Ideas & Advice
When it comes to organizing your garage, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, especially if you’re storing bulky gear like kayaks, bikes, and seasonal equipment. Whether you’re short on space or just need to create a more efficient system, having the right setup can make a big difference. In this blog, we’ll share creative ideas and expert advice on how to maximize your garage space, from wall-mounted storage solutions to ceiling racks and freestanding units. Plus, we’ll provide guides for safely storing larger gear like kayaks and bikes. Let’s get your garage in top shape!
Wilder Family: Garage Makeover
The Wilder family, with their busy schedules and a house full of kids, needed a solution to keep their garage under control. Their space was packed with everything from sports equipment to seasonal items, making it difficult to stay organized.
Snow Family: Before & After
We helped the Snow family transform their cluttered garage into a functional space that supports their busy lifestyle. With a few smart upgrades, their garage became a game-changer for their daily routines.
Legacy Articles
Skateboarding Wear
When you’re out there showing off your skateboarding tricks, it’s important to “look the part” by rockin the latest skateboard clothes and shoes. But what’s hot? What are the brands that are popular with local skaters and famous skaters alike? Checkout these four brands of skateboard clothes and shoes before heading out to the skate park: Vans. Vans sells both skateboarding clothes and shoes, but they are most know for their shoes. Founded in 1966 by brothers Paul and Jim Van Doren, the company was originally called Van Doren Rubber Company. Vans are the shoes of choice among elite skateboarders worldwide. Not only does Vans make apparel and shoes, they also have skate parks in Southern California and Florida, and they are the creators and promoters of the famous Vans Warped Tour concerts. Zoo York. What an interesting name for a skateboard clothing company. It’s said that the name comes from a subway tunnel that runs under the Central Park Zoo in New York. The tunnel is referred to as “Zoo York Tunnel” or just “Zoo York”. Graffiti artists used to hang out and tag this tunnel back in the 60’s and 70’s. The clothing company Zoo York was founded in 1993. Zoo York sells skateboard clothes and shoes for boys, girls, men and women. DC Shoes. Like Zoo York, DC Shoes was also founded in 1993. The company makes clothing, shoes and accessories for all kinds of extreme sports including: skateboarding, snowboarding, bmx, rally car racing, motocross and surfing. DC Shoes is popular amongst a broad range of people. The famous drummer Travis Barker sports DC Shoes and even has a shoe line with DC Shoes that was influenced by him. Actor Adam Sandler is a fan, as is Rapper “Lil Wayne”. Perhaps the youngest “pro” skateboarder ever, Mitchie Brusco has been sponsored by DC Shoes since he was five years old! DC Shoes sells skateboarding clothes and shoes for boys, girls, men and women. Element. Element was founded in 1992 in Atlanta, Georgia. It was first called Underworld Element until one of the owners decided to drop “Underworld” from the name, and simple call the company Element. Element eventually became a major skateboard clothing, shoes and board brand, and was given opportunities to sign popular skateboarders. Element’s professional skateboarding team is made up of: Bam Margera, Brent Atchley, Chad Muska, Chad Tim Tim, Chris Senn, Darrell Stanton, Jeremy Wray, Mike Vallely, Nyjah Huston, Ray Barbee, Tony Tave and Vanessa Torres. Although Element is more known for their skateboard decks, they also sell a wide variety of skateboard clothes and shoes for men, women, boys and girls. You can find all of these brands by shopping online, so shopping for skateboard clothes and shoes have never been easier. You can also likely find Element, DC Shoes, Vans and Zoo York brand clothing at your local skate shop as well. There is no excuse for not having the hottest skateboard clothing and shoes anymore. Now go show off your style!
