A skating board like the penny board was created in Australia for the active pastime, as a lightweight and agile alternative to skateboards. Nowadays, such boards are very popular, they attract attention with their colors and high quality.
What is a penny board and why is it needed?
Penny boards are so named because of their small size. It is convenient to ride on such boards for teenagers and children, as well as girls. They are classified as cruise longboards and are chosen for moving around the city and relaxing.
Essential elements
The components of the Penny Board are:
- A durable, lightweight plastic deck with a textured design to help keep your feet on the board. The composition of the plastic for the deck is kept secret by the manufacturer.
- Suspension made of aluminum alloy. Its design is classic for all suspensions, that is, it consists of two parts fastened with a bolt and bushing. By tightening the bolt, the suspension can be made stiffer, and by loosening the nut, the suspension can be made softer.
- Polyurethane wheels with an aluminum or plastic core. The wheels have a diameter of 59 mm and a width of 40 mm. The stiffness of 78a allows you to avoid feeling minor surface irregularities while riding a penny board and at the same time provides good roll. Penny wheels have ABEC7 bearings.
How is a penny board different from a skateboard?
One of the main differences between a skateboard and a penny is size.
Compared to skateboards, Penny boards are smaller, so they are often chosen by children and teenagers. Also, the difference between penny boards and skateboards lies in the material of the deck, since high strength plastic is used for the manufacture of Penny Boards.
Types and types
The main types of penny boards are:
- Original - the boards of this type have a length of 56 cm, and the suspension is 7.5 cm wide. They are small and light, so it is convenient to carry such penny boards with you and hide in a backpack. However, the small size presents some difficulties for beginners in learning how to ride such a board.
- Nickel - the length of such boards is 69 cm, and the suspension is 10 cm wide. It is much easier for beginners to master such a board, since while riding on a larger board the rider feels stability and confidence. In addition, such models are selected with a large foot size.
Depending on the color, the following subspecies of pennies are distinguished:
- Complete - models in one color
- Fades - customer-designed boards
- Custom - brightly colored multicolor boards
- Pastel - products in pastel colors
- Fluorescents - models with bright neon colors, the coating of which glows in the dark
- Holiday - vintage style pieces with Native American and Hawaiian motifs
- Graphics - space-themed, Mexican-inspired boards in a catchy color
- Marbles - planks with marble design
Glowing Models
Wheels for different models of penny boards are matte, transparent or translucent.
The Fest Original series is distinguished by the presence of transparent luminous wheels, presented in different colors. They glow while riding in the dark. In some models, the deck itself is lit.
What else do you need to buy for skiing?
Penny riders should wear equipment that protects against injury during falls. This is especially important for the first rides on the board.
Therefore, together with the Penny Board for riding, you should prepare:
- Quality sneakers with a flat sole that grips well with the board.
- Gloves.
- Sleeves.
- Knee protectors.
- Elbow pads.
- Clothes that will not interfere with movement.
- Helmet.
How to choose the best one?
When you decide to buy a longboard like Penny Board, you will come across a wide variety of models that differ in color, recommended age category and sizes.
Consider your riding skills and foot size when choosing the right model. If you are a beginner or have a large foot, you should buy a 56 centimeter (22 inch) penny board. Models with a length of 56 cm (27 inches) are recommended for children, girls and light boys. Otherwise, your choice should be based only on personal preference.
How to learn to ride?
First you need to find out which leg will be the leading one, and only after that start learning:
- Place the guide foot on the deck just after the bolt attachment point.
- Push off a little with the other foot and try to balance with the help of not only your legs, but also your arms.
- Place your front foot straight and your back foot perpendicular to the penny board.
- To control the board, learn to rotate your front foot to influence the stroke of the penny.
- Only accelerate on the board on a flat road and in a place where people do not walk and cars do not drive.
- Learn to first stand on the board and maintain balance on it, and then push off with your back foot.
- To accelerate, just touch the asphalt with your foot.
- Look ahead and watch the board move.
- When you learn to maintain balance on straight sections, you can try to make turns. To do this, slightly loosen the suspension.
- To turn, you need to move at speed, but do not accelerate too much so that the maneuver is carried out calmly. Place your back foot on the very tail of the penny.
- To stop, slow down and get off the board.
See below a short video tutorial for beginner longboarders.
What tricks can you perform?
On a penny board, you can not only navigate the park paths and city streets, but also perform a variety of stunts. The basic maneuvers are considered to be a turn in different directions with different stance variations. The tricks available to penny board holders are also a variety of curly rides. In addition, you can learn to turn on the board when the wheels slide over the surface (this is called a revert).
Note that an experienced skateboarder can do most of the tricks he did on a skateboard for a penny, but you shouldn't learn such tricks right away for a penny. It will be too difficult.
The following video shows some tricks using a penny.
How to buy a real Penny Board and determine originality?
First of all, the originality of the penny board can be determined by the engravings and inscriptions on the product:
- The top of the original board will be marked "Penny Australia" - on Original models it is enclosed in a circle, and on Nickel models it is located along the board. On fake boards, the inscription will be different.
