Dressing the Part or Dressing to Skate kamikaze?
When you start boarding, whatever form of boarding you have chosen to try, you will probably want to make sure that you choose the right clothes so that you can look and feel the part. However, as you become a more experienced boarder you will find out that boarding style is not about copying anyone else or trying to match up to some specific style rules. It is far more important to make sure that you are comfortable when you are boarding, particularly when you are just starting out and getting used to the way you have to move. Boarders dress the way they do not only in order to look good, but also because they make their clothes work hard. Every skater, surfer or boarder will also develop their own personal style and preferences as they spend time learning how they move and feel when they are boarding.
The boarders who have been skating or surfing for the longest time will usually have developed their own particular twist on the boarding style. They will have learned what sort of clothes they prefer to wear and in which they feel most comfortable while they are boarding. Experienced boarders also have the confidence to wear what they want to wear rather than what they think they should wear in order to dress the part.
When you take up a sport such as skateboarding, snowboarding or surfing one of the first things you will notice is that the people around you all tend to dress in a certain way. For many people, it is the style associated with skating and boarding activities that is one of the main attractions, rather than simply the skills and exercise involved in learning and enjoying these sports. However, if you spend a little longer among fellow boarders, you will probably begin to recognize the differences in the ways that individuals dress. You will see that certain boarders and certain groups have developed their own particular styles and preferences. This should give you the confidence to experiment with your own style and to avoid the trap of buying the clothes that you think will make you look like a “real” boarder.
Before you choose your first boarding clothes, you should spend some time considering the options that are available and thinking about what sort of clothes you will feel most comfortable wearing when you try boarding for the first time. You should also consider the different strains and stresses that different types of boarding will place on your clothes, so that you can ensure that you choose the best options for the type of boarding that you want to enjoy.
The main differences will be in the environment where you will be boarding. If you are taking up skating, then you will probably be boarding in an urban environment. You will need comfortable and hardwearing clothing that will be able to stand up well to scrapes against and falls onto hard surfaces. A lot of the casual clothes that you would usually wear around home or in the city will be suitable for skateboarding, although purpose made skate clothing tends to be able to cope better with the strain of boarding.
Skaters know that their most important piece of equipment will always be their skatedecksWithout it, they are not a skater. However, the shoes that you wear when you are boarding are almost as important as the board itself. It is essential to wear shoes that offer enough grip to take control of the skatedecks. Skate shoes also need to be hardwearing enough to stand up to the strain of skating. Normal sneakers are rarely high quality enough to cope long on a board and as soon as your shoes rip or tear they will stop providing the support and grip that you need while your are boarding. This is why it is important to buy a pair of high quality skate shoes that are designed to provide the traction, grip and strength that is required while skateboarding, and then to take care of these shoes so that they last as long as possible. It is also important to remember that if you are on a budget, you should make sure that you have the right shoes first before you start spending your money on other parts of your boarding wardrobe.
Although skate shoes are the most important investment, choosing the right clothes to wear while boarding is also a good idea. Skateboarding clothes need to be loose and comfortable, and they must provide sufficient flexibility and room to move for the boarder to be as active as they need to be while skating. Skateboarding clothing needs to be hardwearing, particularly at the seams, in order to avoid rips, tears and worn patches. This is particularly important when you are learning since you are likely to experience quite a few falls before you find your balance.
Surf skate clothing can come in a range of different forms, which can be combined in different ways to help the individual boarder to feel comfortable and create their own style. Some skaters prefer to wear jeans that provide plenty of stretch, but others would rather wear sweatpants, often on top of athletic shorts to avoid showing their underpants. It is also common to see skaters wearing belts. Lots of skaters choose a selection of tops, t-shirts and hoodies like those that are on offer from Kamikaze to layer together in different combinations to create different effects.
A lot of skateboarding clothes will also cross over well into other forms of boarding, but if you will be boarding on the slopes in the snow or on water, then you should consider the extra strain that these environments will place on you and your clothes. You are likely to need to cope with cold, wet environments and you are more likely to be exposed to the weather, including rain, snow and stronger wind. If you want to start surfing then you will need a wetsuit to keep you warm while you are in the water. You will also find board shorts or boardies, women’s shorts and t-shirts that are designed to be worn in the water, often over your wetsuit. If you feel self conscious in a wetsuit then you will probably want something looser to wear over the top. Even if you are happy in just your wetsuit while you are surfing, you will probably want something comfortable to wear while you are on the beach as well as some flip flops or sandals to wear so that you don’t experience any problems with sand in your shoes. You should also make sure that you have something warm to put on when you come out of the water, particularly since you will probably be on the beach early in the morning or at dusk, when the temperature drops. A sweater or a surf hoodie is ideal. If you will be snowboarding, then you will need to be even more concerned about keeping warm. You will probably want to layer hoodies, sweaters and jackets in order to keep warm and dry in the snow. You should also pick up some protective sunglasses in order to prevent the glare from the water from dazzling you. Shades will also be important if you will be snowboarding since snow can create similar problems with glare.
Skate and surf clothes offer boarders of all ages, shapes and styles the chance to find something that will look good and feel comfortable on them. There are different types of clothing for boarders who want to take part in different types of boarding, in different environments, such as surf clothing for the beach. The comfort and style of skate clothing means that every boarder can find their own unique style, but it has also helped spread the popularity of surf skate clothing far beyond skateboarding circles, so that even non-boarders choose to wear skate and surf brands and to dress in surf skate style.
Boarding beginners often start out by picking the clothes that they think will look “right” for the activity that they want to take up, but as they become more comfortable with the boarding culture and their place in it, they will tend to develop their own personal take on boarding style. Once a skater or surfer has found their own style of dressing, they will also have found their confidence as a boarder.
For many people, boarding style is about more than just looking the part. It is also about having the right attitude and enjoying the experience of boarding. Skate and surf style is often more about having a relaxed attitude to your appearance and to the way that you dress than about putting your clothes before comfort. Many people outside of the boarding culture would rather look good than feel good, or spend their time fitting in rather than developing their own personal style. Boarders have a different attitude to style because they know that looking the part is not the most important thing. Being comfortable while boarding is the essential part of choosing the right clothes. Clothing needs to be loose and hardwearing if it is going to cope with the strain that will be put on it by surfing, skiing or skating. If you are boarding on snow or water then your clothing will need to be particularly tough in order to cope with the cold and with exposure to water and the weather.
Another important aspect of the boarding lifestyle for many people is the way that it attracts people of a similar mindset. Many of the people who are involved in boarding are particularly concerned about the way that many modern ways of living can damage the environment. Choosing skate and surf brandsand equipment that is produced in an environmentally friendly way is therefore important to many skaters and boarders. This is where Kamikaze Boarding comes in, with its range of ethical skate clothes that are designed to help boarders dress comfortably and stylishly without having to compromise on their concerns for the environment.
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