20 Top Tips for Skateboarding (Some You Might Not Have Heard Before)
If you're new to the world of skateboarding there's literally tons of advice out there, and we've certainly read through quite a bit of it!
So, we've pulled together a list of our top 20 favourite tips for beginners as somewhere to get you started.
If you're a newbie, some of these might surprise you! Check it out:
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Start slow.
Just get comfortable and learn to ride your board first.
Unfortunately you can't really gloss over the very basics with skating, it'll probably bite you in the butt later if you do!
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Figure out if you skate regular or goofy!
If you're not familiar with these terms, it's all to do with your stance/ footedness, and is used in pretty much any sport that requires a board. RedBull has an easy explanation and tips on the whole thing (here). Knowing your preferred way to skate really helps with learning tricks further down the line.
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Avoid skating in icy or wet conditions.
It just makes the odds of injuring yourself WAAAY higher. And puddles are tricksy.
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SAFETY GEAR.
Just wear it. Seriously.
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Keep clear of crowded spaces while you're a beginner.
If you can't confidently control your board someone will eventually get hurt. It'll probably be you.
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Be aware of your surroundings.
You wouldn't text or blast music through headphones on a bike - same rules apply!
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Be aware of the direction people are skating at parks
Try not to cut them up or disrupt their line.
You need to be aware of other skaters (and wait your turn)!
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Keep the area you skate in clear/clean
Any obvious rocks, rubbish etc just make a faceplant more likely if you hit it. Nobody likes a litterbug, anyway.
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Practice makes perfect
There's no other way to get this on lock than to keep at it. Everyone was a beginner once! You'll get there!
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But you will fall.
A lot. Try to roll when you do to help lessen the impact, eventually it'll be second nature.
** BONUS TIP: Don't leave stuff in your pockets. Landing on something like keys or a phone HURTS (and smashing your phone in the process plain sucks).
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Suede trainers.
Odd, but true. Canvas ones like basketball shoes or running trainers just don't seem to last! Any decent skate brand would work. Vans have been on skaters' feet for decades, so that might be a good place to start.
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Avoid the griptape coming into contact with your clothes when you carry your board.
It's essentially sandpaper, so it'll probably damage them after a while.
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Brand new boards and safety gear can take a while to break in and get used to.
Give it some time before you start making adjustments!
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Look after your board.
Some good ol' TLC will make it last longer (duh). We've got some basic advice on that here to get you started.
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Sand, dust and grass will screw with your bearings.
Best to not go off-roading.
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Don't let others ride your board too much.
Believe it or not it can change how your board handles. Not everyone rides the same way, and eventually this will have an effect on things like how your bushings wear down.
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If you're adding stickers to the underside of your board; stick them by the trucks.
Avoid the centre, nose and kicktail if you're planning on sliding - they'll mess with how the board behaves, and they won't last 5 minutes.
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There's really no concrete order to learn tricks in, go with what feels right to you!
Once you've got the essentials down, the world's your oyster!
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Careful skating with a backpack.
It can seriously throw your balance if you're not used to it. It is doable, but we wouldn't recommend carrying anything valuable in there just in case!
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Try to land tricks and jumps with your feet over your bolts.
It's true it's easier said than done, but landing with all your weight right over the centre of the board is more likely to snap your deck, and nobody wants that.