- On the bottom of the deck you will see “Penny” if this is an Original model, and “Nickel” if this penny is a Nickel model. Such an inscription will necessarily be in quotation marks.
- There is an embossed large letter P on the bottom of the ticktail on the original board.
- The base of the pendant of the original board has two inscriptions "Penny.", Which diverge in opposite directions from the center of the product. The same inscription with a dot is also present between the wheels on their axles.
- Each wheel of a real penny board is marked with the word "Penny". In addition, the bearing on each wheel reads "Penny Skateboards Abec Seven", and the bearing itself has a purple tint.
The following video details and shows the difference between the original pennies and the Chinese ones.
Real penny boards also differ from fake boards:
- Deck material. The plastic of the original board is non-slip, with a protruding pattern. While driving, it does not flex much. Fake analogs have plastic too smooth, feet slide on it, and the board itself is pressed quite hard when they stand on it.
- Suspension curvature. The original boards will have absolutely even suspension, as can be seen by placing the penny board on a flat surface. You will notice that all wheels will be touching this surface. In addition, in places of friction, the suspension of genuine Penny Boards is lubricated at the factory, which minimizes wear and tear, and the product lasts long enough. On copies, one wheel may not touch the floor, and there is no factory lubrication.
- Soft bushings. They provide a smooth turn, but at the same time they do not allow excessive suspension deflection and the wheels touching the deck. The bushings are put on a bolt firmly fixed to the base of the board. In addition, the suspension itself has a special shape that provides for the presence of special stops that hold the bushings in place and protect them from breaking. As for the analogs of penny boards, the bushings in such products are often hard, so it is difficult to turn on such boards. The pads on counterfeit boards are often too soft, which causes the deck to squeeze when cornering (it hits the wheels). In addition, in non-original boards, the bolt is not fixed to the base of the suspension, and there are no stops. This threatens the rapid failure of such parts or their deformation.
- Quality bearings. If the bearing of the original Penny Board is dirty, it can be easily disassembled, cleaned, lubricated and assembled back, working properly after such manipulations. Fake plank bearings are often cheap, poorly fitted and not disassembled. As a result, the wheels of such products rotate poorly and stop faster after acceleration, and as soon as the part becomes dirty, the bearing fails.
- Quality wheels. The reference pennies are round and rubbery. These wheels roll smoothly over rough surfaces, extending bearing life. Chinese analog boards have different wheel rigidity (it can even be hard plastic wheels), which is why the uneven surface greatly affects the operation of the bearings and the fatigue of the rider's legs.
The photos below showcase the distinctive features of the original Penny Boards.
Inexpensive Penny Board analogues
In addition to the original products of the Australian manufacturer, in our country you can buy similar plastic boards made in China. They cost 2-3 times cheaper than a real Penny Board, but their quality is also very different from the original penny.
At what age can you ride a baby penny board?
You can start mastering the children's board from the age of 4. Designed for 4-12 years of age and a child weighing up to 40 kg, these boards have a length of 56 cm (size 22 inches). The length of penny boards for teenagers over 11 years old is from 66 cm.
How much is?
The cost of penny boards depends on the size of the board and its series. On average, you need to pay 7-9 thousand rubles for Penny Board. At the same time, promotions are regularly held in stores offering a large selection of penny models, so sometimes you can not only buy such a board for 5-6 thousand rubles, but also get accessories as a gift.
Choosing a backpack or bag
The easiest place to go is a bag or backpack for a 69cm (27 ") penny board, as it will fit well in any bag or backpack for regular skateboards. 56 cm (22-inch) models are more problematic to carry. While the range of penny bags and cases is growing steadily, the quality of these items sold in many sporting goods stores is not very high.
To buy a case or backpack for your penny board, be sure to take your board with you and try on your bag on the spot. Make sure to carry the product comfortably. Also keep in mind that the penny case is more compact, but carrying it in a backpack is much more practical.
Accessories
For Penny Boards, you can additionally purchase:
- Griptape coverage. It is a ready-to-stick non-slip mat to fit the deck. When choosing such a cover, you should consider the size of your penny, as well as the color you want.
- Bottom panel stickers. With them, the penny board will be different from other boards of the same design.
How to store?
Penny boards are very unpretentious in terms of storage, since their materials (both the deck plastic, and the aluminum alloy of the suspensions, and the polyurethane of the wheels) are highly resistant to external influences.
The most vulnerable parts of the Penny Board during storage are the bearings. If you store your boards in high humidity, this will greatly affect their performance and durability. In addition, the special coating on the griptape deck, which is available on some models, is also afraid of exposure to water. So the top tip for storing a penny board is to keep it dry.
Reviews
Those who have purchased a penny board for their child or for themselves are mostly satisfied with such a purchase. All users among the pluses of the penny note the high quality of plastic, attractive modern design, and many color options. Having tried riding the Penny Board, most owners of such boards confirm that they are very comfortable to ride even on uneven surfaces.
As for the rather high price of penny boards, almost everyone emphasizes that the product is worth its money, since such Australian boards, unlike Chinese ones, are of high quality and allow you to ride for more than one season.
