My bf's 8 year old son is an avid skateboarder, just started going to skate parks this year, but doing pretty well. He is a HUGE Tony Hawk fan and wants a new skateboard for Christmas. Wal-mart carries the Tony Hawk brand skateboard but it isn't really a 'quality' board. We can get a much better board at a local skate shop for a little more money but it's not Tony Hawk. Should we get the lesser quality but 'brand name' board that he really wants or do should we spend the dollars and get the better quality one? Will he appreciate the better quality yet?

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"It's not about how much baggage you have, it's about whether or not you can carry your own baggage with grace and dignity."

He's 8---he may wake up 2 weeks from now and decide he wants to be something else besides a boarder.

I'd go w/ less expensive for now

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

I would go with the better one - especially if he's into it enough that he's going to the skate parks. My daughter was in to skateboarding and ripsticking for a few years. Her aunt bought her a cheap skateboard from (I think) KMart. She could tell it was cheap, especially when she was around her friends who had nicer ones. She said it rode rougher and I don't remember what, but she could tell a difference.

Lisa

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"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"