The Complete Handbook of Skateboarding Pads
A Professional Guide to Selection, Fit, Maintenance, and Business Opportunity
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
Systematic, concrete guidance on skateboarding pad selection, fit, maintenance, and business opportunity for professionals and serious enthusiasts.
About this book
Skateboarding pads are simple in appearance but complex in application. A wrist guard that fits one rider poorly may provide inadequate support to another; pads that perform well for street skating may fail under bowl conditions; maintenance routines that extend one pad's life may accelerate another's degradation.
This handbook treats skateboarding pads as a professional knowledge domain. You'll learn how pads absorb and distribute impact force, why material density and shell hardness matter more than brand name, and how to measure fit against actual anatomy rather than size charts alone. You'll discover the real cost of ownership across different pad types, how to diagnose wear patterns that signal replacement, and when repair is feasible versus when it isn't.
For those building a business—whether in retail, rental, instruction, or consulting—this book provides a realistic map of the market: which supplier tiers actually differ in quality, where margins exist, what recurring revenue models work, and how to position yourself in a category where end-user knowledge is often minimal but demand is steady.
Reader Reviews
Anthony Brown
★★★★★Finally, a resource that treats skateboarding pads like equipment, not just impulse purchases. I run a skate school and used to base pad recommendations on what fit in stock and what parents could afford. After reading Chapter 1 and 3, I actually understand how impact absorption works and can explain to parents why a kid's wrist needs specific density, not just a good brand name. The maintenance chapter alone saves money—I was replacing pads that could have lasted another season. This is the handbook I've been waiting for.
Matthew Rodriguez
★★★★★Solid practical content, especially on maintenance and business opportunities. The material science explanation in Chapter 1 is clear and useful. That said, the book could have included more comparison tables between specific models to help with day-to-day buying decisions. The supplier section is more about tiers and positioning than actual product names, which leaves gaps if you're already in the market and need to know this specific pad versus that one. Still worth the investment for anyone serious about the category.