Learn moreParts of a Skateboard
Learning about the different parts of a skateboard is almost as important as learning how to ride. When you know about each part, you’ll be able to take better care of your board, and make better decisions regarding purchasing parts. Besides a deck and wheels, skateboards consist of: bearings, trucks, hardware, and grip tape. The deck is the actual part that you would stand on. It’s made of compressed wood (some more expensive models can be made of maple, etc). The width is about 8 inches or so, with the length being between 30 and 35 inches. Size will vary depending on your preference and the type of skating you do (street or vert). There are hundreds, if not thousands of different graphical designs you can choose to adorn your deck. Top deck companies include: Element, Powell, Toy Machine, Birdhouse, and Alien Workshop. Try choosing a design that will show off your personality and style. The skateboard truck attaches to the bottom of the skateboard deck. Bushings, kingpins, baseplates, hangers and axles make up the trucks. You can buy these in tons of different colors, and you have a choice of titanium or aluminum. Look for skateboard trucks from Phantom Trucks, Thunder Trucks, Tensor Trucks, or other well known brands. Skateboard wheels are plastic urethane and can be hard or soft. Softer wheels are preferred by vert skaters, and hard wheels are favored by street style skaters. Wheels can come in small or large sizes, depending on the type of performance you are after. Smaller wheels are best for extreme “tricking”, and the larger wheels are good for beginners needing more stability while riding. Beginning riders might also consider using wheels that a bit wider than normal, to create even more stability. Grip tape is placed on the top of the deck to provide traction (or grip). You can buy grip tape in several different colors to match your deck and/or trucks. Try not to buy the cheapest grip tape, a few dollars more will provide you with tape that sticks to your deck without peeling up. Skateboard hardware is simply the nuts and bolts used to secure the skateboard trucks to the deck. As with all other parts that make up a skateboard, you can choose nearly any color you want to match the rest of the parts. Knowing all the parts that make up a skateboard will allow you to know exactly what to purchase if you need to make repairs, or keep up with general maintenance. Another benefit of skateboard parts knowledge is the fact that you could probably build your own board! Even someone who just started skateboarding can benefit from building their own board. What better way to ensure that you’re riding on quality material?
Learn moreTypes of Skateboards - Short and Longboards Explained
If you’re into skateboarding, you’re obviously familiar with the standard short skateboard, but have you ever seen someone ride a longboard? Other than the difference in length, I bet you wonder how these two types of boards are different. Keep reading to learn the similarities and differences of the skateboard and the longboard. A longboard is just a skateboard that’s much longer than usual, and used for longboarding (as opposed to skateboarding). Instead of street style skating using ramps and pipes, longboards are almost always used for downhill racing, getting from point a to point b, or cruising around town. Since longboards are heavier than a standard board, they are not ideal for doing any kind of tricks. Longboarding is compared to surfing, like “surfing on land” or “surfing on concrete”. The design of the longboard allows big turns and quick carves just like the surfers do. Longboarding started becoming popular around the same time as surf culture back in the 1950’s. People say that longboarding started in southern California where riders enjoyed rolling hills and streets, but some believe longboarding started in Hawaii. This is still arguable today. The equipment used for longboarding is nearly the same that is used for skateboarding. You’ll notice longboarders will wear gloves and a helmet at a minimum. Longboarders participating in downhill races will wear special gloves to protect their hands while maneuvering the board (this is done in a lying position). Of course wrist, knee, and elbow padding is always recommended, especially for a beginner. Most longboards are 35-60 inches long. Shorter boards can still be called longboards if their main purpose is the same as longboarding (cruising, downhill racing, travel). Longboards come in all kinds of shapes such as: pintails, flat nose, and boards shaped like a longer shortboard. Pintails allow looser trucks and larger wheels to be installed for more of a smooth surfing feel. Longboard wheels can be much larger than regular skateboard wheels. The size difference is because smaller wheels have to spin faster to maintain the same speed, so larger wheels create less friction for a faster and smoother ride. Smaller wheels sometimes have problems with sticks, rocks, and cracks in the street or sidewalk. The larger the wheel size, the less likely it will stop rolling, and more likely to just roll over the obstruction. Other hardware such as trucks and bearings are exactly the same on a skateboard and a longboard. There are a few types of trucks specific to longboards, which make the boards easier to use for downhill racing. Two of these are called Randal R-I Downhill style trucks and Torsion trucks. Many Longboarders as well as skateboarders like to build their own decks in order to get the exact board they want. Board builders have a variety of materials like fiberglass, bamboo, and even a foam core. If you’re thinking of building your own skateboard or longboard, everything can be purchased on the internet or local skateshop, including board building instructions. Got a board? Check out our large selection of Skateboard Racks
