How To Stop on a Skateboard? Beginners Guide- Step by step

August 3, 2017 by sarfrz 3 Comments

For a beginner, it is important to learn how to stop a skateboard. If you know how to stop the board then this can prevent you from falling and getting injured. And of course, Knowing this can be a useful skill which gets you out of trouble and it can also be a skating trick that you can show off to other beginner skaters.

Here you will get some useful skills to stop your board, Some of them are easier and some are not, and also some are the ways which can stop you from your board but are not recommended for some reasons.

Let’s Check out some ways to stop your Skateboard:

Run off your Skateboard
Foot brake
Heel brake
Roll to the high friction surface
Carve long turn
Pop up the board
Kick turn 360
Tail drag (Unrecommended)
The Power Slide
Crash/fall, but safely (Only when no choice left)

Run off your Skateboard

Running off your skateboard might be the easiest way to stop but only when you are riding slow, you should take some steps forward after leaving the board.

How to run off a skateboard:

Position your back foot forward in the air
Put it down when you are ready
leave the board
Take some steps forward with the motion

It has a drawback that your skateboard leaves you and go away from you, so if you are riding fast your skateboard may hit hard with a wall or something else. Remember don’t ride with loose trucks when riding in a crowded place like skate park because it may hurt someone.

Foot brake

Use you back foot as a brake. your back/pushing foot on the ground flat

Drag your back/pushing foot with the ground. Do not lay down your foot immediately on the ground, this may get your foot stuck to the ground and you will fall.

How to apply foot brake:

Only when you are riding slow
Turn your front foot to point forward
Transfer your weight to front foot
Bring your back foot down(parallel to the ground)
Drag your back foot along with the ground to slow down.

Heel brake

Stopping your board by applying heel brake skateboard you need to lift up the nose of the board by push down with your back foot. Put your back foot on the tail and drag your heels to stop.

Roll to high friction surface

When you feel that you are losing control or you want to stop immediately, try to turn your skateboard to a high friction zone. This may stop you immediately and may prevent you from injuries when you fall if you roll to a cushiony area.

High friction zones might be Sand, Grass, Rough ground etc.

Carve Long turn

If you are riding fast it is better to slow down first then stop your skateboard. Carving around long turn may slow down you then you may Run off your board or pop up your board to completely stop.

Some people also ask how to slow down on a penny board or How to stop on a cruiser board Then you can Carve long turn whether it is penny or any other cruiser board.

Pop up the board

This is one of the coolest tricks to stop a skateboard. But it can also be tricky for a beginner to master it. It will take some effort and practice. Try this only when riding slow.

Slow down you board
Get off and kick the tail so that it bounces
Catch the board with hand

Kick turn 360

Yeah! this might be something new and weird for you, but trust me this is easier and the most effective technique to Stop a skateboard. All you have to do is use your turning skills that you might have already mastered, If not then first learn and master turning a skateboard.

When you are riding fast and want to stop, Just raise the nose of the board and kick turn your board. Keep the nose up and let the speed push and turn you 360 degree. Keep turning until you Slow down or Stop completely.

Tail Drag(Not Recommended)

When learning how to stop a skateboard, you will also learn the tail drag. But pro skaters do not recommend it because it can damage the deck of your board. By the way, to learn tail drag skateboard you simply put yourself in the Heel brake position but instead of sliding your heels you will drag the tail of the board by pushing it with your back foot.

The Power Slide

Of course, the coolest way to stop is probably the trickiest and that’s the skateboard power slide. Every beginner wants to learn this. But keep in mind that learning a powerslide takes time and effort and you will also fall pretty much time while practicing. To learn power slide:

Stand properly
Shift your weight
Make sure to grip your foot tightly
Turn nose of the board in side(let the board move forward)
Let the board slide, leaching all the wheels.

Crash/Fall (but safely)

Sometimes it happens that you have no choice other than falling. Or you can also crash sometimes when trying some tricks. Of course, we do not recommend crashing or falling, we are going to help you for this one too. Make sure you are wearing all your gears all the time. You will need to learn How to fall safely without or with fewer injuries.

