Skateboarding is a recreational activity that a lot of young people take part in. It can be considered a form of transportation and no one can deny it looks incredibly cool. If you are looking to get started on a skateboard, or to improve your skateboarding skills, here are some tips!
Tips on How to Ride a Skateboard for the First Time
Are you a beginner skater who barely knows how to use a skateboard? Well, here are some pointers so you can develop the skateboarding skills of your fellow skaters! Let’s get started!
Bring Along Your Safety Gear
If you want to start skateboarding, you need to follow some basic skateboardsafety tips. You will inevitably fall down as you try out different basic tricks. For that reason, we recommend that you always have protective gear on hand, such as wrist guards.
These, along with things like kneepads can protect you from painful scrapes. You should always wear ahelmet, which will protect your head from severe injury. All of this safety equipment may seem like it’s not important, but it is always essential to be wary of the chances of injury and wear protective gear.
Start Out on a Soft Surface
Skateboarding is all about finding your balance, so make sure that you start by practicing that. You can do this at home or even in your backyard. Just make sure you have a soft surface to stand on, along with something you can lean against. For example, you can even try this on a patch of grass in your garden.
Simply place your board on grass, stand on top of it, and try to balance. This may challenge your sense of balance, and you might even fall, but you can avoid any nasty consequences because the grass is much more forgiving than asphalt. Don’t try to move around the board. Instead, you just want to stand and see how comfortable you are.
It also helps you assess what works best as your natural stance. For example, some people favor their left foot over the right. Interestingly, putting your left foot forward is usually called the regular stance, whereas putting the right foot forward is sometimes referred to as the goofy stance. Once you have an idea of your preferred stance, you can now move on to the next step.
Move to a Flat Surface
Next up, you should move to a flat, smooth surface such as empty pavement. Start out with basic skateboarding. Your foot positioning at this point is extremely important. Whether you are using the goofy foot stance or the regular foot stance, start with the basics. First, create some momentum by moving forward as if you are stepping forward.
Do not try and push at this stage, just get used to the movement. Go slow, and give yourself time to react to each of the skateboard’s movements. Once you feel a little more confident, you can start to push. Instead of having several small pushes, start with one big push that will help you gain momentum.
Another option to consider if you are not a very experienced skater is to go to any skate park and get lessons. The teachers there can give you an in-depth explanation of how to balance and move on a skateboard!
Learn How to Brake
Once you learn how to move forward on a skateboard, the next step is to learn how to stop. It’s essential you know how to brake so you can protect yourself if you are in an unfamiliar situation. To do this, you need to take your rear foot off the skateboard, and slowly drag it on the ground to slow down.
You don’t want to do this abruptly without practice, as you may fall down. Instead, try this at slower speeds a number of times till you get the hang of it, and can do it reflexively when you need to. Braking is just as important a skill to learn on a skateboard as moving forward, as you need to know when and how to stop and get off the board.
Learn a Beginner Trick on Your Skateboard
Now that you have the basics down, you can move forward to learning any cool trick you like! You can start with easier tricks that you can learn quickly, and make your way to advanced skateboarding tricks. Over time, you will be able to catch on to the moves that more seasoned skaters can do.
While this learning process takes time, it’s all about your personal preference of what you would like to learn. Focus in and practice those as much as you can, spending time on learning the nitty-gritty of each maneuver. In my personal experience, that extra time you put into particular tricks always pays off because you’ll be able to do those tricks instinctively.
What are Skateboards Made of?
Skateboards, in general,l are made up of three distinct parts. The skateboard deck, the trunk, and the wheels. Decks usually have a curve at the end and have a concave-shaped body as well. This helps the skateboard move faster through the air, and gives the skater greater control over their movement.
Skateboards are made out of a wooden board. The piece of wood is then planed into veneers. The veneers are glued and molded into shape. The pieces of the deck are then attached, and finally, any graphics are screen printed onto the wood. Usually, the top of the skateboard is a slippery surface that can be difficult to maintain your footing on. However, you can use grip tape to hold onto the surface better, especially if you are a beginner.
Types of Skateboarding
There are lots of differenttypes of skateboarding practices that people of different skill levels and abilities can try out. However, you should be an experienced skateboarder to pursue some of these, so make sure to practice whenever you get the chance!
- Downhill skaters reach higher speeds and try to cover the distance in the fastest time.
- Longboard skating is more focused on surfing through concrete curved surfaces. The advantages of longboards are that they can help you accomplish amazing tricks, but they require a different technique.
- The Freestyle method is exactly what it sounds like, and it allows you to incorporate advanced tricks into your routine.
- Vert skating is an extremely popular form of skating that is focused on riding vertical surfaces. It involves doing tricks in the air before you land, often on a steep vert ramp. This type of skating utilizes a lot of core strength.
- Street skating is very similar to parkour. It involves skating on urban surfaces such as benches, stairs, and even parked cars.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size of skateboard should I buy?
The size of the skateboard you buy depends on your shoe size. If your size is between 6.5 and 9, you should opt for a skateboard with a width of 7.5-8 inches. If you wear a bigger shoe than that, stick to 8-8.5 inch width skateboards.
Is there an age limit on who can skateboard?
Skateboarding is completely safe for anyone once they’re old enough. You are never too old to start skateboarding. Don’t ever feel like you can’t learn to skateboard just because of your age.
How can I use an electric skateboard?
An electric skateboard has battery-powered motors. This can seem daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a breeze. You just need to practice your stance and get used to the difference in acceleration.
What are the best skateboards for beginners?
If you are a beginner, your best bet is to opt for a complete skateboard, which has everything built-in so you don’t have to worry about the crafting aspect. Choose a skateboard focused on travel rather than tricks to get started.
Can I learn skateboarding in one day?
In most cases, no. It will take you longer than that just to get the hang of things. It might even take weeks of practice to get to the point where you can do basic tricks and movements on your skateboard.
Conclusion
Starting out skateboarding as a beginner can be a daunting experience. We hope that these tips and tricks have helped out enough that you can get started! Remember, practice is the key to being a successful skateboarder. And of course, always make sure to focus on staying safe.
