Per Welinder

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.… (altro)

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.… (altro)

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!… (altro)

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.… (altro)