Softrucks are practice trucks for your skateboard that allow you to practice any type of technical trick any time and anywhere, with the benefit of not slipping or rolling. This is, without a doubt, the best tool for beginners to learn to ollie, and more experienced skaters to practice and get stronger, more ballanced, and just plain better.
One of my first attempts to learn to ollie was my brother telling me to slam my back foot on the tail of my board. I did, the board shot out from under me and across the street, my feet flew up in the air and I slammed sideways into the driveway. I remember thinking that learning to ollie would be so much easier if skateboards didn’t have wheels. How I wish I would have had a set of Softrucks.
Ollieing is the most important trick to learn, and very hard to teach. But, with Softrucks, you can not only learn to ollie faster, safer and higher, but if you are a seasoned skater Softrucks will help you build more strength and balance. Furthermore, you can practice your skate skills any time and anywhere, all year round.
An important question is whether or not the skills learned translate well to real skating – and the answer is yes. Softrucks allow you to build skateboarding skills by practicing over and over without the distraction of rolling or the board shooting out from under you. This builds up muscle memory, where your body knows what to do to make the trick work, and it’s vital to performance.
On February 4th, 2003 Softrucks also won the ISPO / Dupont Brand New Award.
ISPO is the largest sports industry trade show in the world, where new products compete for recognition. Softrucks won first place in the Hytrel Hardware Division beating out 151 applicants from 18 countries. That’s a pretty remarkable victory. Peter Knoll, project manager ispo said, “Softrucks is the first training tool for skater(s) that really makes sense. They can practice their tricks anywhere and at any time, still using a real skateboard deck. Location and weather are not important and the training is a lot safer until the trick actually works.”
And that’s the deal. I have only seen two drawbacks to Softrucks so far – one is that the tough TPU urethane that they are made of is strong, but also a little soft. Therefore, when practicing on concrete, you will eat up the points a little. But, the up side is that because they are a little soft, they also grip better and absorb shock better. The second drawback is that they do cost quite a bit. You’re generally going to be asked to pay $45 for a set, or about $100 for a complete (the trucks bolted to a deck).
The bottom line is, Softrucks are a brilliant idea, and every new or intermediate skater should have a set.
It makes learning easier, safer, and just plain better. I can't say it enough - get a pair and try them out yourself. You'll be glad you did.
