of the knife to a 45° angle and cut in sections. This will give you an excellent finish and covers up any rookie mistakes.
After this, you can take your screwdriver and poke some holes in the tape in case. These holes would be used for attachment of skateboard trucks later on. This will take your best cruiser skateboard to the next level.
Conclusion
A firm grip on your feet is essential to learn new tricks on your skateboard. Without any adhering material, one can easily slip off which can cause injury. For this purpose, you can apply a grip tape which has a pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side and a sand-paper like finish on the other.
You can peel off the tape and apply it to your new board. Press on it, cut it, and there you have it ready for use. Grip tape is crucial as it gives the user convenience to use the skateboard without any fear of falling off at high speeds or sharp turns.