There are many other ways to stop a skateboard which you can find out by yourself too. These were the some of the best, easiest and popular techniques. You just need to learn it and keep practicing all of them to be a master in skateboarding.

How to turn on a Skateboard? Beginners Guide

August 3, 2017 by sarfrz Leave a Comment

When you are learning how to skateboard, You want to learn new things as soon as possible. But before learning new skills you should practice and master all the skills that you already learned. So, Before you start to learn Skills/techniques to turn your skateboard you need to master your Stance and Pushing skills.

So, You have gotten comfortable to stand on the skateboard and also Pushing in a straight line. Make sure you have learned all the basics, if not then first Learn Basics for skateboarding.

Let’s go and learn a crucial needy skill to master skateboarding.

Turning a Skateboard

If you want to master skateboarding then you have to master that how you can change your skateboard’s direction easily. Turning can definitely help you change your direction but it also prevents you from falling and getting injured.

Yes ! you got it right it prevents you from falling and getting crashed while riding. Suppose you are riding fast in a straight line and suddenly you see a crack/bump and you are about to hit it.

What will happen then?

No Doubt! You will fall and get injured.

Turning your board not only saves you from bumps and cracks but any types of obstacles. It is also crucially important when performing tricks.

Types of turns

There can be many methods to turn a Skateboard. But we are going to teach you some of the easiest and common methods to turn on the skateboard.

Let’s see types of turn you can practice to be a master:

Carving

This is the easiest and the most effective method that a beginner, as well as pro skaters, use while riding their board.

Before you start learning how to turn by carving around, it is recommended that you loosen your skateboard’s truck a little. How much your board turns totally depends upon how much your truck is loosened. For a beginner, I would recommend tightened truck(not very loose) because it would be hard for a beginner to balance on a board with very loose trucks.

After loosening your trucks a bit, ride your skateboard and start practicing how to turn. Learn step by step, Let’s move on to steps now.

Steps to carve around on your skateboard:

Start Pushing
Put your foot back on the deck.
Lean in the direction you want to turn
Keep practicing

To change direction, Lean(Forward:if regular, Backward:if goofy). And to turn Left, Lean(Backward:if regular, Forward:if goofy).

Kick-turn

Kick-turn is a technique to steer your board while riding. It provides the sharp and sudden change in direction when turning your skateboard. To Kick-turn your skateboard you need to push the tail of the board with the back foot, raising the nose of the board and then turn in the desired direction with the front foot.

Learn how to kick-turn skateboard step by step:

Push and start moving
Position your foot
Raise the nose of the board
Redirect your foot in the desired direction
Land front wheels to the ground

Tic-tac turn

However, most skateboarders know that there are only two types of techniques to turn on a skateboard, But here we are gonna introduce you with some new and easy skills.

Tic-tac is also a technique you can use to steer on your skateboard, It is effective when the skater wants to immediately skip small obstacles like a pebble, crack or bump on the ground. Tic-tac helps the skater in about a 70-80 degree and sharp and immediate turning.

Learn tic-tac turn step by step:

Place your foot immediately in kick-turn position
Slightly push back foot
Raise the nose of the board a little
Change direction now
Do it again
Keep Practicing.

These were some of the most effective and popular methods that beginners and pro users perform to steer their skateboard easily. You can try all of them one by one, but keep one thing in mind you have to master turning before you start performing tricks. So, Pickup your board now and start learning this basic skill and don’t move on to next step until you master this one.

How to Push on a Skateboard? Step by Step

August 1, 2017 by sarfrz Leave a Comment

Pushing a Skateboard is the earliest maneuvering technique that a beginner learn. This is something that you have to master if you are a beginner and want to master skateboarding. This is one of the basic things that you might think that you do not need any information regarding it, But Learning some basics related to Stance and Balancing may help you to learn how to push easily and effectively to be a master.

