I raised one kiddo who loved skateboarding, and my second son appears to be well on his way. Recently, we were looking at some skateboards for sale, and he wanted one that was pretty pricey. I told him that he could work on getting better at the one we have, and then we’d see.

He gets inspired by my students, several of whom use the alternative school’s parking lot as a place to skateboard in the evening, after almost everyone has left. There’s also a building that has a few steps, which makes for some entertaining and daring stunts. I complemented one of my students on his skills, and he looked at me in alarm. He thought I was going to turn him in for being on school property after hours. No way! Our town doesn’t have a skate park or anywhere else for kids to use their skateboards. The school parking lot is fine by me.

I can understand my younger son’s desire for a new skateboard. Just a glance at SkateboardShowroom.com and you see some really fine boards. Not being a skater myself, I’m partial to the decks, which are a unique showcase for art, as far as I’m concerned. Art and function, how cool is that?

You can get everything you need to get rolling at their site. The most important section to me is the safety section. My older son broke both wrists skateboarding, and the only reason was because he wasn’t wearing his wristguards. You can buy wrist protection as well as protection for elbows, knees and head for a very reasonable price. This is one area not to forget. It can be easy to do when you’re looking at such a nice selection of skateboards, though. Just remember to click on “safety.”