Learn moreSkateboard Ramps | Intro | StoreYourBoard.com
Skateboard ramps refer to the apparatus created for street style competitions, skateparks, and perhaps your backyard. Skateboarding while using ramps is referred to as street style skating because ramps can emulate a “street” environment. Some of the most popular styles of ramps include: Half Pipes. Almost always made of wood, but can be seen in concrete, dirt, and snow (for snowboarding). A half pipe consists of two quarter pipes. Years ago, half pipes were just half of large pipes. It wasn’t until the early 80’s that these pipes were extended by a flat ground between the two quarter pipes. This flat ground section gives the rider time to build speed for the next trick, as well as regain balance when coming back down from a trick. Vert Ramps. Named because they go from flat ground in the center to a vertical wall. Vert ramps are usually 10-15 feet, with six inches to three feet of vert up top. The vert at the top allows for the rider to catch more air than on a mini-ramp. The vert at the top causes the rider to shoot straight up instead of forward like on a mini ramp. Mini Ramps. A mini ramp is a like a half pipe, but much smaller (usually less than 6ft high). Mini ramps can even be as small as 2-3’ high. Most small ramps are designed with beginners in mind (not too high of a fall!). Some of these ramps are built to suit experienced riders as well who seek a steep ledge for lip tricks. If you want to work on lip tricks, mini ramps are the way to go. This is because when pulling off air tricks on a mini ramp, you will have to Ollie to keep from eating the ground when you go flying over the deck. Ollie won’t be necessary when you move onto a vert ramp since the vertical (vert) wall will send you straight up, not out. You’ll find mini ramps at every skatepark because they work for beginners and experienced riders. Mega Ramp. Created by famous BMX rider Mat Hoffman in 1992. It was a 21’ tall quarter pipe vert that Mat used to launch himself up into the air (by using a BMX bike modified with a lawnmower engine for a boost). The tallest Mega Ramp is 197' tall. It is located in professional skateboarder Bob Burnquist's backyard. Quarter Pipes resemble a quarter of the cross section of a pipe. You’ll find them in both skateboarding and snowboarding parks. Quarter pipes have a steep transition that starts at the ground and ends at a metal rail called the coping. Use these ramps to launch yourself into the air and land on the transition, or to grind and pull off stall tricks on the coping. If you want to start skateboarding on ramps, try to find a skatepark in your area. Alternatively, you can try your hand and building your own ramp for your yard or street (watch for traffic!). If you don’t have any construction skills, you can buy your own ramps. Pricing can be as low as $100 for a mini ramp, to several thousands of dollars for huge and elaborate setups.
Learn moreHow to Build a Skateboard Ramp
If you’re ready to start “ramping” up your skateboarding skills, then it’s time to build your very own ramp. Sure, you could just go to the skatepark, but what if there isn’t one close by? Besides, how cool would a skateboard ramp look in your back yard? You’ll likely need to have a little bit of skill with tools, and a couple of friends to complete this weekend project. The type of ramp you build will depend upon how much money you have for materials, and how much time you have to spend working on this project. We’ll list the basic steps and some material suggestions to get you started. Materials and equipment may vary depending on the type of plan you follow, but you will likely need: •Open space for jumping. •Blueprint/Plans for the ramp. •4-6 2X4’s.•A couple sheets of plywood.•Hammer and Nails (or preferably wood screws)•Level.•Pencil.•Some friends to help out. Decide if you want a ramp to place in a permanent location (like your yard) or if you want something smaller and more portable that you can put away when you’re done skateboarding. This will determine a round about size for your ramp. Figure out what you want to build. Search online for plans that you can purchase or download for free. Free plans are usually just as good as paid ones. You should probably gather a few tools at this point as well (hammer and nails at least). If you don’t want to buy or download a plan, follow these steps to build a simple mini ramp: 1.Lay a ¾” piece of plywood on a flat surface. Sketch a straight line upwards on the right hand side of the wood. This line should be about 25 to 30 inches tall. 2.Draw another straight line out to the left, but more towards the center of the plywood. This should be about 2 or 3 feet (this will be your deck). 3.Draw a line on the bottom of the skateboard ramp that’s about 5 feet or so. This will be the bottom of your mini-ramp. 4.Connect the top of the deck to the end of the bottom using a curved line (this is the ramp). Try to use a half-circle drawing tool or drafting compass if possible so the curve is perfect. 5.Cut along the lines using a saw. If you have access to a skilsaw, use it to make sure that the curves are smooth. 6.Repeat step 5 on the other piece of plywood for the other side of the ramp. 7.Connect both sides with 2x4’s. Make sure you have enough spacing between the 2x4’s to allow proper support. 8.Use a single sheet of 3/8” plywood for the mini-ramp section. You will have to bend it to make it fit over the curve. 9.Finish by finishing any rough edges with sandpaper. This may be a very simple plan for building your own skateboarding ramp, but it’s perfect if you are a first time builder with limited time, skills and money. To keep your new ramp in top shape, store it in your house or garage when not in use.
