What are some tips for learning skateboarding?
(btw - you haven’t mentioned if you want to street skate or ramp skate, therefore I’ll assume you want to street skate).Yes, buy a decent skateboard from a proper skate shop. Tell the staff that you need a proper one, like everyone else skates and not some kind of beginners thing.Why? Because anything less that good equipment will cause you to struggle and fail, and you shouldn’t ever blame your equipment.Make sure the trucks are stiff enough to hold your weight but loose enough to steer the board comfortably without feeling unstable.Why? Because trucks too loose will cause the wheels to ‘catch’ on the bottom of the board when you steer too sharply and stop the board dead, throwing you off. If the trucks are too stiff, you won’t be able to steer out of the way of things/people.Don’t just go to a busy skatepark and join in. Do find a quiet smooth carpark or space and practice some basics.Why? Because you can’t skateboard yet, and you need to learn to start, push, steer, and stop confidently. Without this, you’ll just be getting in people’s way, people will hate you, and you won’t have an enjoyable time.Try and find someone else your own age also trying to skate.Why? Because you’ll progress faster. You haven’t got to like this person, but you’ll have someone to charge around with and you won’t feel so hopeless on your own.You will feel hopeless.Why? Because despite what people will tell you, skateboarding is the art of falling over and sometimes staying on. So, be ready to tumble! I actually advise people to take a few Judo lessons because unless you learn how to fall safely, you’ll be in pain quickly (maybe in too much pain to continue) or covered in head to toe in pads and no-one wants that ;) - actually a pair of elbow pads is probably a very good idea!Good luck
How can I get better at riding a skateboard?
I want to start with my biggest piece of advice be fore you ever step on your board. Skate for YOU. It sounds obvious but you can look at videos of skaters jumping down 12-stair or riding transition dropping in from 20 feet and wonder where do I fit in this? You skate for you and if in the end you decide that pushing around town is enough, stop there.Learning to ride. I’m going to assume you have a board to ride (Longboard, penny, street skate. First is getting comfy pushing. If you don’t know whether you are goofy or regular you can do this. In a standing position, close your eyes. Have a friend push you backwards (not into pushes but enough to move you)the foot that goes back first to balance you is going to be your pushing foot. For me, my left foot went back first, so my left foot pushes and my right foot is on the board.Moving: Skateboarding is basically the walking motion. One foot follows the other. You know what foot needs to be on the board and which foot needs to walk beside it until you feel comfortable enough to put you back foot on. Using the walking motion (for me right foot forward) I put my right foot on the board and step. I kept doing this until I felt comfortable enough to pick my left foot up and put it on the board as well.Build some speed and learn to stop: There are several ways to stop. One as simple as dragging your back foot.Just skate around on your board a lot. I don’t think 40 hours logged on your deck just skating around and getting super comfortable is too much. You want to feel so comfortable that it feels second nature.LEARN TO FALL: as a skateboarder you are going to take a spill. there is a good way and a really bad way. You don’t want to fall on your wrists. Breaking them is pretty easy. I recommend wrist guards if this sketches you out.Watch skate videos: VLSkate, Braille Skateboarding, Justin Lauria are all good candidates for my “you’re really making me love skating.”If it doesn’t fit don’t force it. If you don’t like it, give your board away or put in the back of the closet. You may came back to it. I know I did.Have fun. Tell me about any epic progress. I say that just skating to school is EPIC.
Should I get a ripstick or a skateboard?
Well, I am a 13 year old girl too, and I was just looking into the same dillema! After I studied up on both the RipStick and the skateboard, I foud out some pros and cons for both. See, the Ripstick appears to be the better choice. I think it is harder to learn to use, but once you do you can get most places much faster than a skateboard, plus it looks cooler, is easier to maneuver and has a grippy surface, and is made for people more our age. The skateboard is also very cool though because you can get it personalized, get multicolor wheels, and more people have one than the RipStick. Over all I chose the RipStick just because it seemed like the better choice in terms of what I was using it for- (solely transportation), and I think you will find I the choice as well. Good luck and have fun with your new RipStick or skateboard!
