Skateboarding is a great sport to get into that not only has tons of benefits but also offers the opportunity to have fun with friends. It’s easy to learn and can be done by just about anyone! In this article, we’ll discuss what you need in order to skateboard, how long it takes for someone who already knows how to skateboard to teach someone else, and some of the pros and cons of skating.
Skateboarding is a very popular street sport among young people, heavy & big guys and kids. In some countries, he became a cult. A skate is much more than a vehicle, as it requires stamina, strong legs, and a sense of balance. Such a sport is difficult to master and requires a huge amount of time, effort, and patience.
It will not be possible to master it fully, because more and more tricks are continually being invented that I want to repeat. Daily walks on a skateboard can be regarded as part of a healthy lifestyle, if you do not take into account the fact that this is a very traumatic sport.
It is important to understand that the most common injuries sustained when falling from a skate are in the hands and head. The protection of these parts of the body should be approached more responsibly. Of course, there will be newcomers who will be sure that they will completely manage without “extra” protection.
In this matter, the wearing of protective equipment is a personal matter for everyone. Before choosing the protection you need, it is worth remembering that getting a serious injury can forever discourage you from using this sports unit again.
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Basic Rules
The described sport is challenging to master and requires a lot of practice and a sound approach. Overall success depends on many factors and compliance with a number of basic rules. So, it is essential to make sure the reliability and safety of the skate, equipment, you need a competent choice of a place for skiing and protection. Consider the items listed in more detail.
How Long Does It Take to Learn to Skateboard?
It,s depends on how you long practice for and what your goals are. Time varies for everybody. If you want to rush and ride, it takes about a minimum of 2 weeks. If you’re going to learn basic skating and some basic tricks, you need one to two months.
how to learn to skateboard?
I’m going to teach you how to skateboard. It’s easy, I promise. All you need is a board, some wheels, and a few other supplies that are easy enough to find at your local hardware store or toy shop. First, pick up your board and put it on the ground so that one of the long sides is parallel with the ground. Then place your front foot near one of the corners of the board (either by its nose or tail). Bend your back knee slightly while keeping it in line with your toes so that both legs are straight but not locked out. You want to be able to push off easily with this leg when you’re ready for take-off! Place either hand flat on top of the deck behind where
How to Choose the Right Skateboard?
Deciding on the right skateboard can be difficult, especially if you are new to skating. There are so many brands and styles out there that it is easy to get overwhelmed. The best way to choose a board is by deciding what kind of riding you will be doing most often. If you’re looking for something that will help your child learn how to balance, then a longboard may be the perfect choice for them! Longboards have larger wheels which makes balancing easier than with smaller wheeled boards like short or mid-sized ones do. They also typically have softer wheels which make them less likely to crack when they come in contact with curbs or other hard surfaces, making them great for beginners because they won’t need as much maintenance as others.
Board (deck). Bearing part of the skate. Its width, it can be in the range of 4.6 to 10.6 inches. As for the first deck, it is best to choose an average size of 8 inches. It will be optimal for training, and as you improve your skills, you will understand whether a deck is required wider or narrower. A narrow part will give you more maneuverability, and a wide one will provide excellent stability.
The length of the board is not so important when choosing because it affects little, and the beginner will not notice the difference. The optimal deck shape for yourself can be selected only by trial and error in the process of riding. When choosing this basis, it is worth paying attention to the type of wood from which the board is made.
The highest quality boards are made from maple. The number of layers of wood should be from 7 to 9. After gluing and shaping the blank deck, a special non-slip coating is glued to it, similar to sandpaper. On some models of decks, a plastic coating is applied from the bottom to improve gliding on the railing.
Wheels: They have different diameters and stiffnesses. Soft wheels provide a more convenient and comfortable ride and ease of control, but they will not be able to gain speed. Also, such elements wear out faster, which will lead to more frequent replacement. Wheels with an average degree of rigidity are well suited for driving on even asphalt surfaces. Their diameter can have parameters from 50 to 180 mm. To learn how to ride a skateboard, a wheel size of 54 mm is suitable.
Suspension. This is the junction of the wheels with the deck. Mostly these parts are made of aluminum alloy, but there are also steel ones. They are more durable and much heavier. The more massive the suspension, the stronger it is, but the overall weight of the skateboard increases. For a beginner skateboarder or child, an aluminum suspension is quite suitable.
Bearings. High-quality bearings can provide not only the speed of a sports unit but also its safety.
Skateboarding Safety Equipment
The main rule of skateboarding is wearing protective gear. Unfortunately, both professional skaters and beginners very often neglect these simple and necessary things, which sooner or later leads to injury. It often happens that the defense gets very hot, so they take it off.
Improperly selected equipment can be inconvenient; it can begin to rub or pinch the skin.
The standard set of protective equipment for a skater consists of:
- knee pads;
- Shoulders
- helmet.
The protective helmet should have a smooth surface and a strong strap in the lower part (at the chin). This part of protective ammunition is better to buy in specialized stores. Saving on your safety is not worth it.
