How to Find a 3rd! Wakeboard and Waterskiing

With the wakeboarding and water skiing season upon us I thought this was a great time to talk about how to find a 3rd for you next session.  Nothing is worse than having someone bail on you at the last minute and then being stuck short of a crew for your next session.  Check these tips out and you might even meet some new people:

So you just got that new sweet wakeboard boat. The wake is great, the pull is consistent, your stereo is rocking but sometimes you want to ride and your buddies are busy. We have all had this happen. Wakeboarding is a decidedly social sport where you need at least 3 people in the boat (Driver, Rider, and Spotter). Even if you have the sickest boat, if you don't have anyone to ride with you are grounded on the shore. So try a couple of these tips to find other riders so you can always have a group to ride, meet some new wakeboarders, and have a great time out on the water.

1) Ask your "non-wakeboarding" friends and relatives if they want to come along. More often than not people are going to want to come out on the lake, even just for a boat ride.

2) Next time you are riding at your local spot make an extra effort to meet some of the other riders on the water. These are the guys who you can pretty much assume also have a passion for the sport, live close to the lake, and want to wakeboard whenever possible. Most wakeboarders are always up to meet other wakeboarders so give it a try the next time you are out.

3) Go online! There are tons of wakeboard related forums and clubs abound online. There are national sites like WakeWorld that have forums to discuss finding a pull and there are also many local clubs that have forums around when and when people are riding. Check online to see if there is anyone near you or post a comment and you are more than likely to get some responses.

4) If you ride at a lake with a larger wakeboarding scene thee are usually specified meetups and certain areas where most wakeboarders hang out. Check at the local pro shop and get the info you need.

So give these tips a shot and you will never be stuck on shore when you should be out riding.

Make sure to tell you new found wakeboard and water ski buddies about the great wakeboard racks and water ski racks!



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Skateboard Safety

Just like skateboard racks, the first thing you think about when you want to skateboard is no your safety gear.  However it is very important and will keep you or your kids safe to skateboard for many more years.  With the newer advances in safety equipment it is becoming very light, comfortable, and cool looking.  So take a read and if you don't have this safety gear you should pick some up at your local skate shop.

Before you head out to the skatepark (or that perfectly empty swimming pool in your neighborhood) you need to make sure you’ve covered all your bases when it comes to safety. You might feel like a “dork” wearing a helmet and tons of other safety gear, but you’ll feel even worse if you get into a skateboarding accident, even a minor one, without any type of safety equipment on. With that said, let’s go over some of the most important gear, as well as some optional equipment.

Helmet - This is the most import piece of skateboarding safety gear you could ever wear. If you hit your head without a helmet on, you risk getting a concussion, causing permanent brain damage, and even death. Why risk your life by not wearing a helmet? Even professional skateboarders who have years, or even decades of experience riding, always wear a helmet.

Elbow and Knee Pads – What’s wrong with a couple of bruised knees and elbows right? You might even consider such injuries as “battle scars”. Unfortunately, although it may only seem like a minor bruise on the surface, you might be doing permanent damage to your joints. Falling on your knees without knee pads can cause joint inflammation, and breakage. Injuries to the elbow can include dislocation and fractures.

Wrist Guards – You might not think wrist guards are an essential piece of safety equipment, but wrist fractures happen to be very common skateboarding injuries. Imagine not being able to do simple things like write, or hold a fork, all because you didn’t want to wear wrist guards.

Proper Shoes – Flip flops, dress shoes, slippers and shoes with open toes or open backs are not the best choices for skateboarding. You’ll need to wear good quality tennis shoes, or even skate shoes from companies like Vans, DC Shoes, Etnies, etc. Make sure you keep the laces tied tight and keep the loops from hanging too far over your shoe so that you don’t trip.

Optional skateboarding safety gear can include an athletic cup for guys, and “turtle shell” style bra cups for women. For any guy who plans on executing tricks that include grinding rails, (or any hard surface that can easily be fallen on in a straddled position) I recommend you wear a cup for obvious reasons. If you are a woman who likes to hit the skatepark with your buddies, you might consider wearing bra cups to protect yourself from doing any damage if you fall forward too hard.

In addition to wearing safety gear, remember to stay safe by:

• Skating in areas designated for skating like a local skatepark.
• Wearing reflective or bright clothing when skating in the dark.
• Keeping away from traffic.
• Not skating while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Skateboarding is a fun sport that most anyone can enjoy with time and effort, but please remember to keep your safety in mind when riding. People who choose to wear skateboarding safety gear will be the ones who can enjoy skateboarding for years to come – injury free.

