How To Hold A Skateboard Like A Pro

skateboard backpack

The “correct” way to hold your skateboard is under your arm at the middle of the board, with your trucks and graphics facing out. There is a lot of controversy about holding your board by the trucks, called a mall grab.

In the past, only posers and beginners held their board that way but things are beginning to change.

There are a few other ways to hold and carry your skateboard and look really cool while doing it. That being said, some of these ways are more comfortable and look better than others.

You should also keep in mind that if you have a skateboard backpack, you can let it do all the work of holding and carrying your board for you. Personally, that is what I do.

Mall Grab

guy in suit holding a skateboard in a mall grab

The first (and most popular way) to hold your board is called a mall grab. This is when you grab your skateboard by the trucks with your grip tape facing your body, displaying the graphic or grind scars to the world.

You’ll want your fingers to slip over the truck’s hanger and split down the middle around the kingpin. You should have a nearly-closed fist above the base of the board.

For one reason or another, the mall grab is considered a sin in some skateboarding communities. That being said, no one will give you hassle.

The way you hold your board is all personal preference. Maybe it’s because that’s how Bieber was photographed holding his skateboard.

Holding A Skateboard With Griptape In

skateboarder holding his skateboard while listening to airpods

This is a pretty self-explanatory way to hold a skateboard. Hold the board in the center, with grip tape against your body, and the graphic facing out. This is considered the proper way to hold your skateboard.

The board should be held near your hip, with your arm extending over the graphic and your fingers curled around the coping on the side of your skateboard.

There is a little bit of balance involved but it takes no time to master holding your board this way.

There is one downfall to holding your skateboard with the grip tape in, though. The grip will wear on your clothes by rubbing over time.

Holding A Skateboard With Griptape Out

holding a skateboard with the griptape facing out

I personally don’t hold my board with the grip tape facing out because the balance feels weird and it just doesn’t look right. My hand always wants to roll over to hold the board in more of a pinch.

This way is awkward and not for everyone.

That being said, people do hold their board this way, and it’s the same as the style above, you just have the grip tape facing out. The only reason that people do hold their board this way is so that the grip doesn’t ruin their clothes.

Pinching The Board

guy with tattoos holding skateboard

You can hold your board in a pinch with the grip tape facing either way, usually out for everyone to see.

Essentially, you grab the board on one side, right in the center, and pinch down with your entire hand. Your thumb should be on the grip side, with the rest of your fingers on the underside of the skateboard.

There are a few drawbacks to holding your skateboard in a pinch. First, you are definitely going to get hand cramps. Second, I can almost guarantee that you will drop your skateboard a few times by holding it this way.

Get A Skateboard Backpack To Hold Your Board For You

girl with skateboard backpack

I’ve always lived by the rule, “work smart, not hard.”

That’s why my personal favorite way to hold a skateboard is by not holding or carrying it at all. Unfortunately, I don’t have someone to walk around holding my skateboard for me. But I do have a skateboard backpack.

You can put your skateboard through the straps of a regular backpack and then slide your arms in but there are two downsides. If the grip is against your back, your shirt will ride up and you’ll get a bit of grip rash. If the graphic is against your back, your elbows will bang against the wheels and trucks.

It’s still a super-efficient way to carry your board. But a skateboard backpack eliminates all of these little challenges and costs the same as a regular backpack.

They usually have two velcro straps or clips. Clip or velcro your board in. Voila. You’re holding and carrying your board without doing anything at all.

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