Skateboarding Tips for Beginners

Skateboarding, in simpler words, is the activity of riding a skateboard. A skateboard is basically a rectangular plywood piece (deck), which is fitted with four small-sized wheels on the underside. Nowadays new version skateboards are available with many other optional components. People indulge in skateboarding as a recreational activity or a type of extreme sports. Rarely, it is used as a means of transportation. A person who participates in skateboarding is known as a skateboarder or skater.

For extreme sports enthusiasts, skateboarding is a favorite sport. It has fascinated several youngsters over the last few decades. According to a survey conducted, majority of the skateboarders are males under 18 years of age. The growing popularity of skateboarding does not mean that there is no risk involved with this sport. If you are planning to skateboard for the first time, then you should follow certain safety measures. Let's take a look at the skateboarding tips for beginners.

Skateboarding Tips for Beginners

The first step is selecting the right skateboard and proper gears. There are many varieties of skateboards and gears available in the market. As a beginner, you should choose a thick and heavy deck skateboard with less curvature. With such a skateboard, you are less likely to slip off, hence making it easy for you to keep control over the skateboard. As you become used to skateboarding, you can switch on to thin deck and concave skateboard.

It is always advisable to check the trucks of the skateboard. If they are very tight, you can loosen them by unscrewing the kingpins. While doing so, make sure the kingpins are fitted properly. A well-fitted truck will help you to take the turns easily, which in turn, minimizes the risk of falling. Speaking about the protection gears, you should purchase good quality skating shoes, helmet and other protective gears like, wrist brace, elbow and knee pads.

After arranging the necessary items of skateboarding, the next step is to make yourself comfortable with the skateboard. You can place the skateboard in a nonslippery surface (grass or carpet), and try standing or jumping on it. Be comfortable with the shape and size of the skateboard and learn some basics like, trying your feet in varied positions and balancing on the front and rear wheels.

Once you are comfortable standing on the skateboard, you can decide your stance or skating style. In general, there are three stances, viz., regular (skate with the left foot forward), goofy (skate with the right foot forward) and mongo foot (push with the back foot, instead of the front one). Always stand in your most convenient style and try pushing forward. If possible, do not follow the mongo style, as it takes longer time to learn the various skateboarding tricks.

In the beginning, practice by pushing off on an even surface or at the most, a shallow hill. You may even fall from the skateboard while pushing off; relax and imagine that pushing off is like taking normal steps. Maintain balance and push your foot as you do while walking. Another trick is to start pushing off as powerful as you can. You can ride until the skateboard stops naturally.

The next tip for skateboarding is to push yourself carefully while riding, before you run out of speed. You can learn to turn left and right by putting more of your weight into the heels. As you practice regularly, you will be able to take more sharper turns. Last, but not the least, you will need to learn how to stop the skateboard. The easiest and safest way of stopping a skateboard is footbreaking; simply take off the back foot and grind it onto the ground. There are other stopping methods such as, heel drag, bail, boneless and powerslide.

It is advisable to learn how to skateboard first, before trying skateboarding tricks and/or speed skating. If you are confident enough about the twists and turns of skateboarding, then practice the several tricks like ollie, kickflip, magic flip or other variations. Following these tips will help you in picking up the skateboarding sport very quickly.