Let’s go through a brief tutorial:

Pushing on a Skateboard: Step by Step Guide

Position your Foot

Before learning to push off the skateboard it is very important to Position your foot correctly. The position of your foot would depend on your Stance (Whether you are regular or goofy). If you still don’t know your which foot would be in front and which one would be your back foot, Then you should find out as soon as possible whether you are Regular or goofy.

Goofy Stance foot Position

If you are Goofy then Put your Right(Leading) foot on the skateboard deck and your left foot on the ground. Here your left foot, which is back foot plays a major roll in balancing yourself on the board and pushing.

Regular Stance foot Position

If your riding stance is regular then put you right (leading) foot on the deck and your right foot on the ground. Here your right foot, which is back foot plays a major roll in balancing yourself on the board and pushing.

Start Pushing

Start with a small push:

If you are a beginner then you should start with a small push, which can roll you for about 2-3 feets. Regular stance rider push with their right foot.And Goofy stance rider push with their left foot.

Position back your foot

If you want to learn how to push on a skateboard then, After a successful push, it is very important for you to position back your foot on the deck.

Take your back foot on the deck and position it above the back trucks and your front foot would be on the front bolts, and stand in the athletic stance.

Push Again

Don’t stop after a successful push. Keep Pushing until you master it and make a good balance while pushing your skateboard. Small pushes on skateboard always work to practice.

Increase Speed

Once you become comfortable while pushing on your skateboard, You can start increasing speed. Becoming comfortable while pushing means you don’t lose balance when you try to push your skateboard and also confident enough to increase speed. You may fall several times while Pushing hard but never give-up.

Now you have learnt how to push on a skateboard. If you find it difficult balancing while pushing the skateboard, then you can also try other Things which are mentioned below.

You can try following techniques to first maintain balance on a moving skateboard, After that, you can start pushing yourself.

Try it:

Improve balance before start Pushing

Hold your Friend

You can hold your friend’s hand while you are standing on the skateboard. Once you feel stable, ask your friend to move you slowly. All you need is to find a friend whom you trust.

Roll through a slope

Find a smooth slope which is not too high and start rolling slowly from there. It would be great if you get something to hold like a wall or something else which is stable.

Let a friend push you

Just stand on the board comfortably and call a trusted friend. And tell him to push you slowly so that you can roll some distance. Getting a push from your friend would help you maintain your balance yourself.

So, these were some of the effective techniques that you can use while learning to push on the skateboard and improve your balance on the skateboard. You definitely are not going to learn if you keep reading tons of articles like this or even better than this. Only practicing those methods can help you be a master in Skateboarding. Just go and try it now.

Find out if You are Regular or Goofy Stance? Learn to Stand on a Skateboard

July 31, 2017 by sarfrz Leave a Comment

Before you start skateboarding it is very important for you to know which foot you will use to push the board and which one will be leading foot that will stay on the deck.

If the rider uses his/her right foot as leading foot then he is said to be riding ‘Goofy, ‘ or if their leading foot is left foot then he/she is supposed to ride ‘Regular’ and if a rider is usually ‘goofy’ but rides in ‘regular’ stance and vice versa then they are meant to riding in ‘switch.’

Many beginners get stuck while getting to know their Skating stance and ask questions like:

How to know my skateboarding stance? ,

How to stand on a skateboard? ,

How can I determine whether am I regular or goofy?

I am right handed what would be my leading foot?

So,

Here is the answer, Most people get stuck to this because they think that if they mostly work with left hand then their leading foot would be left or if they are right handed they think their front foot would be right. But the truth is that being goofy or regular does not depend upon the hand which you mostly use while working or picking up something or writing.

We guarantee after reading this complete article and Practicing what we are gonna teach you, you will definitely Find out Whether you are goofy or regular.

Here we go:

Determine your skateboarding Stance:

Tug of War

Yes ! Tug of War can help you out finding your skating stance. Find a good friend and a rope and hold it tightly from one end and another end to your friend. Then count 3,2,1 and Start pulling the rope.

Now, see which is your front foot, that should be your leading foot while riding.

Do it a couple of times.
Change your foot position each time.
Find which position is more comfortable.
Once you feel that in this position you feel more powerful see and remember your front foot.
More comfortable position decides how you have to stand on the skateboard.

