Like various kinds of street sports, skateboarding is no different to give you excitement and thrills while you are on board. Skateboarding might seem very tough in the beginning. But you can do much better over time by learning and continuous practicing.
Whether you are a beginner or an average skateboarder, this guide on how to practice skateboarding will give you every detail about practicing with your skateboard.
How to Practice Skateboarding – a Beginner’s Guide!
This detailed how-to guide will help you to figure out the basics within a very short time, even if this is the first time you are about to ride on a skateboard.
Getting the Right Skateboard
The main parts of a skateboard are – a deck, trucks, wheels, and bearings. These parts have different sizes, weights, flex, and many other specifications. You can buy a skateboard with the whole setup or customize these parts according to your height, weight, and using purposes.
If you don’t have any knowledge about these parts, go to any skateboard shop near you, and take advice from the shopkeepers. They can find you the right skateboard which will be perfect for you.
You can see here the top skateboard bands and the 10 best skateboards review in the current market.
Having Necessary Safety Gears
For any beginner, safety gear is more than necessary. Often, people fear to start learning skateboarding because they think they might face injuries. If you have taken safety measures before starting, you will be protected and also have the confidence to ride over the track fearlessly.
You can have a helmet, thick socks, knee pads, and elbow pads as safety gear. In the case of a helmet, make sure you bought the right size. Go to a shop and take a proper measurement of your head before buying a helmet.
Getting Appropriate Shoes
You might think that specific shoes are not that essential while skateboarding. But this is not completely true. Shoes play a vital role as the bottom of the shoes needs to have a nice grip over the skateboard so that the board doesn’t slip underneath your feet.
Regular snickers, which are comfortable and durable, work well with skateboards. Besides, you can use other types of shoes that have flat bottoms with strong edges and sides.
Starting with the Basics
It is essential to start with the basic movements before you go on trying the upper-level ones. Decide which foot you want to keep in front and by which one you want to push the ground while getting on the skateboard. It totally depends on your comfort zone and preferences.
There are two types of skateboard stances – regular and goofy. Keeping the left foot in front is the regular stance; the goofy stance is for the right foot keeping in front.
See more: Which side of the skateboard is the front?
Having the Perfect Balance
Riding on a skateboard is all about having a good balance. After getting on with one foot, and pushing with the other foot, you should try to stay still while the skateboard is moving forward. You might fall on the first try, but don’t just give up, and try to keep the balance.
Start slow, and increase the speed time-to-time after you have habituated to less speed. Besides, try to cope with the motion inertia while you stop riding. This will enable you to keep up the balance on the skateboard whether you go slow or fast.
Turning the Skateboard
Now that you have learned riding and pushing, it’s time to know how to turn the board. Basically, turning needs shifting your body weight. For turning right, shift your body weight forward. On the contrary, rotate your ankles to turn left.
While riding straight forward, you can stand on the board. But in the time of turning, bend your knees so that your center of gravity remains close to the ground. This enables you to keep a good balance while turning and prevents any falls.
Taking Lessons and Advice
Don’t hesitate to take lessons and advice from other skateboarders who do better than you. If you can afford it, join a skateboarding class to learn methods and tricks. Otherwise, you can watch online videos to get a better idea about skateboarding.
If you are not finding any professionals around you from whom you can take advice, join different online forums or groups where you can ask your queries, and get responses and feedback.
How to Practice Skateboarding: Learning Other Stances Apart from Basics
After mastering the basics, you would obviously want to try the stances you see your favorite skateboarders perform. Let’s get introduced to different stances that you can do while skateboarding.
Ollie
It is a basic and probably one of the fundamental stances of skateboarding. You might think of it as a tough practice, but once you have mastered it, you will find yourself in a thrilling world of skateboarding.
Ollie is basically hitting the tail of the board down the ground while keeping the nose part up in the air. This requires both strength and balance of your feet.
