FreeRide typically carries MOB, MINI-LOGO, and JESSUP grip tape. If you’re doing this yourself you might want to try out Mob or Mini Logo because the grip tape comes with perforated, pin-sized holes which eliminates most of the air bubbles that would normally occur. Overall, choose your favorite grip tape based on how well you like the grit of the tape. Color should always be the last factor.
These instructions are to place a full sheet of grip on your board. It’s your choice if you want to pre-cut graphics or place the grip tape in two halves. This makes your board a little more unique and helps to let you know which is the front or back of the board.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Sheet of grip tape, razor blade, screw driver or metal file
Take one sheet of grip tape and pull the paper from the back of the grip tape just a few inches.
Take the exposed grip tape and carefully line it up from front to back of board. Once you’re happy with where you have lined up the grip tape, go ahead and stick that exposed end to the board.
Apply pressure to the grip tape on the nose. Use one hand to stick the tape down and the other to pull the paper off the grip tape. Do this SLOWLY down the length of the board. Doing this slowly will help avoid air bubbles. We use a roller at the shop to help smooth out the grip tape but your hands will do.
If you do happen to get air bubbles, don’t worry. You can pull back the grip a little and try again or use the tip of the razor blade to tap tiny holes in the bubbles. The air bubbles should flatten out easily using your thumb. When you’re done applying the full sheet, there should be a small amount of extra grip tape that hangs off the edges of the board. The next step is taking it off.
Take a screwdriver, hold at an angle (about 45 degrees) and rub very hard against the sides of the deck. This will rub off a layer of grip creating a white outline around the board. It will also scratch up the screw driver! At FreeRide, we use a metal file rather than a screwdriver.
A razor blade is almost a necessity at this point. You need to cut off the excess grip tape from around the board using long clean cuts.
The faster you make the cuts the easier the razor blade will slice right through. Make sure to keep that angle, especially, while cutting around the nose and tail of the deck.
Go back and carefully cut any areas you’d like to clean up before the next step. This one is optional.
Once the excess grip tape has been removed, you want to sand down the edges of your deck to create the smoothest transition between your deck and the grip. At our shop, we use the excess piece of grip tape we just cut off to rub down the edges. Stick it on you fingers and sweep it all around the board, especially at the nose and tail. It helps that area from getting peeled back during long term use.
The last step is punching the holes in the grip tape where your trucks will be installed. A small phillips head screwdriver works best but you can pretty much use anything that is sharp enough to puncture the tape and small enough to fit through the holes. If there is any excess grip tape around the holes you can carefully cut small pieces out with your razor blade.
