How to skateboard for beginners

Learning skateboarding brings joy to many people. Skateboarding is not something that can be learned overnight; it requires time, effort, and a lot of confidence. But you’re not sure where to begin? Don’t worry, I’ve been through the difficulties of being a beginner myself.

Have you noticed many individual skaters enhance their skating talents quickly? But, they stumble with fundamental skateboarding tricks later on. This is due only to inadequate basic skating knowledge. Think about it, anyone can learn how to choose the right kit for beginning to skate. How to balance on the skateboard and skate properly without tumbling down? Also, you can gain ideas for staying with it and start skating.

So, are you ready to give skateboarding a go? This article will walk you through some of the beginning skateboarding. They’ll help you become a better skater and you will know how to skateboard for beginners?

Let’s get started: 

Things required for knowing how to skateboard for beginners

Skateboarding is all about maintaining your balance and having fun. Try to handle your skateboard with your foot while keeping your body weight over through the board. Skateboarding is learned by practicing day by day. When beginning to skate you first practice balancing and go skating for a small distance. Avoid congested areas and skate on a flat surface, such as a driveway. Don’t forget to use suitable protective gear. Seek assistance from those who have experience in skating for a longer period of time

But, prior to going out there and learning how to skateboard at a beginner level, there are a few things you should be aware of: 

Choosing your skateboard

Skateboards come in a variety of designs and companies to suit all expertise and preferences. Go for a real skateboard rather than a toy skateboard. To purchase high-quality skateboards, go to your nearest skate shop or buy online. Even then, you had to be cautious because a badly supplied board could quickly break.

Cruiser and longboards

It’s a board suitable for those who prefer just cruising, or transporting.  Beginners will find it simple to manage. They’re hardly made for tricks, so, if you want to hit Ollies, these aren’t the best option.

Electric board

These boards are best for those who are too anxious about pushing and falling from the skateboard. Also, if you are middle-aged and are learning to skate, an electric board can be suited for you.

Custom skateboard

For skating enthusiasts, custom skateboards can make them learn to skate faster and willfully.  These skateboards are designed by yourself with the necessary tools required in a skateboard.

Choosing the best-equipped skateboard for beginners

If you’re a beginner, curved boards with loose trucks are not recommended by me. Though these skateboards come with qualities that are wonderful for doing stunts, they make it much harder to remain stable while skating. Thus, it is rare that you will persist with it if it doesn’t offer you to remain on the board. To begin, you’ll need a reasonable level board with strong trucks. Eventually, when you’ve mastered controlling speed fluctuation, you may go with loosening the trucks.

Choosing the skateboard shoes

Getting some nice shoes is perhaps the most crucial thing here. Skate shoes come with the proper sole for gripping the skateboard. These provide you with both care and protection making them ideal for new skaters. You’ll need shoes with a flat sole and the ability to handle pressure. Shock absorption will help you avoid unpleasant wounds, that don’t recover quickly.

You can try some of these skateboard brand shoes: Etnies, Emerica, Vans, Lakai, etc.

Wearing the protective gears

It is always suggested for beginners to take care while skating. This will not only keep you safe but will also boost your confidence.  It’s critical that you buy a skate helmet with a solid and secure chin belt to put your head safe. Knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards are other essential safety equipment to use, particularly when you’re initially starting out.

Choosing an even surface

Learning skateboarding requires a flat ground with few irregularities and gaps that will disturb you when you’re learning to move. You’ll hopefully be able to skate safely on uneven surfaces, but it’s best to learn on a smooth and flat area at a beginner level. You can try skateboarding in the driveway and parking area as they usually are flat overall.

Steps for getting on with your skateboard

Alright, after you’ve figured everything out it’s time to get started with your skateboarding. Perhaps it is always terrifying to learn how to skateboard for beginners. At first, it may make you feel weird to stand on the skateboard. You may also lose your balance. There are several methods that can enable you to skate on your skateboard as simply as possible.

The most crucial thing to master is maintaining your balance. I’ll guide you on how to maintain your balance and prevent falling. Then, you can learn it’s time to push your skateboard. These steps will help you skate easily on the first go. Also, forget about the Ollies at the beginner level. Likewise, don’t do anything you’re not ready for.

Balancing yourself to stand on the board without tripping

You must become comfortable using a skateboard and ensure that your feet are properly placed. Your initial attempt will be inconvenient and even frightening. Ensure not to foot on a moving deck. You must try standing on the board however it feels comfortable to you. For staying stable, put your skateboard on flat ground. Make sure it doesn’t start rolling on its own. You have to align your foot with the other foot at the front.

Regular foot

This refers to the position of your foot with the left foot on the forward side and the right on the back. This setup lets you skate with the left foot while the right foot is used for pushing.

Mongo foot

This relates to a skating position in which the front foot is utilized to push the person ahead.  Cruising a mongo involves the difficult technique of lifting your foot ahead, which limits your ability to perform stunts. This can also cause your skateboard to slip from underneath your foot.