While you put pressure on the tail, bend your knees, and pop the nose up in the air. Land on your front foot, and then keep the other foot to maintain a perfect balance. As soon as you land, straighten your legs and slide forward smoothly.
Shove-It
Basically, shove-it is a rotational stance of skateboarding where your skateboard rotates 180 degrees underneath your feet. It is partially similar to ollie, and you just have to pop up your board higher than ollie.
Put the highest pressure with your back foot at a stroke, which will take the board high in the air.
In the meantime, give a push with the front foot so that the board spins 180 degrees. Maintain balance with your feet, keeping them straight after landing.
Grind
Compared to other skateboarding tricks, grinding is a bit hard to practice. Start grinding on lower rails and edges. During the first few trials, land over the rail on your feet instead of the skateboard.
After you are habituated, ride to the rail slowly and pop up on the board on the rail. Slide on it for a short time and then land on the deck. While going up on the rail, roll up at a small angle so that you do not feel any accidental stroke.
How to Practice Skateboarding: Essential Tips and Tricks
The following tips and tricks can hold you back to prevent unwanted situations and help you to make skateboarding your best outdoor experience.
- Warm up before skating
- Do not use sandals as footwear while you are skateboarding
- Avoid skating in the rain
- Master the basic practices before trying any professional stance
- Practice the high-level stances stationary in the first few trials
- Try your own style and do not imitate others
- Do not ever ride with another person on a skateboard
How To Push On A Skateboard!
Pushing is one of the most important skills that will help in learning other tricks on a skateboard: How can I improve my speed while pushing? Here are some tips that will help you increase your speed while riding a skateboard!
- The push is the most important part of skateboarding, it’s what allows you to turn and speed up.
- A skater can only push as fast as their legs will allow them to go.
- Skateboarders must learn how to use their arms properly in order for them not to tire out too quickly.
- Push your board away from you with both hands on the deck at all times when pushing, this way your feet are always under control and never leave the ground!
- A lot of people think pushing means jumping off something or doing crazy stunts but there are different ways to push like walking, running, and many more.
How To Turn On A Skateboard!
How To Turn On A Skateboard is a great way for beginners and experts alike to learn how to ride a skateboard! Our step-by-step tutorials will teach you everything you need, no matter what skill level or age. Your trucks are designed to turn your board as you lean from side to side.
Whether it’s learning tricks or mastering the art of turning, our guide has something for everyone! So whether it’s your first time on a skateboard or if this is just another day at the office – we want You out there shredding!
It can be a little tricky to turn on a skateboard, but with a little practice, it can be a cinch! To turn on a skateboard, you will need to do the following:
- Place your foot on the board in the middle and push down on the tail.
- While keeping your foot in place, lift your heel and swing your leg up and over the board.
- Keep your heel down as you swing your leg over the top of the board, and then let go of the tail.
- Shimmy your way over to the other side, and you’re ready to go!
- Turn the skateboard so that the front wheel is facing forward.
- Grasp the skateboard with both hands and place your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Push off from the ground with your feet, and use your arms to propel yourself forward.
- When you reach the end of your board, slowly turn the skateboard around so that the back wheel is now facing forward.
- Push off from the ground with your feet, and use your arms to propel yourself forward again.
Remember to always use caution when skateboarding – be sure to watch out for obstacles and stay aware of your surroundings. And if you ever have any questions or difficulties turning on your board, don’t hesitate to ask a friend or family member for help!
Final Words
By practicing thoroughly, analyzing the techniques, and noticing the progress day by day, you can sharpen your skill as a skateboarder. I hope you have learned all about how to practice skateboarding and soon will embrace it as a fun activity rather than a competitive sport.
Hi, my name is Gabriel. I am completed my MBA from private university and my subject was IT (Information Technology) and also I complete my graduation form South East University and Department from CSE (Computer Science & Engineering). I am author and blogger of this website who loves to write about different topics that are related to the board sport. From beginner tips to intermediate advice, I want to offer you quality content that will help improve your skill set and make you a better rider. Thanks for checking out my site!