How does one learn to ice skate?
You combine looking at other people skate, and just trying it. Wear the skating boots tight enough as if they were part of your foot, it will help your body learn. Concentrate on being aware of where does your mass center towards the ice "fall" - try placing your weight a bit forward, and a bit backward, and in the middle, let your mind learn its "stable area" along that axis. Bend your knees just a little. You will want to stick to the edges at first like everyone new.... Then be aware how the angle of the skates affects your direction - it is very subtle and nuanced for a ground walker for the first period of time.... If you are one of those that injure easily or have below average agility in falling softly etc, or have not ever done balance related sports very easily, avoid it altogether. Also avoid places and times where the rink is packed with novices or skaters that cut through all over, as it will reduce your potential to focus. Lastly, the muscles you use should be muscles that pull your legs in and swivel them outwards, not the large muscles you use at most other activities, so it will feel weird until you get used to it, at first, you would may well feel you are unable to rely on them at all.
Skateboard, Longboard, or RipStik?
First off I live in florida, Flatter than Keira Knightley. Right now I have a ripstik that I've owned for 4 years. Im pretty good at it. I use it now to get my mail at my apartment complex. I've taken it out on the sidewalks and the bumps are no big deal. But its way too tiring to use as transportation. So Im trying to decide between a skateboard or longboard. My skateboard friend says to get a skateboard.My longboard friends says to get a longboard. I found a nice skateboard complete kit for $120.00 that I like. Longboards seem more expensive. So what do you guys think?
Cruiser vs Regular Skateboard?
So i just started skating about a week ago. I mostly just wanna cruise around on it, no fancy tricks or anything. But me and my friend just impulsively bought skateboards for about $110 each without doing much research. After riding around on them a little, i realized my balance sucks and every time I try to just cruise on the sidewalk, the bumps just hinder me and i somehow always turn towards the left side of the road. now idk if this is bc of my trucks/wheels or if i just suck at skateboarding rn, but w more research, i heard cruisers are easier to ride bc of their bigger and softer wheels. so here's the question. should i buy a cruiser or just buy cruiser wheels and risers and put them on my regular skateboard deck? would it help at all? (note that i already bought a skateboard for $110 and don't rly wanna waste too much money unless it's rly profitable in the end). thanks for any advice!
Are Penny Board skateboards good for beginners?
I have a Penny Board, a Penny Nickel Board, some skateboards and Cruisers. I started on a Penny Cruiser/Nickel (Modified) board. The only time I ever find myself riding any of the Penny boards is when it is raining. I think I learned faster and really enjoyed riding a board with a wood deck much more. I was able to get better trucks for it, and the ride was just smoother, more predictable, and responsive. Wood decks will have some concave, so your feet will feel more secure on the board. Also, I found it easier to get over cracks and sidewalks because when I leaned back on my tail, it would respond more quickly than a plastic board. I'm not as down on Penny boards as must people on Quora, but I really do think they're just not nearly as fun (or safe) to ride. I suggest http://landyachtz.com/us/boards/... as a fun alternative. It is a nice cruising board with a mellow concave (which I found made learning to turn my foot easier), and kittens are dope.Others might feel the same way, but I imagine a Penny board would be hard to get the jist of turning and what not at first. But then again I never rode one until I was about 5 years into skating so by then I could already do tricks the first time I rode one haha.If you're just looking to cruise just get a regular board with 70mm wheels. I put some on my regular board and it's so fast and smooth. A regular board would get me to work in 45 min but with the cruiser wheels it's about 30 min. And if you cn go for a fish tail board, if you dig the oldschool '70s/ penny board style.Pro Tips: invest in some risers, wheel bite sucks.Tip 2: don't push mongo, everyone will know your a noob and secretly film you on snapchat making fun of you. Not that I do this, but just trust me on this one.I’ll probably still insist you to buy one and have a feel for yourself, and then decide if it’s your style.Hope this helps mate!Cheers.