The Slide

This can be the easiest way to find out whether you are Regular or Goofy. All you have to do is just stand on a smooth and slippery ground and start running, Now stop immediately so that you take a slide.

Your dominant foot would be the leading foot while riding.

Try it a couple of times.
Don’t try it on a rough surface.
Better balancing position provides the right leading foot.

Kicking football

Place a football on the ground, target a goal. Then try to hit hard to the goal. Or you can hold the ball in your both hands then drop it on the ground and hit it hard towards the goal. The foot which you use to kick the ball probably would be your dominant foot.

You can also place the ball in an open ground and try to kick as far as you can. Do this one by one with both your legs. The foot which kicks the ball further probably would be your dominant foot.

So these were some of the techniques that you can use to find your dominant foot while skateboarding. There are many other techniques which can help you find out your stance(goofy/regular), Just try these techniques and find out more by yourselt. All the techniques explained here can definitely help you find your skateboarding stance. Try it Now

How to Skateboard? – Getting Started, Beginner’s learning Guide

July 30, 2017 by sarfrz Leave a Comment

If you are a beginner and want to learn skateboarding or you are a parent and want to teach your Kid, skateboarding skills then you have come to the right place. Whether you want to just cruise around or you want to do Tricks like an Ollie and kickflip etc. First of all, you need to learn is basics. Here in this guide/course, you will learn to get the right gear for you, You will also learn to stand on the skateboard comfortably, Pushing and of-course, all basics that will teach you How to Skateboard.

Learn Skateboarding Basics

Let’s move to the Steps:

Getting the Right Equipment

Choosing right Skateboard

Choosing a Skateboard that suits your need/interest should be your first priority. There are many types of skateboards available, You may understand your need/interest and then go for the best one available there. You can also take advice from an experienced skateboarder or a friend who is skating from years.

Here are some basic types of skateboard available in the market you can choose from:

Longboards/Cruisers

Longboards are larger than traditional skateboards and it can be a great choice for a beginner. It is easy to maneuver and cruise around on a longboard for beginners than other Skateboards. But if you want to pop an ollie and or other pro tricks then longboards would not be the best option for you.

Skateboards/Shortboards

A Shortboard is a traditional Skateboard which you think of when you hear the word Skateboard. Its deck is tapered from both ends and suitable for skating around at high speed. It is perfect for doing tricks and it is also suitable for maneuvering and cruising around. But it takes time and effort for a beginner to make balance on it.

Penny Boards

Penny board is a type of skateboard made up of plastic. It is bent from one side (its Tail), It is fully made up of hard plastic that’s why it is much more durable and light in weight. Penny Boards are sold in three different deck sizes, the 22″, 27″ (Nickel) and 36″ longboard deck.

Custom Skateboards

Sometimes when you buy a complete skateboard, there might be chances that some parts would not be according to your requirement. So, pro skaters choose to assemble a Custom Skateboard by choosing best parts/brands in each of them and make a complete board of their choice and comfort. If you want a cheap skateboard then Custom skateboards can help you out. Although cheap is never recommended.

Pair of Shoes

So that now you have selected a Skateboard of your choice, Now you should get a good pair of shoes. Having a good quality pair of shoes is the most important thing you need after choosing a board because of-course you don’t want a serious injury to your foot. Shoes give good grip and absorb shocks and also protects your foots from getting injured.

Safety Gears

Skating without getting injured would always be your first motive while learning Skateboarding. So getting the right Safety Gears for you would be a great idea. A helmet is always recommended, whether you are a Pro Skater or just getting Started to skateboarding.

Knee pads, elbow pads, Hand gloves etc are other safety gears that we recommend. If you jump from high stairs or if there are chances of falling you can also wear hip-guard. There is a variety of Safety Equipment available online you can go for and try.

So Now you have all the required Equipment, You are all set not. Let’s go and find a place suitable for skateboarding:

Find a good place

Finding a good place means finding a place which is safe enough for skating. A safe place definitely does not have obstacles like Chair, Table, Wardrobe etc. which may get you injured. A Safe place is free from such obstacles.

