Longboarding is a fantastic way to maintain your activity level high while still enjoying the process! Both young and mature audiences enjoy longboarding, and many are getting into this hobby lately. If you're one of them, you can also check out our post about the best beginner longboards and ensure that you get yourself a safe piece of equipment.
Let us present the ten easiest tricks you can learn when you're first starting off your longboarding journey.
1. The Pivot.
The pivot is a really interesting trick that helps you learn how to change the direction you are moving in. It is essentially a 180° rotation that you do both with your longboard and your body simultaneously. First, you have to switch your weight to your back foot, keeping your front foot on the nose of the longboard. The back weight will cause slight lifting of the front, which allows you to create a whole-body movement guided by your body and the foot on the front - you rotate with the complete longboard and end up going in the same direction you were coming from.
2. The Heel 180 Slide Stand
With this trick, you're going to learn how to drift with your longboard. The trick is similar to the one described under number one, but the longboard never rises off the floor. Firstly, you have to put both your feet on the board but keep the heels slightly hanging. Next, switch your weight to the front, and make sure you're light on the back foot so that you can manipulate the board with it. You then make it rotate when you create a whole-body movement with your shoulders, hips, and back foot, but you never lift the whole board. As a result, you create friction and noise at all times while drifting.
3. The Downhill Tuck
The downhill tuck is a fun trick you can do when you want to ride lower and catch more speed, and it's one of those tricks you usually do mid-drive! You put your front foot in the front but angle it slightly diagonally, while your back foot stands in the back, but in a straight manner. You then have to bend your knees, the back one slightly more, and lay your chest on your front knee, the higher one. Next, put the back of your palms on your lower back or gluteus, and make sure to lean your whole body when you want to move the longboard slightly to one side.
Image credit: https://downhill254.com/skating-beginners-tuck-longboard/
4. The Foot Brake
If you wish to drive safely, you will have to learn how to do the foot brake. This trick is pretty easy - you drive on your longboard with your usual stance, and when you want to brake, you use your back foot and softly place it on the ground. It would help if you didn't stomp on the ground - you essentially slide the sole of your foot on the floor, and the friction causes you to slow down. Do not use your front foot as the bread, and make sure to keep your braking knee straight.
5. The Cross Step
One of the easiest tricks, and best ones for those who don't want to do any jumping on their longboard, is the cross-step. It is a visually pleasing trick that requires minimal foot movement. You start in your regular stance, and then you bring your front foot to the back of the longboard. You then put your back foot in front of the one you just moved away to the back, and after this, you return the feet to their regular positions. This move is called the cross-step because you will move your back foot over your front foot, which will cross your legs.
6. The Ghost Ride
The ghost ride is a fun trick that many people enjoy when they feel like combining dance and longboarding. You begin by driving on the longboard with both your feet on board, and then, whenever you have enough speed, you step off the board and take a few dance-like steps beside it as it drives. After that, you hop back on the board. If you are a beginner, do not take more than two small steps, and make sure you step back on the board one foot at a time.
7. Single Foot Balancing
This move is also called "the one-foot balance." It helps you with braking and balance. Your driving foot should be at the back of the longboard, and you should try to balance on it singlehandedly. The front of the longboard is often lifted. Your driving leg pushes you forward and then hangs in line with your balancing (driving) foot. A good tip is to keep your arms spread for balance.
8. The Peter Pan
The Peter Pan trick essentially teaches you how to move your feet over each other in a criss-cross motion, but you never do any rotations or jumping. Instead, you start in your regular stance and slowly move the back foot so that it is parallel to the longboard as if you were walking in the direction of your movement. The other foot then goes over the previous foot as if you were walking to the front. You can exchange the two as much as you want, which essentially looks as if you are exaggerating normal walking by putting your feet over each other. The right foot will always align with the left edge, while the left foot always goes over to the right edge, parallel to it.
9. The Pirouette
This ballerina-inspired move looks tougher than it is, but it's more about balance than longboarding, really! While you're on your board, you have to balance on the ball of your front foot. The back foot is a little lifted. While you are rotating on the ball of the foot (not the heel!), you make a whole 360°. Help yourself with your hands, as they help with balance.
10. The Boneless
The boneless might be the toughest trick on the list, but it is still very doable. You begin by lowering the position of your body in your regular stance, putting your back foot on the very back of the board, grabbing the edge of the board (in the middle) with your hands, and then comes the hard part... You have to step off with your front foot, pull the longboard up, make a little jump, and then land back on the longboard.
We hope you have found yourself a new favorite move! Make sure to wear your protective gear and enjoy the process!