Learn moreSkateboarding Safety | StoreYourBoard.com
Before you head out to the skatepark (or that perfectly empty swimming pool in your neighborhood) you need to make sure you’ve covered all your bases when it comes to safety. You might feel like a “dork” wearing a helmet and tons of other safety gear, but you’ll feel even worse if you get into a skateboarding accident, even a minor one, without any type of safety equipment on. With that said, let’s go over some of the most important gear, as well as some optional equipment. Helmet - This is the most import piece of skateboarding safety gear you could ever wear. If you hit your head without a helmet on, you risk getting a concussion, causing permanent brain damage, and even death. Why risk your life by not wearing a helmet? Even professional skateboarders who have years, or even decades of experience riding, always wear a helmet. Elbow and Knee Pads – What’s wrong with a couple of bruised knees and elbows right? You might even consider such injuries as “battle scars”. Unfortunately, although it may only seem like a minor bruise on the surface, you might be doing permanent damage to your joints. Falling on your knees without knee pads can cause joint inflammation, and breakage. Injuries to the elbow can include dislocation and fractures. Wrist Guards – You might not think wrist guards are an essential piece of safety equipment, but wrist fractures happen to be very common skateboarding injuries. Imagine not being able to do simple things like write, or hold a fork, all because you didn’t want to wear wrist guards. Proper Shoes – Flip flops, dress shoes, slippers and shoes with open toes or open backs are not the best choices for skateboarding. You’ll need to wear good quality tennis shoes, or even skate shoes from companies like Vans, DC Shoes, Etnies, etc. Make sure you keep the laces tied tight and keep the loops from hanging too far over your shoe so that you don’t trip. Optional skateboarding safety gear can include an athletic cup for guys, and “turtle shell” style bra cups for women. For any guy who plans on executing tricks that include grinding rails, (or any hard surface that can easily be fallen on in a straddled position) I recommend you wear a cup for obvious reasons. If you are a woman who likes to hit the skatepark with your buddies, you might consider wearing bra cups to protect yourself from doing any damage if you fall forward too hard. In addition to wearing safety gear, remember to stay safe by: Skating in areas designated for skating like a local skatepark. Wearing reflective or bright clothing when skating in the dark. Keeping away from traffic. Not skating while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Skateboarding is a fun sport that most anyone can enjoy with time and effort, but please remember to keep your safety in mind when riding. People who choose to wear skateboarding safety gear will be the ones who can enjoy skateboarding for years to come – injury free.
Learn moreThe World of Skateboard Competitions
Because of the popularity of skateboarding, it is not surprising that many competitions exist for skateboarders to show off their skills. Exciting both for competitors and fans, these competitions usually take place in an arena, with ramps, jumps, and other skateboarding park fixtures. Competitions may take place indoors or outdoors, depending on the style of skateboarding. Some tricks are performed in a bowl, while others take place on the street. In many cases, skateboard competitions are about showing off the most complicated tricks you can perform. Because skateboarding is a relatively new sport, the most prominent skateboard competitions have only existed for a few decades. In fact, the first recorded skateboarding competition happened in 1975 at the Ocean Festival in Del Mar, California. The most prominent competition today is the X Games, although there are many other popular contests. These are usually open only to invited boarders or those who have won qualifying competitions. For example, the most famous pro skateboarders are known for debuting their new tricks at the X Games. The X Games, which began in 1995, are held twice per year, and focus on extreme sports including not only skateboarding but also motocross, BMX, skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling. Currently, the four skateboard categories include vert, street, big air, and SuperPark. Several other popular skateboarding competitions are the World Cup of Skateboarding and the Vans Triple Crown. The World Cup takes place at different cities around the globe throughout the year. The Vans Triple Crown takes place on a vert ramp, and the season usually ends in Southern California. Each competition includes one or more styles of skateboarding, with a specific way of calculating point totals for the skateboarders. In part because skateboarding is such a new sport, there is no one competition that stands above the rest, and most professional skateboarders show their tricks at a wide range of competitions throughout the year. Many competitions are hosted by skateboard manufacturers as an advertising gimmick to boost the popularity of their brand with skateboarders. The winners of these competitions may end up with trophies, prizes, or endorsement deals. Skateboard competition winners may also get noticed by various sponsors. For most skateboard competitions, there are no upper age cutoffs or other restrictions. Most competitors are boys, although girls are also involved in the sport. There are also several competitions which cater to women in skateboarding, including the All Girl Skate Jam and the Ride Like a Girl contest. There are countless local contests wherever there is a concentration of skateboarders in a given town. Most of these are open to everyone, although those under 18 will likely need parental consent. At these competitions, skateboarders at all skill levels can show off their tricks. There is not usually a high standard for entrance qualifications, although this is not always the case. Most local competitions are more about fun and showing off than about prizes or endorsement deals, although they may be sponsored by a local skate shop or skateboarding company.