If you are faced with a choice of what kind of protection to buy, then it is best to choose reliable and most suitable products that fit tightly to the body. Protective ammunition should not slide or reap. The best option would be a fastening in the form of “Velcro.”
Remember that protection should protect against injury, not just be present. The price of such things directly depends on the degree of their effectiveness – the worse the protection, the more serious the injury can be.
Clothes and shoes
- It would be useful to find the right Pants for a beginner skateboarder. It should be suitable for several parameters:
- Convenience is a critical parameter when choosing; clothes should be free, not restrict or restrict movements in different positions, but also not be too loose;
- material strength – no one is safe from falls, especially a novice, so your clothing must withstand friction against asphalt and be resistant to such effects;
- material – it is best to choose breathable materials; this will allow less sweating during training.
For the first time, it is not always advisable to purchase clothes and shoes of well-known brands, since clothing is consumable that will inevitably tear, get dirty, and become worthless.
To learn how to ride a skateboard, you need to stock up on the right shoes. An essential part of the equipment is skate shoes. They differ from ordinary sneakers only in the sole, on which a special coating is applied, providing additional traction to the deck. This hook allows you to perform many difficult tricks.
In addition to the sole, on such shoes, there are special-shaped hems, a shock-absorbing sole filler, and additional characteristics inherent in a particular model that will not catch the eye when viewed but will be felt when riding on aboard.
Our Recommended skateboarding safety equipment for Skateboard
Best Helmets
- JBM Skateboard Helmet CPSC ASTM Certified Impact Resistance Ventilation for Multi-Sports
- Triple Eight Dual Certified Bike and Skateboard Helmet
- Triple Eight The Certified Sweatsaver Helmet for Skateboarding, BMX, and Roller Skating
best Skateboard knee pads
- JBM Adult/Child Knee Pads Elbow Pads Wrist Guards
- Protective Gear Set for Kids/Youth/Adult Knee Pads Elbow Pads Wrist Guards for Skateboarding
- Triple Eight KP 22 Heavy-Duty Skateboarding Knee Pads (Pair)
Very often, you will notice a large backpack on the back of the skater. This is a very useful accessory. There, athletes put everything they need for the field repair of their sports equipment, namely:
- tool;
- spare wheels;
- spare suspension;
- protective equipment.
On some backpacks, you can find an additional amount for a spare deck. The rest of the space in the backpack is filled at the discretion of the athlete. This may include a first aid kit, replacement shoes, or clothing.
How learn to stand on a skateboard?
Once you have purchased all the necessary equipment for skateboarding, you can begin training. First, you need to get used to the skate you just bought, learn how to get up on it. To do this, put the board on a flat surface, stand on it, and try to stand. From the outside, this may seem an elementary affair, but in reality, it is not so simple. Skate will “try to jump out” from under the rider. Try to get down and get back on the board.
Learn to balance, stay in one place, and keep balance. When you master the balancing, then begin to move the center of gravity along the board smoothly, alternately moving it to the front wheels, then to the rear. Having mastered this exercise, start a little jump, standing on a skateboard. The first jumps are the most dangerous because, after landing, the board will “try” to slip out. For the time of getting used to the board, you can resort to additional fall insurance. Here you can be helped by a person or support, which you can grab onto if you lose your balance.
When the light jumps on the board are given to you without problems, we can assume that you are used to the unit and can control it, so far at the level of “beginner,” but this is the result. Next, it is allowed to start practicing the rack.
Further comfortable riding will depend on a well-placed stance. You should lean on one leg – it is the supporting one, and the other one is the jerk one, you are repelled by it during the ride. After the push is made, the push leg is placed on the back of the board, while the supporting leg is on the front of the deck and practically does not move. You should put your legs across the board.
There are several ways to determine which leg you will have jogging and which leg as a supporting one.
- Watch yourself – with which foot you start walking, with which you begin to climb the stairs. It is this leg that will be your support.
- Another option for determining the support leg is tossing the ball into the air, which foot will be more comfortable and more convenient to beat it off – that will be the supporting one.
- The third option is the reflex. Ask someone to push you a little. Reflexively put your supporting leg so as not to fall.
To finally understand whether you made a mistake with the choice of the supporting leg, you will succeed only in the learning process.
Learn Skateboard Foot Placement
After the stand on the board is confident and you decide on the “leading” leg, you can try skateboarding. To do this, you need an even hard coating. Having stood on the board, you will need to push off with a “push” foot and, keeping your balance, keep on a skateboard.
It is advisable to perform one long and strong push. Often beginner skaters are afraid not to stay on the board with such a repulsion, and instead of one long push, you can see several weak repulsions. With this technique, it is impossible to achieve a smooth ride, it is much more difficult to maintain balance. Beginners will need to master a strong push.
In addition to proper repulsions, there are also nuances, the knowledge of which will help to ride the board correctly.
