What are risers on a skateboard for?

Risers raise the board up so you don't get wheel bite (when you turn and the wheels stop against the board, ending in a face plant). They're similar to shock pads, which are more rubbery. They're mainly used by vert skaters, because skating vert requires larger wheels, thus, increasing the chance of wheel bite. Honestly...if you get wheel bite coming down on a 16 ft ramp, its gonna hurt. i wouldn't recommend it for street skaters, especially if you skate aggressively, because you will probably just crack the board before you get any use out of it. Basically, use em if you skate more vert, but avoid them if you skate street. VooDoo13: I agree,but also disagree.....Wheel bite is bad, and yes, unless you crank down on the kingpin so it won't move if you're using 57mm or larger wheels you'll probably need risers...The use of shock pads(also called 'soft risers'), however, I feel, are benefcial to the life of your deck. I'm not sure why annyone wouldn't recommend them.. it's a preferrence sure, but to stay away from them on the street? Hmm, not sure about that one. I use 'em on all 8 of my street decks. All are 1/8" so it's not going to thow off any trick by adding that tiny bit of height. Hard risers I only use on my vert deck and they're a big old school 1/2" , but they're another story for street.. Shock pads even at 1/8" lessen the stress at the points where the deck meets the truck, therefore decreasing the potential for splitting your wood around the bolts or even cracks on the base of the tail and nose..This is why they call 'em "Shock Pads".. They Pad your deck from the Shock(of the landing).