It looks very cool on the X Games and Gravity Games and it doesn’t cost a lot to get started. So, what is the first thing you need? A skateboard. You can pick up a skateboard at flea markets, yard sales, discount stores, online, and lots of other places. Why pay $30 or more for a new board when you can get one for 50 cents at a garage sale?

Skateboards have changed a lot since their beginning (no one is sure exactly when, but over 30 years ago). The board you see in a junk pile may belong there. You need to know what to look for and why you would want to pay more for a good board.

The quality of the board will determine how fast you learn and how much you enjoy boarding. A bad board will only making it harder to learn and may prevent you from learning tricks.

Let’s start with the most basic part, the deck (the part you stand on). Decks can be made from plywood, fiberglass, aluminum, or other materials. Generally plywood is your best bet. It is the deck the most skateboarders use. Forget the paint job on the bottom, make sure the deck itself isn’t warped or cracked and that it is solid and slightly flexible.

Next comes the wheels, spin the wheels by hand. If the wheels wobble, stick, or look warped, keep looking. You will want to get urethane wheels, they last longer and perform better than clay wheels. The size of the wheel depends on the kind of boarding you plan to do. For street and freestyle, you want 1 1/8 inch diameter wheels. For downhill you need 2 1/4 or 2 5/8 in wheels.

Now look at the trucks (the part holding the wheels to the deck).They should be solid, but still allow you to turn the board. When you lean to turn the wheels should be at the edge of the board or just beyond the edge.

Skateboards come in many shapes and sizes now. To learn find a freestyle or street board, once you learn to skate you can try out different style boards to see which works best for you.

For more on beginning skateboarding, check out the book picks.