The rough top of any skateboard deck is a product called griptape. The rough surface of the griptape consists of silicon carbide, which is the same material used to make sandpaper. This provides both grip and friction between the skateboard and your shoes which is necessary to not only do tricks, but also just stop you from slipping off. Even something as apparently straight forward as griptape nowadays comes in a wide variety of options. Firstly, make sure the width of griptape you are buying is suitable for the board you have - standard griptape is 9" in width which fits most boards, but if you have something wider make sure to search for griptape larger than your board width! Perforated griptape (the most popular brands being Grizzly or Mob) features hundreds of tiny perforation holes in the griptape - these are not large enough to see when applied, but do allow air to escape from under the grip when applied to ensure that no air bubbles get trapped - a common issue for those less experienced at gripping skateboards! Griptape also comes in different grit levels, just like sandpaper. Some people prefer a less abrasive gripe (it's less wearing on shoes for example) whilst some like the most traction possible. Finally numerous colours and patterns are also available if you want to spice up your deck a little (but in our opinion nothing really beats classic black!).