Contemporary Artists

Month: November 2017

4 Safety Tips to Read Before Using an Electric Skateboard

Best electric longboard

Skateboarding has become one of the most popular hobbies out there. In fact, statistics show that nearly 11 million people use skateboards on a regular basis. That being said, newer innovations in the world of skateboarding have made this hobby more fun that it has ever been. In fact, there are nearly 500 skateboarding parks currently located within the United States. That being said, many people have chosen to skate electric rather than using a traditional board. It’s understandable to want to learn how to safely operate an electric powered skateboard. With that in mind, here are four safety tips to read before using an electric skateboard for the first time.

  1. Purchase the Right Kind of Electric Skateboard

    In fact, statistics show that only 3.1% of all skateboard sales take place within a sporting good store. With that in mind, you’ll want to check out more about electric skateboards online to find boards that might not be available within a sporting goods retailer. For instance, electric longboards are available for those who prefer a bit more foot room while they skate.
  2. Protect Yourself With a Helmet and Pads

    You’ll want to ensure that you’re wearing proper safety gear before using any skateboard, especially one that is electric. You’ll find that electric skateboards are designed to be easy to use. However, it’s still important to reduce damages suffered from any falls that happen while you’re learning how to ride on this type of skateboard. With that in mind, you’ll want to ensure that you’re wearing a helmet in addition to knee and elbow pads.
  3. Practice Balancing Yourself Properly

    One of the main things to learn before you can get fully used to a skateboard is practicing proper posture. Considering that, it’s important to ensure that your feet are placed firmly on an electric skateboard. Next, you’ll want to keep your feet shoulder width apart from each other. Feel free to practice standing properly on the board before accelerating.
  4. Start Slow

    It’s easy to be tempted into seeing how fast electric powered skateboards can go. However, it’s best to begin using an electric skateboard at extremely slow speeds. You’ll want to give yourself time to get used to the feeling of having a skateboard move using electric power. Work your way up to reach top speeds while you skate electric, these skateboards can reach speeds in excess of 20 miles per hour.

In summary, there are several safety tips to follow before you begin to skate electric. You’ll want to ensure that you find the right type of electric skateboard that feels comfortable to use. It’s essential that you purchase a helmet and safety pads in order to minimize damage suffered from a few beginner falls. You’ll want to take some time to practice standing properly on an electric skateboard. It’s best to ensure that your lead foot remains pointing forward while the other one rest near the back of the skateboard. Always start out using an electric skateboard at slow speeds while getting comfortable with this device.

Skateboarding Meet Your New Innovation

Battery powered skateboard

While skateboarding has once been seen as a counter-culture or “punk”-like activity well-associated with Green Day music, skateboarding has long since moved into the mainstream’s consciousness, with competitions being shown on ESPN and other sports networks, to show the prowess of the sport of skateboarding.

While it may seem like skateboarding is an activity that poses less of a challenge than other sports, skateboarding requires skill. The ability to balance on a board, to shift weight according to different pathways in the skateboarding parks, the ability to “grind” on a rail or do an “Ollie” all requires a great deal of skill and athletic prowess.

The ‘X’ games, which is a popular counter-culture sporting event (counter-culture accepted, the meaning being), showcases skateboarders as athletes, rather than just a few people in a skateboarding park doing practicing different jumps and grinds. This has moved skateboarding into the mainstream.

Some may not like this movement. There are some that treasure skateboarding because of its counter-culture standing, an ability for people who did not “fit in” to society or within social groups to form together and skate and bond over the “full bowl.” Skating itself had built up a culture that promoted authenticity.

Of course, not all saw it that way. For them, skating was, and still is, a sport–something that demands athleticism, balance, muscle tone, grace, an opportunity to showcase what they could do with just a board and some wheels (and of course their wits about them). They were not necessarily against the counter culture image; but the sport remained the sport.

And unfortunately, for those skaters who saw it as a sport, there are fewer than 600 parks in the United States for those to choose from. That a little more than 10 parks per state, and many of the parks are so small it’s impossible to get a good “grind” from any of them. That limits the amount of skaters there are in the country.

While this definition is a little outdated–because the lack of some skating parks makes this definition not entirely the skater’s fault–there are two methods of categorizing a skater: core and casual. A core skaters skates 26 times or more per year. A casual skater skates between 1 and 25 times per year.

Skaters tend to be mostly male. 77% of all skaters are male, while just 23% are female. That number becomes even more lopsided when looking at it based off “core” skaters versus “casual” skaters. 83.4% of core skaters are male, with just 16.6% of core skaters being female. This seems to imply that skating is a male-dominated sport.

But female skaters are more widely recognized as they are few in the sport. Any female skater has proven she “has what it takes” and she can “hang” “with the boys,” those these antiquated notions are hopefully dying out here very soon.

For many skaters, the act of skating may have become a little rote and wearisome, especially if that person has only access to one park in the area. Fortunately, now, there is a new type of skateboard in town that allows for off-roading and even more power. It’s called the electric skateboard.

While the electric motorized skateboard had been around since at least 1997, it became only possible for mass production when the Lithium battery came out around 2006-7. This battery had a longer life span, was smaller and more affordable, and had a slow dying process, compared to other batteries that seemed to stop suddenly.

Today, the electric motorized skateboard contains a large battery, if not multiple batteries, which are affixed to the bottom of the skate board. This battery powers a motor, which is linked to the wheels of the skateboard. The skateboard then goes quite a bit faster than at a full bowl.

Generally, the new electric skateboard is made out of a motorized longboard. The longboard is generally used as the larger space allows for more batteries to be placed underneath the board.

Today, the electric motorized skateboard is fully equipped for off-road terrain. The wheels are generally a little bit bigger, with a tougher threading, which can handle dirt, rocks, twigs, and other off-road challenges that will threaten a smaller and less equipped board.

The electric motorized skateboard adds a new dimension to skating.

How to Keep Your Wedding Guests Dancing All Night Long A Guide

Wedding dance charleston

Looking for ways to incorporate ballroom dance into your wedding reception? These tips will keep your guests on the dance floor all night long!

  1. Provide comfy shoes and socks
    Make it easy for your guests to dance by letting them kick off their uncomfortable formal shoes and provide flip-flops and socks. Simply putting out a big tub of flip-flops and socks in all sizes is a great way to encourage your guests to get dancing. After all, they won’t have an excuse when they don’t have shoes holding them back!
  2. Have your bride and groom dance in the middle of the night
    You don’t want your bride and groom dance to happen right away, because if you do your guests will become disinterested and stay away from the dance floor all night. Instead, do your dance in the middle of the night to keep your guests interested.
  3. Spice up your first dance
    On that note, consider spicing up your first dance to really shine! Taking dance lessons with a professional ballroom dance instructor will make all the difference in the world. You will be able to graduate from simply swaying on the floor to doing a rumba, swing, or even tango for your first dance. It only takes a few lessons to see improvement!
  4. Make sure the bar is near the dance floor
    Even for those who don’t drink, making sure a bar is nearby is a great idea for when your guests need to rehydrate!
  5. Get interactive
    Make sure the DJ interacts with the crowd to really get the group going! Have games, competitions, and announcements telling the guests they are able to request songs at any time!

In the world of dance, ballroom dance refers to the 10 dances in the International Ballroom and International Latin categories. From rumba, the dance of love, to the sassy samba or cha cha, any one of these dances would be perfect for your wedding. So make sure to call up a dance studio today and schedule your first dance lesson! It only takes one, two, three!