Deck

The deck is one of the main parts of the skateboard.  It is the oval shaped piece of wood that is mounted on the trucks.  The deck comes in many different sizes like 8' by 32' or 7.5' by 30' those are just two but there are many more. The reason for size is the different types of skating, if your a ramp skater you probably want a wider board like 8' or even 8.25'.  If Your more street, you want a board that flips easier like a 7.75' or 7.5'.The next Thing you need to do for selecting a deck is look at the graphics on them.  You have to be sure that it is something you like.  The graphic may scratch off faster than others but that depends on the company.

Trucks

The trucks are the metal or aluminum parts that the deck and wheels are connected to. The trucks are actually 2 parts. The axle, which is what the wheels are connected to, and the base plate.  The base plate is the part that is actually connected to the deck.  It is where the hardware is put through.  The difference in trucks are size, weight, and grinding space.  You must get a size that fits your board, if you get them too big they will hang over, and if you get them too small they will scratch the deck.  Weight is a big problem with trucks, if you get heavy trucks it is harder to do things but that last longer.  if you get light trucks they can bend after time and then they are ruined.  The last thing to look at when getting trucks is grinding space, it is the amount of metal put above the axle.  This is important because once you grind it down to the axle, you can break it and you must get new ones.  Trucks are the most important and longest lasting part of the skateboard. 

Wheels

The wheels are connected to the axle of the trucks.  Most are made of polyurethane, a hard plastic.  The size in wheels is like the size in decks, bigger wheels for ramp skating, and smaller wheels for street skating.  Once you have wheels  for a while they start to wear away and get smaller,  its only a matter of time until they get to small to even ride and you have to get new ones.

Bearings

Bearings are the small, round, and metal pieces placed inside the wheel to help them spin.  There are small metal balls placed inside them to spin with the wheel to make the ride smoother and faster.  Bearings cannot get wet or they will rust and get "shot".  When bearings get shot they are no longer able to move, you can still ride like this, but the ride is not so smooth and you may have trouble getting speed.

Hardware

Hardware is made up of nuts and bolts and is used to hold the trucks to the deck.  Hardware is just like the bearings, once you get them wet they are done for.  The only difference is, you can't keep riding with rusted hardware or they will rust to the trucks and you wont be able to get them off.  Hardware also has one problem, bending.  When the hardware takes too much impact the bolts will start to bend and you wont be able to get them out.  The riser pads also can be considered hardware, they go between the deck and the base plate of the skateboard, and are used to take impact.

Grip tape

Grip tape goes on top of the deck and is used to keep your feet from sliding around on the board.  The grip tape feels just like sand paper.  The only problem with grip tape is it wears down your shoes from sliding your foot up.  It is very hard to skate without grip tape because there is nothing keeping your feet on the board.

Decks

The deck comes in two categories, hardwood and softwood.  Most of the companies that offer light decks make them out of softwood.  The bad thing is they chip away really fast and can snap easily.  Some of the companies that make these decks are: Element, Blind, Shorty's, And Toy Machine.  The Companies that offer strength and stability use hardwood which is a little heavier. Some of these companies are: Black Label, Birdhouse, Santa Cruz, and New Deal. With the choice of softwood or hardwood would recommend hardwood because they're not that much heavier,but they last a lot longer.

Trucks

The difference in trucks is weight and grinding space.  The companies that make the heavier trucks are: Independent, Destructo, Destroyer, Tracker, and Venture.  Some of the lighter trucks are: Krux, Titan, Tensor, And Grind King.  Some lighter trucks have very little grind space but some have a lot. So make sure you can look at them up close before you buy a set.

Wheels

Wheels are pretty much the same from company to company.  They all wear down, but they all stick together for awhile. There is one company, darkstar, that uses a different kind of material to make the wheels which make them last longer.  There is one more thing to take into consideration when choosing wheels.  Don't base your selection on the graphic (picture) on them because that will scratch off in a week or so.  Base it on size, larger wheels are more compatible with ramp skating because it makes it smoother. Small wheels work better with street because the board will flip faster and easier. Wheels come in sizes from 65mm to 46mm so make sure you get some that work with the way you skate.

Bearings

Bearings are rated for durability and speed by the Annular Bearing Engineering Council (ABEC).  Bearings are given a rating from abec 1 to abec 15.  Although there are only bearings for a few like 1,3,5,7,10 and 15.  Bearings can also come with rubber shields to protect from water which will rust te bearings.  Some leading bearing companies are speed demons, bones, darkstar, zero, and birdhouse.

Hardware

Hardware isn't a huge concern with skateboards.  The leading company is shorty's beacuase of its promise of no bending.  Hardware rarely bends but when it does you can tell the company and sometimes they will you replacements.  The other popular companies are pig, lucky, enjoi, and lucky.

Griptape

Griptape is probably the only thing that no one cares about on their skateboard.  Griptape is no big hassle and every company makes a similar product.  Shortys Black Magic grip seems to be the most popular and expensive.  When your getting griptape don't worry about what you get just as long as it grips.  They also make colored griptape but people stay away from it because no one ever has any.