If you thought this was a good article you should check out StoreYourBoard.com's other Feature Articles.



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StoreYourBoard Comic Relief

I got this email recently forwarded to me and I definitely had to laugh out loud a few times so I thought I would share with everyone else who needs a little comic relief today.  See what you think....



see more Funny Graphs


see more Funny Graphs


see more Funny Graphs


see more Funny Graphs


see more Funny Graphs


see more Funny Graphs


Which one is your favorite?



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Ski and Snowboard Storage - StoreYourBoard.com Tip

StoreYourBoard.com Tip

In a lot of places around the country the start of April marks the end of the snowboard and ski season.  If you need a ski or snowboard storage rack you know where to find them.  

Before you put your skis and snowboards in your storage or display rack put a fresh layer of thick wax over the bases and edges.  This will help prevent any rusting or deteriorating of your edges and bases during the off season.  When winter comes around again all you have to do is scrape off the wax and your boards will be ready to go shred.

If you don't know how to wax your own snowboard or skis you can take them to your local shop and ask them for a summer coat of wax.  Just to let you know it is very easy to wax your own snowboards and skis.  Here is a link to a pretty simple tutorial on waxing your snowboard.

Good Luck!



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Board Storage - Spring Cleaning!

How is everyone doing?  I know here in PA we are starting to get some glimpses of the nice spring weather to come (and also quite a bit of rain!?!)  We got in our last runs on the skis and snowboards and now we are gearing up for the water sports. Can't wait, in fact I just got a new wetsuit to start the season a bit earlier!  The street sweepers seem to be coming out so we can have a smoother ride on our skateboards and bikes.  All around a great time for boards sports!  Come to think of it when isnt a good time for board sports? As spring comes around it also brings with it......Spring Cleaning.  Although I don't particularly like to clean once a year it does feel pretty good to organize the house and get things organized.  While you are spring cleaning this year make sure to take a look at where your boards our stored.  I know I myself am even guilty here.  I just got a new wakeboard and it is sitting in the corner right now waiting for a pair of bindings.  Well what it also needs is a wakeboard wall rack!  In fact after I am done with this I think I am going to display it in one of our new black powder coated Scorpion Racks.  If you haven't been on StoreYourBoard.com recently you will have to check out our new black powder coating option on most of our signature logo racks. So just keep in mind when you are trying to organize your house and garage that a surfboard wall rack, skateboard rack, or snowboard rack would be a great way to safely store and display your boards all year long whether you are going into the off season or just getting geared up for a new season!

FREE SHIPPING over $75 Coupon Code = SpringClean  Good for FREE Shipping on any order over $75 all month long.  At the checkout just enter the coupon code: SpringClean and get FREE Shipping! Last month our one day only FREE Shipping event was a big hit so we thought we would make it a month long special (I know we now have a spending threshold - but we have to make some money to stay in business!!!) So take my advice and get a few boards racks for all your boards and get your house organized!  Also, do your friends a favor and forward them this deal so they can take advantage of this great deal as well.                                       Visit StoreYourBoard.com: Shop Now! ***Make sure to select STANDARD SHIPPING to get this deal.

Offer Expires: April 30th



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Best Place to Ski and Snowboard in PA - StoreYourBoard.com Takes a Look

By now you may know that I live in PA.  I have some significant time skiing here and have quite a few buddies who ski and like to make their opinion known.  So here is my roundup of top places to ski in Pennsylvania.  I know most of them are closed until next year but we can have a little debate here about where is the best place to ski in PA:

Pennsylvania has many ski resorts to pick from. There are many ski resorts scatter throughout the state. I will not have enough room here to cover each one in-depth but I will cover the highlights. The largest concentration of ski slopes in Pennsylvania is in the Poconos region. The further you travel north, generally the colder temperature and more snowfall accumulation which leads to better skiing. These are also the biggest mountains in PA which equates to more vertical feet and longer ski trails. There is a section in western PA that is in a “snow belt” and takes advantage of this with a couple of ski slopes, most notably being Seven Springs.

Carve the corduroy in PA!

