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Mastering Skateboarding by Per Welinder
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Mastering Skateboarding (edition 2011)

by Per Welinder, Pete Whitley

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
19111,135,847 (4.25)1
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This lavishly illustrated guide to all aspects of skateboarding contains enough depth of information to satisfy serious skaters. Unlike many skateboard how-to's, this is not aimed at "reluctant readers" or novices, but goes into considerable details about everything from safety, to park design, to move-by-move trick techniques, to related vocations. The clear color photographs, mostly showing older teens and adults, helpfully supplement the considerable text. This volume is well-indexed to streamline researching a particular topic. Even veteran skateboarders are likely to find much of interest in this book, and intermediates will be inspired to try new tricks. I got a kick out of the discussion of pads and protection, which was realistic in saying that it's not cool to wear this stuff, and it all depends on the situation. Then it says that it's also not cool to be in a hospital bed unable to make complete sentences, so wear a helmet anyway. ( )
  sleahey | Jan 18, 2012 |
Showing 12 of 12
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
The text is wonderfully oriented towards teens and the way they see their world. In particular, the text starts with a sort of character education section and there is a plethora of great attitude adjustment advice, about how to be a good sport in the skateboarding world, that would come off as smarmy and annoying if it was not written by a professional who has the credibility to pull it off. I can see a teen reading this text and actually taking the advice to heart, which is a difficult trick to pull off with a teen audience. Additionally, the author approaching protective gear in a realistic way. They are honest about the dangers of riding without protection, but also about how teens feel about wearing pads & a helmet when no one else in the park is. While there's part of me, as an adult, that wishes they had hit more strongly on the "not wearing a helmet is a great way to end up as a vegetable" concept, I also know that teens are more likely to accept the advice when the author sounds like they understand how a teen's brain processes, or fails to process, the concept of risk. There is even a vocational advice section towards the end of the text that explains how teens can turn a hobby into a professional future.
In terms of the trick descriptions, I may not be the best judge, as I know very little about skateboarding and have absolutely zero spatial intelligence. In general, I think the descriptions were very strong, though there were a few places where some more detail might have been useful, and I think the level of skateboarding jargon makes this text suitable to the beginner in terms of skill, but not a beginner in general interest in skateboarding. One particular strength of this text, in terms of learning tricks, were the casual benchmarks that the author gave with quantifiable numbers to give the reader an idea of how long it will take to master a skill. In addition, each trick has a list of common problems that people have when learning the trick and how to solve them.
I know this review is a little late, but I will be purchasing a copy of this book for all my libraries. I always trust Human Kinetics to put out great material and this text is no exception, with the added benefit that it is written perfectly for a teen audience. ( )
  TeenCentral | Nov 9, 2013 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This lavishly illustrated guide to all aspects of skateboarding contains enough depth of information to satisfy serious skaters. Unlike many skateboard how-to's, this is not aimed at "reluctant readers" or novices, but goes into considerable details about everything from safety, to park design, to move-by-move trick techniques, to related vocations. The clear color photographs, mostly showing older teens and adults, helpfully supplement the considerable text. This volume is well-indexed to streamline researching a particular topic. Even veteran skateboarders are likely to find much of interest in this book, and intermediates will be inspired to try new tricks. I got a kick out of the discussion of pads and protection, which was realistic in saying that it's not cool to wear this stuff, and it all depends on the situation. Then it says that it's also not cool to be in a hospital bed unable to make complete sentences, so wear a helmet anyway. ( )
  sleahey | Jan 18, 2012 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This is one the greatest skateboarding trick books I have read or looked into buying. My teenager son is all about the skateboarding but he is NOT a big reader. He devoured this book! The step by step pictures really helped so that he wasn't just reading the directions and tips and tricks but actually seeing what each part should look like. The mother in me was grateful to see that the book starts off with a chapter on safety and it even emphasized that pads restricting movement is a myth. It explains everything from what to expect your first time at a skate part to how to get into skateboarding competitively. I also liked the couple of pages devoted to jobs that involve the skateboarding field but aren't 'professional' skateboarding. I want my son to enjoy skateboarding and learn and enjoy all the tricks he can but I also want him to be safe and realistic. I believe "Mastering Skateboarding" does a great job at this. I am very pleased with this one! ( )
  pacey1927 | Jan 16, 2012 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
I thought Mastering Skateboarding was great! There are excellent descriptions of tricks, it encourages a positive attitude, is on point about the culture, and made me wanna pick up my board and try tricks I haven't nailed yet. I first learned to ollie by reading a description in a magazine and this book is styled in a way similar to what was written there. There are tips to help steer you in the right direction by describing what your body is doing when you get certain tricks wrong. This I felt was one of the best features and I wish their were a lot more of it. It's like getting feedback from someone while you skate and is completely invaluable. The book goes through all the different styles of skating and is inclusive of all skaters and doesn't make assumptions whether about skill or gender or whatever. There is even thought given to social pressures. I love it! I wish I had this book when I was a kid as I would be a much better skater today. ( )
  nicolaerricotenaglia | Jan 14, 2012 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This is a nice and good quality book, lots of color Photos that explain tricks and techniques. I missed the safety equipment that was describes at the beginning but nowhere in the pictures. Good for beginners and advanced skaters. Easy to find tricks with the trick finder in the beginning of the book. If you want you can read a lot but you get a lot out of the many pictures for a technique or a trick. I didn`t read it from beginning to the end but I had fun spending time checking out all the things you can do with a skateboard. I would recommend this book. ( )
  brigitte64 | Jan 10, 2012 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
As much as I would love to skateboard, I think that's a sport best left for the younger generation. I gave this book to my grandson as a Christmas present, and he absolutely loved it. He is 11 and skateboards every day that he can get outside. He also received a new skateboard for Christmas, so the book was a perfect add-on to that. I watched him look something up in the book, and then he would run outside and try it. Pretty soon, he would be back in re-reading or looking up something else. It was fun to watch him enjoy a sport along with a book! I did look through the book, and it is very well done. Lots of pictures and illustrations and easy-to-understand language. My grandson said his favorite parts were the flat-land tricks and the grinding tricks, and he also mentioned it just had some good general skateboarding tips. I would recommend this book for any skateboarder, beginners and those who want to refine their skills. ( )
  CatieN | Jan 9, 2012 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This book gives clear instructions and pictures for skateboarding techniques and tricks and includes information about skateboarding safety and maintenance of the board. My only complaint is that while the safety section encourages skateboarders to wear helmets and pads (even if they are not considered "cool"), no protective equipment is worn in the pictures, which seems to negate that advice.

