Skateboarding Help for Beginners

You have probably seen the sport on TV or have played it in a video game but you have never really tried it yourself. Now, you want to try it. What should you do? After solving the problem of getting your own skateboard, you need to learn how to ride.

Riding the skateboard for the first time can be hard but with proper techniques, you will learn better.

First, know the gears. Never, attempt to ride a skateboard without padding up and wearing a helmet. They are very important. You may feel that you look like an idiot but who cares? Remember, if you don't know what you are doing, it is better to suit up for the occasion than to be sorry after a major cut or a broken bone. Riding the skateboard for the first time may involve falling and hurting yourself. Do not ignore the importance of these gears.

Now that you are fully prepared, it is time to step on your skateboard. Do not do anything stupid. Start standing on your board on the grass or on the carpet. Decide which stance you will use. You have 2 choices: the regular and the goofy. Once you are comfortable standing on your skate, push forward.

Take your skateboard to a skate park or in your garage or anywhere you can skate safely. Place your front foot right behind the front truck and your back foot, on the ground. With your back foot, push forward. If you are doing it correctly, you should be rolling by now. Push 2 or 3 times and put your back foot above the rear tracks. Get the feel of moving. Relax your body. Balance. If you slow down push off some more.

Now, learn how to stop. There are 4 ways to stop your skateboard: bailing out, power sliding, heel dragging, and foot breaking. Since it is your first time, use your foot to stop. This is the simplest among all the techniques. Do this by pressing your back foot against the ground to slow down.

Then you need to learn how to turn. Just bend the board slightly to your left and you go left; bend the board slightly to the right and you turn right - that easy.

If you find these to be overwhelming, then take it nice and slow. Do not force yourself to learn too quickly because it is not an overnight process. Practice and master the basics first and you are on your way to your first skateboarding trick.