Best places to ski are obviously a very subjective thing to rate. It really depends what you are looking for. If you are looking for the best terrain and snow – to me what defines the best places to ski, my list would include:

1). Elk Mountain 
2). Blue Mountain 
3). Seven Springs
4). Camelback

Unknown Gem:
5). Ski Roundtop

Elk Trail Map

Elk Mountain and Blue Mountain are in a duel about who has the most vertical feet in PA both have fairly long trails especially be PA standards. They also happen to top my list for best in PA. Blue Mountain is a much more modern ski resort than Elk Mountain but it also draws larger crowds.

On a “good snow year” Elk has a nice base of “real” snow and the terrain to capitalize on it, which is why it earns the top ranking for me. Elk Mountain has a great combination of steeps, usually a few bump runs, and a lot of nice cruising groomers. In my book this is the best place to ski in PA.

Blue Mountain has the modern high speed lifts which are nice and also has a few long intermediate and expert trails as opposed to most places with a steep section and then long flat run out. For me the crowds drop this mountain to #2 and also the fact that all the trails are usually groomed flat, where’s the challenge in that? I am also not a huge fan of their man-made snow quality.

If you are in western PA the place to be is Seven Springs. On snowy years you can catch a few mild powder days there which is always nice. Seven Springs has a lot of trails to offer to skiers of all abilities.

Camelback is also in the Poconos and similar to Blue Mountain but the trail are quite a bit shorter on most of the mountain. Camelback has two high speed lifts which really move the people but most of their steep sections are very short followed by the long run out. Cliffhanger is by far the star of this mountain but the generally shorter trails drop it to #4 on my list.

For my #5 rank I have a small ski resort in York County, Ski Roundtop. I will say I have a personal tie to this place, I grew up skiing here. Anyway, it is a smaller resort but I feel it has some of the best conditions in PA. The man-made snow is the Best in PA and they use their small number of slopes to the max. Ramrod, Gunbarrell, and Exibition will keep and expert happy for a day at Ski Roundtop. It also generally doesn’t have huge crowds even on the weekends like some of the Pocono resorts, Blue Mt and Camelback.

As you can tell my ratings are based on the mountain terrain and general ski condition. I know skiing to some people is not all about that. I will note that one of the best places to go for the resort aspect, lodging, food, spa, etc is Bear Creek in Macungie PA. It is an extremely small ski hill but the accommodations are probably the best in the state.

So what is your vote for BEST SKI SLOPE IN PA?  

Leave us a comment and let your voice be heard!



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StoreYourBoard Going for the Tough Mudder this Weekend

Today I am going to take a break from the board sports and talk about something a bit different.

The Tough Mudder


Although it is not a board sport it is a pretty cool competition and a great way to build your strength and endurance so you are ready to ride!

I am signed up for the Tough Mudder this weekend at Bear Creek.  I am doing it with a couple of the guys that help me out at StoreYourBoard.com and a few other buddies.  As I tell people that I am doing this and what it involves many people look at me a bit funny.  You will have to check out the course map yourself, but for a summary it is a 10 mile course on a ski mountain (up and down many times!) with 15 obstacles.  To me it is a great way to have fun training and a little competition is always a good thing!

I will say there is this one obstacle that to me seems a bit ridiculous.  It is called Electroshock Therapy!  A maze of wires carrying 10,000 volts that you have to walk through....a bit crazy for me.

I think I will make it and it should be a good time.  They have these competitions all over the US so check it out and sign up for the one nearest you if you think you are tough enough!

Anybody have any advice for me before Saturday???


Until next time...



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StoreYourBoard.com Free Giveaway - Skateboard Deck Display and Hat

Starting NOW and Ending April 18th you have the chance to win:


Skateboard Deck Display:


     


The absolute BEST way to display your favorite skateboard decks!


AND  (because we are feeling generous...)


StoreYourBoard.com Hat:





The coolest hat around!  Even better when it is FREE!!!

We are giving you 4 separate chances to win and recommend doing them all if you REALLY want to win!

1. Leave a comment, any comment on our BLOG. Tell us how we are doing, tell us what we could do better, or just tell us if you are having a good day!

2. If you decide to follow our blog (top of right hand column or at the bottom) or you already do follow us, leave us another comment letting us know you have.

3. If you decide to head over to our Facebook page and click on the Like Button. Then leave us another comment letting us know you did! 

4. If you decide to blog about our giveaway and tell all of your friends, please leave us a comment letting us know you did with the URL of your blog post. This REALLY helps us spread the word and we appreciate this so very much! (Might just get something even if you don't win!)

Good Luck!!!  We will announce the winner after April 18th



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