Do you find skateboarding fun but afraid to control it? If yes, then it’s high time for you to overcome that fear! Besides sport, skateboarding is a fun exercise form as well! You can grab a regular or electric skateboard and start with the basic tricks and techniques. However, before doing it regularly, you have to learn about how to get comfortable on a skateboard first.
No matter how easy it might seem, skateboarding isn’t just about standing and pushing forward. First, you have to adapt some necessary skateboarding skills like how to balance on a skateboard, how to push a skateboard without falling, etc.
5 Tips on How to Get Comfortable On A Skateboard
For skateboarding, you just need some athletic movement synced with proper coordination. To move around the street, on the stair, or on a sidewalk can be a piece of cake if you feel comfortable on your board. If you are a beginner at skateboarding, you can follow these tricks to get that pleasant feeling.
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Tips#01: Comfortable Stance
While skateboarding, your footing style plays a significant role in balancing your body and the board. You have to find out about the stance most flexible to you at first. And with continuous practice, you will get more comfortable with that specific position.
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Tips#02: Change the Move While Standing
Next, try to move the board with you standing on it in a different position. While it may seem insignificant at first, this practice step will give you an idea about the position you are most adaptable to. Besides, you will learn to adjust your weight shifting as well.
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Tips#03: Practice on Flat Land
For initial sessions, you should practice on the flat land with a soft grass field. It will give you a sense of balance and how to control the skateboard with each move. Just put your leg on the board and the other on land, and then start pushing to move forward.
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Tips#04: Turn the Skateboard with Heel and Toe
Turning the board with your toe and hill is another process to make your skateboarding practice more flexible. You just need to shift your body weight on a specific side while riding.
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Tips#05: Use Quality Shoe and Skateboard
Wearing quality shoes is a must for regular skateboarding. To get the most comfortable experience, you have to wear a pair of shoes suitable for your skateboarding style.
How to Stand on A Skateboard?
The first and foremost rule of skateboarding is finding your stance or the footing direction you prefer. Skateboard stance can be of two types, regular and goofy. Left foot forward means you have a regular stance, whereas the right foot ahead means goofy stance. So, how can you figure it out yourself? If you are on slippery ground, which leg will you put forward first?
The foot you choose will provide you the best stance on your skateboard ride. At first, you may feel no difference between left or right footing. However, gradually one position will be more comfortable than the other one.
How to Push Your Skateboard?
Pushing is an essential skill that you have to master on a skateboard. Although there are different skateboard pushing styles to follow, you can stick to the initial learning sessions’ basics. Just walk onto your skateboard and push it using the other foot. Doing this will help you to find your stance.
Keep your front leg with the front bolt angularly. Balance your weight on the front foot when reaching down, and push with the back foot. Your chest has to be facing the moving direction during the board pushing. Then turn your back foot to the back part of the board and rotate the front foot to sidewards. This time your chest would be facing sideways as well.
How to Turn on A Skateboard?
You can turn the skateboard using two ways, carving and kick turn. In the carving turn, the trucks will get loose. Hence the board will take a turn when you lean in any direction. Always hold your shoulder parallel to the board so you can ride straight forward. With more practice, you will know if the frontside or backside carving is more comfortable for you.
You have to push down your back foot on the tail till the front wheels come off in kick turn. Then you just have to turn your shoulder to make the board turn as well.
How to Stop a Skateboard?
Safely stopping the skateboard can be done by dragging your foot or foot braking. You have to stabilize your weight on the leading foot while bringing the back foot on the surface ground. Next, start dragging your shoe sole on the floor by putting your weight on the front foot. Apply pressure if needed, and you will be able to stop the board slowly.
Try to avoid stomping because it can feasibly throw you off the board by disturbing your balance. Once you learn to stop the skateboard, you can also learn how to slow down on a skateboard downhill by using the foot braking method.
15 Tips to Improve Your Skateboarding Skills
You can follow these simple tricks to improve your skateboarding experience.
1. First, Learn The Basics
While performing tricks with your board sounds cool, learning the basics at first is the best way to get proficient at skateboarding. If you start practicing ollies without knowing how to push or stop your skateboard first, there is no way you will be able to do it smoothly.
2. Get Your Balance
Balancing yourself on the board while riding is the first and most important skill you should learn. You can practice balancing without moving the board as well. Just remove the trucks or hold an old deck, and lean backward, forward, sideways, etc.
3. Build-Up Slowly
You can’t just expect to get the techniques of skateboarding instantly. For some, it can take hours, while for some, it can take days or even months to get the knack of it. Hence, you have to give yourself time and keep practicing. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
4. Stop Obsessing
Being diligent is a good trait for learning new things. However, obsession is nowhere healthy for both your body and mind. If you can’t seem to get a specific move, don’t sweat on it, and move on to the next one.
5. Find Inspiration
Inspiration and passion can make any learning enjoyable and smoother! Watch skateboarding videos online and motivate yourself to perform better!
6. Avoid Mongo Style
Try to avoid riding the mongo style as it will disturb your sense of stability. Learn to push appropriately, even if it takes a lot of time.
7. Learn to Ride Fakie
Riding backward is an equally important skill as pushing your board. If you get skilled at fakie, you will be able to perform more tricks.
8. Practice Switch Stance
Keep practicing the switch stance if you want to be the next level skateboarder. Thus, you can blend all the tricks you know and show off your ability!
9. Observe Your Peers
Every skateboarder has an individual style, even though they are doing the same trick. Skate with your friends or a group to observe how each of them perform.
10. Learn To Fall
While fall from a board is inevitable, falling the correct way can save you from grave injuries. The trick is to slide or roll when you fall, which you can achieve by continuous practice.
11. Proper Skateboard
A quality skateboard means an exhilarating ride. So, if you know what type of skateboard is best for beginners, don’t waste your time or money on others. Remember to check the skateboard weight chart for the ideal selection.
12. Maintain Safety Measure
As a beginner, always wear protective gear to avoid all types of accidents. Using a helmet, knee caps, etc., will give you a sense of security as well.
13. Choose The Right Place
It’s okay if you don’t feel comfortable riding your board in public initially. Practice skateboarding in a field or area where the crowd is less, and you can concentrate on improving your skill.
14. Try New Techniques
Skateboarding isn’t just pushing your board forward. You can perform varieties of unique movements with it. Always try to learn new tricks and techniques.
15. Exercise
In skateboarding, you have to use your core strength to balance your ride. Doing simple exercise can improve your body muscles, giving you a more assertive stance.
Final Words
Skateboarding is a combination of posture, speed, and flexibility that you can achieve with proper training. You can be an expert or a beginner skateboarder, but you have to carefully perform the tricks. Once you become skilled at how to get comfortable on a skateboard, you can perform different tricks and techniques to show your creativity.
However, you need to maintain the skateboarding laws to ensure a safe ride. No matter where you are skating, it could be on the sidewalk or busy street, you must wear protective gear to save yourself from any possible harm. And once you have all the things prepared, go start playing with your cruiser skateboard right away!