Learn moreSkateboard Buying Guide
If you are interested in skateboarding, the most important thing to do is buy the best skateboard you can find. Before purchasing your first skateboard, try out your friends’ skateboards, or ask other boarders about what they do and don’t like about theirs. Before purchasing your skateboard, make sure that you know what to look for. The deck (or ‘board’) is the most important part. Most are made of plywood. The biggest difference here is between 7-ply boards and 9-ply. 9-ply are usually cheaper, but also heavier and difficult to work with. Cheaper decks are made of plastic, although these will not hold up to heavy use. Fiberglass or carbon board are both good choices that will be long-lasting. The average skateboard measures 8 inches wide. If you are just learning how to ride, consider a wider board, as these are more stable. However, the extra width does make it more difficult to perform many skateboard tricks. If you are planning to use a skateboard mainly for transportation, this extra width can provide extra stability. Most decks have a raised front and sides. A deeper concave will help the user perform more dramatic tricks, but a shallow concave is much easier to learn on. Still, some are too shallow. These flat and straight boards are hard to learn on, and you may become frustrated because you can’t do much with your board. The wheels are usually made of hard plastic. The harder the wheel, the harder it will be to ride. Most skateboards are a 90a hardness, but pros use 100a hardness. If you want to use skateboard parks and ramps frequently, choose wheels with around a 97a hardness. Start with larger wheels; smaller wheels will put your skateboard lower to the ground, and make it easier to do some tricks, but they are harder to learn on. There are technically three different kinds of boards: street, ramp, and longboards. Street and ramp are nearly the same; the size of wheels is usually the determinant between whether a board is good for street riding or ramp riding. Longboards are longer than regular skateboards, and are used for downhill racing or transportation, not tricks. Name brands are not very important when buying skateboards, though you should still ask your friends which brands they recommend. Blank boards will not have a brand name emblazoned across the deck, so you can customize it by adding your own design. These graphics can make a pro deck expensive, but they will get all scratched up as you learn to use the board. Skateboards can cost over a hundred dollars, especially if you upgrade the wheels, trucks, and bearings, although you can start with a fairly inexpensive basic board, especially if you aren’t sure if skateboarding is for you. Another reason to choose an inexpensive board for your first skateboard is that you may fall a lot in the process of learning, and you can end up ruining your nice expensive skateboard. As a beginner, choose a full skateboard setup; there is no reason for you to build a skateboard piece by piece.
Learn moreEasy Skateboarding Tricks
When you are first beginning to skateboard, you may become disappointed quickly because you just can’t do all those cool tricks you see on TV. However, you can learn how to do a few basic skateboarding tricks to impress your friends, show off the skills you’ve learned, and hopefully get you one step closer to being able to do all of those tricks the pros can do. Here are a few tricks that even beginning skateboarders can master: The ollie is a favorite trick of most skateboarders, and it is the one that most boarders learn first. Start by taking your board from your feet as you jump off it. Then replace your board under your feet, and land back on the board as you come down from the jump. The key to learning how to ollie is remembering to control the skateboard with your hand as you also watch where your feet are moving. This hand-eye coordination is essential to learning more advanced skateboarding tricks. A beginning style of flip trick you can try is the Kickflip, which is based on the Ollie. While you are in the air, spin the skateboard 360 degrees, and then land on it. The key to this trick is making sure that the skateboard flips all the way around; otherwise, you will be trying to land on a skateboard that is upside down. This is one of the ways you can slowly add to these simple tricks, making them more complicated as you gain more skills with your skateboard. The bomb drop is done when you are boarding down a flight of stairs. Jump first, with the board in your hands. Bring it up to your feet while in midair, similar to the first trick. To master this trick, start with a very small staircase. Be sure to wear your helmet and other safety padding; falling down a flight of stairs is not safe, and it can hurt! Another trick you can do on stairs is the firecracker. As you are traveling down the flight of stairs, shift some weight onto your back foot. This will cause the back edge of your board to hit the steps, making a loud noise as it hits each step. Another category of tricks involves those done on the lip of half pipes or ramps. This requires a great deal of balance. One beginner trick for the ramp is a nose stall; reach the top of the ramp, and then lean on the nose, or front end, of the skateboard once before coming back. Like all sports tricks, mastering skateboarding tricks does take concentration, practice, and patience. Do not expect to be able to do all of these tricks the moment you step onto a skateboard. First, you’ll need to learn how to balance and move with a skateboard under your feet. Don’t try tricks that you aren’t ready to perform yet. If you don’t have the skills to control your body and the board, you can end up hurting yourself.
Learn more