Goofy foot

This refers to the position where you’ve put your right foot ahead and will push using the left. That’s just as typical as walking.

Learning to push the skateboard

It’s time for the push after you’ve become used to your foot’s location. Place your front foot across the truck bolts in the front. Try giving a push with the help of the other foot. Then carefully place the back foot on your skateboard. The speed of the skateboard depends on your pushes. The higher you’ll push, the quicker you’ll move; the greater your pushes are, and the speedier you’ll skate.

In case the skateboard starts to wander in the opposite direction, bend your leg outward or inward. According to whatever path you like to go. This way the board will go back to its original position.

Learning to make a turn

Begin stepping on your skateboard with both feet. While doing this, lean to the front-rear and use your feet. During it, lean toward the front side and use your feet. Your board will react to your actions, and once you’ve mastered it, try that out while skating. In order to turn you need to apply the right pressure based on the distance of turning. Train getting your grip and moving into your skating posture. Then try properly performing a turn without tumbling off on the ground.

You can use two techniques for turning your skateboard, a carving turn and a kick turn.

Carving turn

Whenever you carve, you bend in and guide with your body weight in order to turn. Make sure your trucks aren’t too stiff. Otherwise carving turns will be tougher. Soften your skateboard trucks slightly. Then, simply lean in an intended way, and your skateboard will respond.

Kickturn

Kickturning is an incredibly beneficial technique. However, the kick turn is trickier. For a kick turn, you need to lift your rear wheels off the floor by carefully pressing your back foot on the tail of the skateboard. It must be handled in one shot. Make sure you’re not depending on the tip too much. As too much pressure can cause the board to roll out from beneath you.

Learning to stop the skateboard

There are numerous methods for stopping a skateboard, several of which are more complicated. The most practical way for a beginner is to carefully start slowing the skateboard down. You can then stop by placing a foot on the ground. Try dragging the soles of your shoes. Also, you can simply maintain the same position of skating while pushing and gradually pressing to the surface. If you keep your speed low, it’s not difficult to position your foot on the forward side of your skateboard. By this, you can skate your way out in heavy traffic. Just don’t miss out on your safety equipment.

Tricks to try for a beginner

Okay, I know what you’re thinking: can you perform tricks on your skateboard, even if you are a beginner? Of course, you can! But only if you’ve gotten comfortable on your skateboard. Similarly, if you can stay on the skateboard with balance. After all, it’s what you’ve been working toward! The following are the tricks that a beginner can try easily:

Tick-tack

When you become used to skating around on your skateboard and can handle the speed easily, you can start doing the tick-tack. I think the tick-tack technique comes naturally and readily to skaters. This can only happen if you’ve gained a pleasant experience of balancing while being upright and cruising the skateboard. This is a fantastic way to improve your speed and balance while skating.

Manual

Practice manually when you’ve mastered the tick-tack.  A manual is a movement that enables balancing on a single pair of wheels, whether the back or front.  It’s one of the best ways to enhance your skateboarding control. It is tail-manual and nose-manual. Both of the tricks are distinctive in their own ways.

Shove-it

Be prepared to have a great time practicing and nailing a shove-it! This easy technique called ‘shove-it’ involves spinning your board at180 degrees. While it’s the simplest spinning trick in skating, learning it requires some practice when just beginning with skating.

Ollies

The ollie is a skating skill that is extremely necessary. It is a skating trick during which the skateboard is pushed toward the ground at the board’s tail level. This is done while leaping, causing the board to bounce into the air. After I mastered doing Ollies, I started finding skateboarding more fun than before! So, it is a must-try trick.

Conclusion

In short, This article aims to familiarise you with learning how to skateboard for beginners. We tried to include everything from choosing the best skateboard to simple tricks like pushing, manual, tick-tacking, and shoving your skateboard. Something I like about skating is how easily after just a week of practice, you can start skating. You can learn to stop and turn your board.  So, get your skateboard and begin your skating without any difficulty. Remember to skate smartly, and practice is the key to getting better. Don’t forget to skate safely! Still, stuck with learning basics? Feel free to ask for our help! Let us know your queries and will sort out them for you! Enjoy your skating.

Frequently asked questions

How to maintain balance while skating downhill?

Ans: Crouch deeper while skating downhill. Allow your arms to keep from drifting sideways to maintain balance. Retain your ankles as steady as feasible. This is important since minor motions produce larger leaps at quicker rates, increasing the odds of losing the balance.

 Can we learn skateboarding by watching videos?

Ans: Yes, you can find many useful skateboarding videos and beginner-friendly ideas on the web. Also, you may learn how to skateboard with more complicated stunts and techniques by watching these videos.

How much money should I spend on skateboarding?

Ans: If you are a beginner, avoid spending a great amount on your first skateboard. An entire professional skateboard may be had for roughly $90-$100, or even more low cost. Consider purchasing a comprehensive deck rather than going to a toy store.