Skateboarding is exciting, adventurous and fun. Riding a skateboard with your friends on the country road is cool, and even more exciting when it’s an off-road electric skateboard!
Nonetheless, its impressiveness is equally matched with its first-time learning toughness. Many beginners lose their inspiration and guts after a few days of their practice due to the lack of proper guidance. So, I decided to do a bit of research to help the beginner level skateboard riders. Thus, I listed these 6 tips to ride a skateboard for the first time for the beginners.
Kids love skateboards! Riding a skateboard is always thrilling for them. But you need to know the basics of skateboard before riding it like a pro. You must have to learn how to keep your body balance while controlling your skate with your feet. This precision will come through trials and errors. It takes time and so you need to keep enjoying while practicing.
Here, I am going to describe 6 most essential tips to ride a skateboard for the first time including from what type of board you need to buy to safety issues and first day ride basics. Let’s start.
Quality skateboard
There are a number of different skateboards available in the market. But for a beginner, you might select a longboard or fast style skateboard. For older people, an electric skateboard will perform better. While you buy a skateboard examine it closely and avoid buying cheaper skateboards because they tend to break easily. Look at the lightest skateboard trucks so that you can get the best experience from it.
However, you also shouldn’t spend a great deal of money to buy an expensive one for your first skateboard ride. Usually, a cheap electric skateboard is the best place to start. An electric skateboard costing less than $300 is the next step up, and finally, for a beginner, I would not spend more than 500 dollars on an electric skateboard. Instead of getting a super curved skate, try with a simple and flat one to reduce your falling chances.
Proper suit
There is a higher percentage of chance that you will fall down often from your skateboard during the first few days. So, a proper suit up is a must to avoid any unwanted injuries. The proper suit for a skateboard ride includes:
A proper pair of shoes
Select a flexible pair of shoes with flat sole and shock absorbing ability. Instead of buying a trendy and fashionable pair, select a simple but comfortable and equally functional pair of shoes.
Running socks:
Skateboarding creates a lot of sweat in your body. So, selecting a pair of running socks will help you absorb sweat and protect ankles from shock.
Protective Gear
Most skateboard riders prefer looking cool without protective gears. But for a beginner, I strongly suggest wearing protective gears. After all, being able to work on the next day probably has more worth than looking cool. At least wear a knee pad and helmet to avoid any unexpected wound.
Select a proper and soft place
To ride a skateboard for the first time, find a suitable place. Ideally, a concrete floor or place without any bumps and cracks is perfect for skateboard riding. However, it increases your chance of getting injured.
So, before you start skating on a concrete floor, practice on a soft grassy patch or carpet. It will help you get better balance and control over your body movements and skateboard. Practice right foot forward and left foot forward to get better balance and once you feel comfortable to move forward for a concrete space to ride your skate.
Pushing
At first, start pushing your skateboard with simple moves. It will prevent the board from sliding out of your feet. At first, take your front foot and step forward to build the momentum of the skate. When I started my skating, I took fewer big steps instead of small steps and it helped me greatly to keep my balance and get momentum simultaneously. Imagine that you are plying a gondola boat and move your skate with such smoothness.
Learn using your back foot
Your back foot acts as the brake of your skateboard. The skateboarders call it foot braking. You can’t escape learning it. At first, take away your back foot from the board. Then drag it against the ground to slow down your momentum. It will stop your skateboard. Always start with slow speed and with patience increase your speed limit to achieve a perfect control on foot braking before you move on to the busy streets.
Be patient
I know, skateboarding is a tremendous way of showing your smartness and creativity. But stop thinking about these until you really learn it. Make sure that you are confident enough with your movements, braking, and momentum controlling before you take out your skateboard for simple back-and-forth moves. It is most likely that you will fall and get minor injuries while you ride for the first time on the skateboard. Thus, your patience and guts will help you to master the technique of skateboard and show your artwork with the skateboard.
Few More tips
Along with these 6 tips to ride a skateboard for the first time, here is a list for you to help you through the journey of mastering skateboard arts-
- Learning to skateboard is a time-consuming activity. Spare some time behind it and don’t expect to learn it within a few hours or a day.
- Avoid skating in a crowdy place and practice as much as you can.
- Stop being hasty and slowly increase your speed.
- Know and respect the skateboard community etiquettes.
Final Thoughts
Skateboard riding is fun indeed. If you master in riding a skateboard, you might easily amaze people with famous skateboard moves such as- fakie, switching stance, the Tick-Tack, the caveman and the mini ramp. But, as you start at a beginner level, these top-notch 6 tips to ride a skateboard for the first time surely going to help you. I strongly believe, these tips will eventually bring the best of skateboarding art from you.
So, before I sign off, I would like to wish you a big ‘Good Luck’.
