Element Griptape
9 total products
Element Skateboards - between skateboarding, nature & environment
In order to have enough grip and firm footing on the skateboard, it's important to use a high-quality griptape for your deck. Griptapes basically differ in size and roughness. In the skatedeluxe skate shop you'll find a wide range of different griptapes and answers to all your questions about skateboard griptapes.
Frequently asked questions about Skateboard Griptape:
What is Skateboard Griptape and what is it made of?
The rough surface of the griptape consists of silicon carbide, the same material used to make sandpaper. This provides resistance and friction between the skateboard and your shoes which is necessary to get your deck in the air and do tricks. Griptape is available in different widths, which are suitable for different deck widths.
The right griptape width for your skateboard deck
Standard griptapes are usually 9″ x 33″ large and therefore suitable for all decks up to 9″. This includes almost all decks. Old school decks and shaped decks can sometimes be wider than 9″.
You can find griptapes with a width of 10″ or 11″ for these decks – but you can also grip wider skateboard decks with 9″ wide griptape. You just have to be creative. You can find out how to grip a wide board with a 9″ griptape in our skateboard assembly instructions.
If you create a setup with the skatedeluxe Skateboard Configurator, you will always see the matching griptapes for your deck.
» To the skatedeluxe Skateboard ConfiguratorDifferent griptapes for your ideal skateboard setup
Preferences vary, as does the choice of the perfect griptape. While some prefer just black griptapes on their deck, others prefer it colorful or with patterns. Griptapes also differ in their roughness. Some are rougher, others smoother. In the skatedeluxe skate shop you can buy a variety of skateboard griptapes online.
A question that often comes up is "Which Griptape is the best?". This isn't easy to answer, because everybody has a different opinion and preference. In terms of quality, all the griptapes from the most famous skateboard brands are about equally good.
From smooth to rough - the different griptape roughness
Skateboard griptapes differ, among other things, in their grain size. Brands such as MOB and Black Magic are more known to produce rough griptapes. This provides a lot of grip between board and shoes. On the one hand, they keep their grip longer than smooth griptapes, and on the other the shoe wear is higher with them.
Other brands such as Jessup or Grizzly are more known to produce smooth griptapes. These have less grip, which can be an advantage for technical tricks, because you don't stick to the board as much. Furthermore, the wear on your skate shoes is lower.
Medium-rough griptapes are an alternative and are a compromise between smooth and rough griptape.
Almost every brand offers griptapes with different grain sizes, so Jessup also expanded its catalog and launched the Jessup Ultra Griptape to offer an alternative for fans of rough griptape. In the skatedeluxe skate shop you can easily find the different roughness in the product description of the chosen griptape.
Simple or fancy - skateboard griptapes with designs
Besides the usual black grip tape, the skatedeluxe skate shop offers griptapes in different designs and colors. You can choose between colorful griptapes, with prints and graphics or with cut-outs, as well as with the logo of the brand.
There's also clear griptape, which is transparent. Transparent griptape makes the top of your deck visible, which allows you to be even more creative when designing your deck. Qualitatively it makes no difference whether your griptape has a print, is clear or black. The performance remains the same. Our skatedeluxe griptape is no exception and available in many different designs.
How do I apply griptape on a skateboard?
It's not that difficult to apply griptape on your skateboard deck. We've summarized the most important steps for you. It's helpful to have a skateboard tool or another metallic object and a cutter knife when doing this.
- Remove the griptape from the protective foil
- Apply the griptape in small steps (5-10cm) from the middle of the deck to the outsides
- Trace the contour of the deck with the metal object
- The resulting bright line serves as a cutting line
- Position the cutter at an angle and cut evenly along the cutting line
- Grind off the edges of the applied griptape with the residues
This is of course only one of many possibilities to apply griptape to a skateboard deck. It is possible to get creative and apply griptape jobs and griptape art of any kind.
Tip: Perforated griptapes are easier to apply since the small air holes in them prevent air bubbles from forming while applying. You can find out whether a griptape is perforated in the product description.
» To the skateboard assembly instructionsFurther information about griptapes
Once you have found the right griptape, we have a few tips and answers to questions for you, so that you can enjoy your griptape as long as possible.
Tip: How to clean dirty Griptape
Since you literally trample your griptape, it's inevitable that it'll get dirty. You can easily remove dust and unwanted residues with a griptape cleaner. Grip cleaners work like large erasers, you only have to brush over the affected areas.
» Griptape CleanerWhen should you change a griptape?
You usually change griptape only in very rare cases. Reasons for this could be that your griptape is too dirty, chipped or torn or it is really worn down and doesn't provide enough grip. This makes tricks less precise and more difficult to pull off.
Tip: How to remove old griptape from your deck
To remove your griptape from the deck, it's best to use a hair dryer. Hot air liquefies the glue, which makes it easier to remove the griptape. Take a corner or cut the griptape at a point along the edge to start. Now pull off the griptape piece by piece. You don't have to worry about the glue residue. It doesn't interfere with the new griptape. Afterwards you can simply apply a new layer of griptape.
Do you want to know more about skateboard griptape? The skatedeluxe Skateboard Wiki offers you a lot more useful information for all your questions. There you'll also find assembly instructions that will help you grip your new skateboard in no time.