1. Ipath Cat Mid, 2. Ipath Adams, 3. Ipath Artisan, 4. Ipath Nite Owl

Vibram®, the original outdoor performance rubber company has taken their world-renowned technology and helped create the ultimate skateboarding sole for Ipath shoes.

For you skate enthusiasts out there, the superior grip and durability of the Ipath Vibram® outsoles are second to none! The result is enhanced board control and response; not to mention, just an all-around comfortable shoe for whatever the day brings.

In honor of the Reggae Rising festival in Northern California, Ipath introduces the Reggae Rising Collaboration pack. Reggae Rising is a long-standing reggae festival that brings thousands of fans every July. The pack consists of the Ipath Limited Edition Reed shoe, a commemorative frisbee, an authenticity card and extra rasta laces and is limited to 250 packs total. You can get yours while supplies last HERE from the Zappos Rideshop !

Join the IPATH crew with friends Innes and Osiris on June 21st as they do their part to help celebrate the worldwide phenomenon, Go Skateboarding Day. Call in sick, cuz your gonna have to meet up at Bishop Skatepark in Oceanside California to hang with the pros and grab some free stuff.

Whether you’re on your board or in your car, you never know what you’re going to see on Skate Day…

Ipath’s crew made a special stop while in Vegas the other day to hang with Rideshop and show us their latest and greatest kicks coming out for Holiday. The new line is lookin’ good and we’re stoked to bring in the limited edition Locusts and the vegan friendly Rasta Hemp Reed (since it’s made from hemp and vegan, you could essentially eat it…let us know how good it tastes). Check out the video and check out the Rideshop for these sweet Zappos exclusives, mon!

While Chicago is a hot bed for cultural and urban attractions, sometimes you just need to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Champagne, Illinois is a charming city south of the Windy City. Here you will find a great little skate park called Spalding Skate Park. This park is a public skate park and free to use.

Spalding Skate Park – the Basics
Spalding Skate Park is a concrete skate park that offers about 18,000 square feet of skating terrain. It can be found at 900 Harris in Champagne, Illinois, and is open to both skateboarders and in-line skaters. Here you will find both vert park features and street course features. In the vert park, you will find three great bowls with easy bowl-to-bowl transitions and several quarter pipes. The street course offers a snake run, rails, stairs and obstacles.

Spalding Skate Park is open all week long from dawn until dusk. It is a part of a larger park called Spalding Park. This park offers open, grassy areas, ball parks and other recreational attractions.

Staying Safe in Spalding Skate Park
Skating is a lot of fun and is a good way to stay in shape, however, it can be hard on your body. To keep yourself from getting injured, you need to wear the proper clothing and the proper safety gear. During the hot months of the year, you will want to wear clothing that is breathable and that will wick moisture away from your skin. During the colder months of the year, you will want to dress in layers and wear the proper outerwear. Regardless of the time of the year, you will want to wear a well fitted helmet, elbow pads and knee pads. You will also want to wear a pair of skating shoes that will give you good traction on your board.

In addition to dressing properly for skateboarding, you will also want to take steps to stay safe on your board. First make sure the skating zone is free of hazards like broken glass and trash. Clear these things away before you start rolling. Next, check out who else is using the park. Get a feel for how they are skating and their skill level before you try to share the skating space. For example, if you notice a skater is wobbly on their board, you will want to keep a larger gap between you and them while skating as they obviously are a newbie and most likely will have troubles keeping their board under control.

According to a recent news report, a group of teenagers were eager to enjoy some fun in the sun on the Sunshine Coast of Australia by jumping off the Coolum Beach’s Esplanade rooftop – on skateboards.

The teenagers were practicing awe-inspiring leaps, twists and jumps on top of the roof and managed to catch the attention of shoppers and retail store owners over the weekend. The daredevils managed to pull off an impressive lineup of skateboarding tricks including vertical jumps, 360 degree leaps and 180s on top of an uneven rooftop.

Residents and shop owners confirmed that they were dong no harm and were just having some fun. The skateboarders simply enjoyed their practice session and adrenaline rush before heading home for the evening.

Ramping Up Your Skateboarding Skills

Skateboarding tricks and stunts can take months, even years to master, but the gurus of the skateboard have learned how to ride, maneuver and balance properly to avoid serious injuries.

Beginners may need to wear protective gear such as knee and elbow pads, the right shoes and even a helmet to reduce injury from a skateboarding mishap. Getting just the right angles and balancing the body just right before performing a jump or leap can be difficult for the beginning boarder; still, there are some ways to improve your skills.

First, you’ll be better off practicing at an actual skate park before venturing onto the rooftops of buildings in the near future. Skate parks are designed with special edges and tracks that cater to the wheels of a skateboard. This will make it easier to practice those ollies, grinds and 180s without running into walls or other skaters. Well, at least for the most part.

You’ll also need to practice good form. Keeping your weight balanced by bending your knees slightly and relaxing the body will help you maneuver the board easily and help you execute each move with ease. Keeping your eyes focused on the ground ahead (and not on your feet) will also help you navigate better and plan your next move.

Finally, don’t forget to use skateboard wax. You’ll need to rub this on the ledge you are working against so that you can ride up to the edge and make your turns with ease. A block of hard wax is fairly cheap and will likely last you through an entire skating season.