Beginner’s Buying Guide to Fingerboarding

Fingerboarding is more than just a miniature skateboard – it’s a hobby, a sport, and for many people, a creative outlet. Whether you’re brand new or upgrading from a basic setup, knowing what to buy can make a huge difference in how much fun (and progress) you’ll have.

Complete Fingerboard Price Points

1. Plastic Fingerboards (Under $20AUD)

• Tech Decks

• Fully made of plastic, with smaller wheels and trucks.

• Great for testing the waters, but they’re less durable and typically harder to use. And can feel limiting if you want to learn tricks.

2. Beginner Wooden Fingerboards ($35–$60 AUD) - Close Up, Skull, Strae Fingerboards etc

• All beginner wooden decks, with better trucks and smoother wheels. Most mid-range boards feature fast rolling CNC bearing wheels and improved V2 single axle trucks.

• The wooden fingerboard are often wider (30mm+) and provide a more realistic “pop” (like a real skateboard) and foam grip for better flick. 

• A perfect starting point for beginners who want to actually starting learning tricks and improving their skills.

3. Progression Fingerboards ($60 AUD–$100 AUD) - DKFB, Flatface Completes etc.

• Slightly more expensive than the beginner fingerboards, these include high-end handmade wooden fingerboard decks and to reduce the price, sometimes share some pieces such as nuts, bolts and trucks with the beginner fingerboards but with other parts upgraded. Such as DKFB Complete come with upgraded Urethane bearings wheels, and Flatface completes come with a high-end handmade Flatface fingerboard deck.

4. High-End Fingerboards ($100+) - Blackriver Completes, Berlinwood Completes etc.

• Professional-quality setups with precision-made components. Handmade wooden fingerboards with engineered metal trucks and high-end wheels. These boards have all the top items and are designed to ride as smoothly as possible and replicate a real skateboard all the way down to the moulded conical bushings. 
  

• Best suited for people who know they’re committed to the hobby and want the smoothest, most realistic feel.

TL;DR Recommendation: Beginners who know they want to stick with fingerboarding and progress should start with a beginner wooden fingerboard. It’s more affordable than pro high-end gear but a huge step up from plastic fingerboards(Tech decks).

Ramps & Obstacles for Beginners

Just like skateboarding, ramps and obstacles are where the fun really starts. But not all ramps are equal.

Ramps at Radical Fingerboards are

• Handmade, sturdy, and feel close to real skateboarding obstacles.

• They provide smooth surfaces and more realistic shapes and scale.

• Don’t slide around as much as plastic ramps, which makes learning much less frustrating if you can concentrate on fingerboarding and not use the whole roll of Blue-tac.

Best Beginner Ramps:

• Manual pads and ledges: Simple grinds and manual tricks, easy to start on. Ramps like these include the Blackriver Box I, Blackriver Brick Box, Blackriver Box III etc.

• Small quarter pipes or banks: Add variety without being overwhelming.

• Rails: Practise grinds and slides on a rail which requires more practise and learning to do flip tricks off rails adds a whole new level of complexity, but once mastered are a staple and favourite obstacle. Great beginner rails include Blackriver Iron rails.

👉 Recommendation: Start with a wooden box or rail. They’re stable, versatile, and help you master basic tricks before moving on to larger ramps.

Why Wooden Fingerboards are Better Than Plastic Tech Decks

• Realistic Performance: Wood fingerboards mimic the feel of a real skateboard – better pop, smoother flips, and more control.

• Durability: Wooden decks and metal trucks last much longer than plastic setups.

• Customisation: You can upgrade parts (wheels, trucks, grip tape), while Tech Decks are mostly “fixed.”

• Learning Curve: Because they perform more consistently, wooden fingerboards make it easier for beginners to actually progress in tricks.

✅ Final Tip for Beginners:
If you’re just curious, grab a Tech Deck to see if fingerboarding sparks your interest. But if you want to learn tricks and really enjoy the hobby, investing in a wooden fingerboard and a simple wooden ramp will save you a lot of frustration and give you a much better experience from the start.