To ensure safety when riding on a skateboard, it is best to place the supporting leg behind the front screws. In this case, when repelling, you will not be threatened by an uncontrolled tilt of the board forward.\ It is advisable to place the jerked foot in the back of the skateboard, at the very end of it.
This position will allow better control of the board and, if necessary, turning or a sudden stop, do not change the position of the pushing leg, but immediately begin the maneuver.
Learning to turn
To learn how to manage a board, you need to balance it well. If you have not fully mastered the balance technique on a skateboard, then cornering attempts may end in a fall for you. If you are confident in your abilities, then you can begin to master this stage. To perform a turn, you must transfer the weight of your body forward relative to the feet for the right turn. To perform the left turning maneuver, you will need to transfer the bodyweight back relative to the feet.
To practice turns, you need to choose a flat surface with enough room for maneuver. The ride at this moment should be calm, not very fast. The faster your movement, the sharper the turn. In the first attempts, your main task is not to fall. Gradually, you will begin to feel the necessary tilt and degree of pressure on the edge of the board, but this will come with time.
Sometimes there will be obstacles in your way that you will notice at the very last moment, and you will have very little space to go around them. In such a situation, a turnaround method will come to the rescue, which is combined with one of the simplest tricks called kicking. To perform this trick, you will need to press the back foot slightly on the back of the board (“tail”) so that its front part (“nose”) lifts slightly above the floor.
Next, you need to turn the entire body in the direction of rotation. This set of actions should be a single action. The pressure on the deck should be soft but quick. Skate management, in this case, will be carried out by a sharp jerk of the whole body to the side.
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How to slow down skateboarding?
An important process in any movement is the correct and timely stop, and skateboarding is no exception. There are several ways to stop on a skateboard.
- Short touches of the floor gradually slow down. This is the easiest way to stop, but not the most spectacular, and it wears out shoes a lot.
- You can stop by the principle of tail braking. In this case, the weight is transferred to the back of the skate, which leads to contact between the back of the board and the road. In this case, a quick stop occurs. In this way, you can not only slow down but also slow down slightly if you can balance well on 2 wheels. With this method of braking, wear is transferred to the deck; its edges are quickly erased.
Flat skateboards are particularly severely affected by such braking. On sale are options for decks with plastic protection that will extend the life of your board. For beginners, this offer is very relevant.
How to learn how to fall?
In this sport, falls can not be avoided, but they can be made less traumatic. To do this, you need to master the technique of falling and do not forget about personal protective equipment. When falling, it should be grouped so that the landing falls on the back of the shoulder, followed by a roll to the back. In this case, it is necessary to press the elbows to the body, cover the head with your palms from the blow. You can minimize falls when choosing a floor covering for riding. An uneven base can lead to the fall of experienced skaters, not to mention even beginners.
Various tricks
Mastering the tricks is given to everyone in their way. Some take possession of the basic elements in a few months, while others take years. In this sport, everything is individual. We list and consider the basic tricks, without which you can not master the more complex:
- ollie – jump with the board;
- manual – balancing on one skateboard suspension, as on two;
- zeros – jump with a click forward
- flip – a more challenging jump: after jumping, the board should rotate in flight;
- slide – slide on the board;
- rowing – when performing this trick, the board is captured by hands;
- stand, linden, stel – when performing these tricks, it is necessary to maintain balance by jumping onto any object.
This kind of sport is the easiest to learn in childhood. Skateboarding is an excellent way to develop your child’s stamina and coordination. You can start training at the age of 3. To do this, you will have to get a smaller version of the usual skateboard, which most major manufacturers do.
Such decks have a width of 17 and a length of 70 cm. Children’s skiing equipment is no different from an adult’s. The little rider must be kept under control all the time. Parents will need to be around, monitor all the actions of the child.
Useful Tips
Before you master the complex art of skateboarding, you should listen to some useful tips.
- Before each workout, a good workout is necessary; this will allow you to avoid sprains and dislocations.
- In skateparks, you can meet other more experienced skaters who will help you learn to skate faster.
- Take your time with mastering the tricks. To begin with, learn to control the board and body well.
- For a quick result, study the theory of each trick step by step, work out all movements as qualitatively as possible; this will allow you not to make mistakes.
- Before you go to the next workout, you need to inspect the skate. It must be in good condition, without damage or loose parts.
- Try not to ride on small pebbles. On such a road, the easiest way to lose balance is to drop.
Never compete in skills with more experienced skateboarders who have mastered tricks that are difficult to perform. Often in such situations, newcomers, to show their (not yet richest) skills, receive serious injuries and fractures.
Conclusion
If you want to learn how to skateboard, there are many resources available for beginners. There are also a variety of different types of boards that may be more appropriate depending on what your goals are and your skill level. Regardless of which type or style board you choose, the most important thing is that it fits well with your skating ability so you can progress as quickly as possible without injuring yourself in any way. What has been one of the best ways for you to improve at skateboarding?