

Other Notes for Longboardersįor cold or wet weather I have found that Clear Vicious works the best. The Loaded Chubby has special 50 grit tape for the perfect balance of freestyle and freeride. The lower the grit, the better you grip – unless it’s wet, then it depends on the exterior coating, which varies from one company to the next but for the most part, is epoxy based. These generalizations are formed based on the coarseness of the grip, and how much grip you generally want between the board and your shoes.

With that being said, I know many people who use Vicious for slow technical freeride, and people who use less coarse griptape for downhill and fast freeride.

Generally speaking 24-40 grit is for fast freeride and downhill, whereas 50-80 is for slow freeride, technical freeride, freestyle, cruising, street, park, etc. You also do not move your feet like shortboard riders do for tricks. Almost always, longboarding is going to be the discipline that takes the heavier grit types because fast slides and downhill require that extra traction. Longboarding has a lot more various types of skateboarding, so there are more options and preferences to choose from. It is easiest and provides the best grip across the entire board. However, most riders just opt for a straight sheet. You can do some custom stuff, like pinstripes or horizontal stripes just by cutting the grip before applying it. You really just want to get something in that 80 grit range, like Jessup and MOB. If you are buying grip tape for a regular skateboard deck, grip is pretty easy. The grip that you will want to choose is based almost entirely on what type of riding you will be doing, as well as personal preference. Now comes the fun part, deciding which griptape suits your needs. Loaded Course (Chubby Unicorn), Jessup Ultra Red Vicious, Blood Orange, Diablo Course Belt Sander New Black Vicious, New Clear Vicious, Gator Grip Coarse, Thumb Cutter Gator Super Coarse XC, Diablo Extra Course Brand, Grit, and Particle SizeĬheck out this handy dandy chart that goes over each brand and the grit level (grip level, lower is more grip) and their suggested uses. With these simple tips, you are well on your way to finding the best grip for your skateboard. Graphic grip can be cool, but often the quality just isn't as good as black griptape. Your browser does not support this rad video. If you do buy a graphic, we recommend getting it from a main grip manufacturer like Jessup or MOB to be sure the quality is the same. While they look cool, graphic grip tapes are not always made in the same way as regular grip and can be of lesser quality. Make sure your grip is fresh because the adhesive tends to go bad over time. We have found that over time the backing paper on the grip sheets sticks to the grip itself and can become a pain to remove. Adhesive - If you can, don't buy old grip.Imagine trying to apply wallpaper to a room, but the wallpaper is made from wet tissues. Without this rigidity, it makes things incredibly difficult. Lesser quality grip, or grip not designed for skateboarding, will not have much stiffness. It makes applying the grip that much easier. They have a rigidity not found in many other grip brands. Stiffness - MOB and Jessup are the best at stiffness.Without these little invisible holes, the air will get trapped and your board will look like it has nasty blisters. In our experience, if the grip does not have this, it is not worth buying. This is to let air escape and prevent bubbles.

Air Holes - Most modern skateboard grips have little holes punched throughout the sheet.In our experience, there is not a perfect single grip, however, there are three key points that make some grip tapes more awesome than others. Ha not quite, but buying on the roll will save you in the long run. Why it's rad: Save cash by buying enough grip for your whole skateboarding career.Conveniently sized for fast application to standard sized skateboards. Why it's rad: The most used grip here in our shop, MOB has never let us down.Why it's rad: Uber grippy, Vicious can be applied directly over lesser grit tape in specific sections for your grabby needs.Female Skateboarders Pushing Boundaries.