Some of the Safe Places for Skateboarding are:

Skate Parks
Schools/College Campus
Large Parking Areas.
Public Park(less crowded)
Bike lanes on road.

Learning Basics

So, you have got all the necessary equipment, A Pair of good quality Shoes and a good & safe place to practice.

Now, you have to learn basics like Knowing your Riding Position, Balancing, Pushing, etc.

Let’s go:

Goofy or Regular

Before you start riding a skateboard, You have to know whether you are goofy or regular. Being goofy means your Right foot would be in front(Nose) of the board and Being Regular stance means your front foot would be you left foot.

Most people get stuck to find whether they are goofy or regular, But this is a very important step while learning skateboarding guide.

So here we have some useful tips to find their leading foot. You can try these tricks to know you riding stance:

Tug of War(Front foot would be Leading foot while riding)
Running on Stairs(Leading foot would be that foot which takes the first step)
Riding Bicycle(Leading foot paddles first.

There are many ways to find your riding stance, some of them are mentioned above. You can try it out and check yourself.

Stand Properly

Now you have to learn how to stand properly on a Skateboard.

Put Both legs above trucks
Keep leading foot in riding direction
Point your feets to sides
Bend your knees to get into the Athletic stance.
Spread your hands to maintain balance.

Standing in an athletic position on a skateboard always helps, whether you are just cruising around or popping Pro tricks. It maintains your balance and prevents you from falling. Bend knees absorb shocks produces by bumps on the ground or a shock produced by a jump during a trick. So, always try to stay in this position.

Stay Confident and Motivated

No one learns something from their mother’s womb and so are you. Never get disappointed or discouraged if you fall or you can’t perform tricks. Remember, It takes time and efforts to achieve anything you want. All you have to do just keep practicing and enjoy riding you Skateboard.

Once you start to enjoy anything, you will automatically start mastering that by time. So Stay confident that if they can do it then definitely you can also do it.

Learn Pushing

Now, you can start pushing your skateboard, Keep your Leading foot on the deck(Right if goofy & Left if Regular) and make a push by your back foot( i.e. Left, if goofy & Right, if Regular). If you are a beginner then start with very small pushes with which you are comfortable of balancing. Put your weight on your Front foot and keep pushing with your back foot.

Once you start getting comfortable by pushing, you can start pushing hard. Keep pushing in the straight line until you master it.

Now move on to next Step:

Shifting into Right Position

After you push your board it is very important for you to get into the riding position again. When you push position of your foot changes and if you don’t shift it into right position it is possible that you can fall and get injured.

After pushing your front foot would point forward(Riding direction), you have to shift it in such a way that it points to that side where your body is front facing.

And you back foot should be kept pointing the same direction and it should also be kept over decks. Actually, both of your feet should be kept just above the decks.

Learn turning

It is recommended to master all the basics first before learning to turn the skateboard. You should also have all safety gears before you learn to turn.

Turning is very important when skateboarding, as it changes your direction and helps you to ride in your desired direction. By turning your skateboard you can also skip bump and cracks on the ground.

Two main techniques of turning a Skateboard are:

Carving
Kick turn

Learn to Stop

While riding if you keep rolling and don’t know how to stop then you are definitely gonna crash. So Learning to stop your skateboard would definitely gonna save you from crashing and getting injured.

There are many Techniques to Stop a skateboard, some of them are:

Foot brake
Heel brake
Tail drag
Power slide Read more

Learn to fall

Yes ! it might sound weird “learn to fall”, But if I say ‘Learn how to fall safely‘ then you will understand what you are gonna learn.

Learning to fall safely means to avoid falling or falling with less or without injuries.

Some techniques that you can use are:

Avoid falling
Knee slide
Bailing
Roll with the fall more…

This is a complete guide to learn skateboarding for beginners. Just go through all steps and Keep practicing. “Practice makes a man Perfect”, To learn any tutorial in detail just click on the related image or Click “more…” to see the complete procedure.