How to Ride a Skateboard: Your Complete Guide

By Ryan Barnes

Skateboarding is a popular sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. The first question anyone has when they want to get into skateboarding is how to ride a skateboard?

This article will answer that and more, telling you everything you need to know about skateboards, from the parts they consist of to what safety precautions should be taken while skating.

Equipment You Need for Skateboarding

Skateboarding is an art, but it can be performed with all the safety gear to protect themselves from any possible injuries. It is the only way to ensure you can perform tricks without getting yourself hurt.

Let’s take a look at the equipment that you need before you jump into skateboarding.

1. Helmet

The helmet is the most crucial piece of protective gear that you need on your head before you hit the street skating. It will protect your head against any nasty injuries that could happen while skateboarding. You’ll want to wear one before you get into the more complicated tricks or even start skating down a hill with obstacles in front of you.

2. Knee Pads and Elbow Pads

These pieces of equipment will help with protection from skateboarding tricks like hard falls. It can also help with protection from the ground when you are just starting out and not quite used to how skateboarding works. You’ll need them before you take any serious runs down a hill with obstacles in front of you.

3. Gloves

Protect your hands by wearing gloves while skating! You will need them to prevent any injuries, like cuts or scrapes on your hand. They can also protect against road rash if you were ever to fall hard on the ground.

4. Wrist Guards

Protect your wrists! You’ll need a lot of wrist support when you’re trying out new tricks and going downhills. Your hands will be on the wheels, so there’s not much to stop them from breaking in case they hit something hard like the ground.

5. Skate Shoes

Protect your feet! Skateboarding can be hard on the soles of your shoes and it’s easy to get blisters, or worse. Wear protective and sturdy skate shoes that have a lot of support in them so you’ll avoid any injuries like this.

Riding a Skateboard

Like any skill, skateboarding takes time and patience to learn.[1] Skateboard riders should learn the basics before trying new tricks or following experienced skaters. Let’s go through the step-by-step process of learning how to ride a skateboard for beginners.

1. How to Stand on a Skateboard: Choosing a Stance

First thing first, it’s important to learn how to stand on a skateboard. In skateboarding, there are two stances: regular and goofy. Regular stance is when the skaters stand with their right foot in front of their left, and goofy stance is vice versa.

Some people might not know which one to pick, so they can try both until they find out what feels more natural for them. When first learning how to ride a skateboard, it’s best if you bend your knees on the skateboard, leaning forward and holding onto the front of it.

2. How to Push on a Skateboard

To push a skateboard, set your front foot forward over the bolts on the front truck. Your shoe should face forward and slightly inwards towards the nose of the board. Push off the ground with your back foot to start rolling.

Push your foot against the board to propel it forward. To get the maximum amount of speed with your skateboard, touch both feet to the ground. This will allow you to push your board down more efficiently and maintain a level trajectory.

3. How to Turn on a Skateboard

To turn a skateboard, push off the ground with your back foot and twist in the direction you want to go. For example, if you want to make an L shape like riding a bike would require turning left on one side of the board and then right at the other end.

This will make it so that when you land from jumping, you will no longer be facing the same direction. If this is your desired effect, just make sure to turn in the opposite direction when you jump so that it does not look confusing or uncomfortable.

4. How to Cruise on a Skateboard

Cruising on the skateboard is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable things to do. It is not hard to understand how to ride a skateboard for beginners, and the first thing you should be able to do is a cruise.

To launch into a Manuel, all you need to do is lift your front wheels when riding and let the back wheels stay grounded. The last type of trick that seasoned skaters are familiar with is sliding.

To slide on the skateboard, you need to lean back and press down on the front truck with your foot. A lot of people think that sliding is a complicated maneuver but it really just takes some strength in the right spot.

5. How to Stop on a Skateboard

While cruising and maneuvering is one thing, stopping is another. Stopping on a Skateboard is considered one of the most difficult things to do on a skateboard. It does not take long to learn how to stop, but you must understand just how much balance and strength are necessary for you to fully control your board.

To break or slow down while cruising, simply turn your foot on the back truck in the opposite direction.

If you need to stop, use your front and back foot as leverage points for balance. Push out with both feet in a way that will create some friction on the ground. Your weight should be distributed evenly between them so you don’t topple over, but it’s important not to put all of your weight into either foot.

If you somehow get to a point where you can’t stop, don’t panic. The best way to stay on your board is by rolling with the momentum of the skid and tucking into a ball as soon as possible so that your feet are in front of you. Don’t try and fight against it; this will only make you lose your balance and send you flying off the board.

Wrapping Up

Riding a skateboard is not hard, but it does require practice. Practice in a safe environment before you try to ride on the street and make sure not to get discouraged if your progress is slow at first as this takes time for someone who has never done it before. Practice the tricks mentioned above to make your skills better.

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