This would be an excellent purchase for middle and high school libraries. ( )
  CatheOlson | Jan 6, 2012 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
A must for anyone who takes up a board! 'Mastering Skateboarding' is the ultimate how-to manual for skateboard enthusiasts. This must manual contains everything from the basics of how to put your feet on the board; a great step-by-step breakdown for each skill and trick with accompanying photographs; how to customize your board; different kinds of architecture to do your tricks on; how to be a competitive skateboarder; and even how to run a skateboard competition. The text is easy enough to understand for someone who has never boarded but does not talk down to advanced boarders. Everyone who skateboards needs this book! ( )
  mandymarie20 | Jan 2, 2012 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
I last had skates on my feet when you clamped them to your shoes, so I am always amazed by the daring of the local boarders around me. This book is clean, precise, and clear in its detailing of tricks and extras necessary to achieve that level of skill which others admire. Since Santa's list this year included "skate shoes," I was pleased to note a concise and fair explanation of why a serious boarder would request them. This will be a gift to the two serious skateboarders in my family this year--they'll love it. ( )
  Prop2gether | Dec 22, 2011 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
I am not a skateboarder—I am a high school library tech. But my students gravitated to this book right away when I put it out on the “new book” rack. They exclaimed over the diagrams about where the feet go, and Ohhhed & Ahhhed over the photos. The first few days it was all over the library and several holds were placed on it for check out. That’s about as much excitement as we get over the a new book! I asked one student what he liked about it (as he sat and read it during lunch), and he said the explanations at the end of each trick that told what to work on if you were having problems. ( )
  doggonelaura | Dec 16, 2011 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Mastering Skateboarding is a great book for anyone who wants to skate, whether you're just learning or you know how and want to learn some tricks or technique. The first part of the book is devoted to basic riding, and it explains in detail how to start riding if you are a beginner. The book gives great step-by-step guides on many tricks, starting with the basics and going to very advanced tricks. The guides are very informative; the instructions have several steps, with a color photo for every step. This makes it much easier to understand exactly what the book is talking about.

The authors also added a bit about skateboarding culture, how to act and a general guide of how not to make a fool out of yourself. There is also information on different styles of skateboarding - such as street boarding and vert boarding - a guide on deciding what kind of skateboard is best for you, and information you will need to tune-up your skateboard.

All-in-all, the book is a great book for beginning skateboarders, and even many people who don't skateboard could feasibly enjoy reading Mastering Skateboarding. ( )
  corys | Dec 16, 2011 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Mastering Skateboarding is a great nonfiction book for me to share with my students who currently skateboard or are aspiring to learn how. The colored frame-by-frame images of each trick or technique is extremely helpful when visualizing how it should look. There are also diagrams showing specific foot placement on the board.

I enjoyed the advice the authors gave: Be safe, don't be a jerk, keep trying, don't be afraid to make mistakes/fall, etc. The only flaw/piece of irony I found in this publication is that at the beginning of the book they stress the most important rule about skateboarding safety is wearing a helmet...but in most of the photos, the skateboarders aren't wearing a helmet. Other than that, I think a lot of today's youth, whether they skateboard or not, would enjoy learning about and looking at the impressive tricks captured on camera and published in this book. ( )
  LauraEnos | Dec 14, 2011 |
Showing 12 of 12

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