Q&A for How to Skateboard (Beginners)

It's really essential that you learn how to get on and off of the skateboard first. I'd recommend putting the board in the grass or dirt and just get used to putting one foot on, bringing your other foot up, and balancing on the deck. Once you're comfortable with that you can start trying to actually ride.

Any large board is going to be a lot easier to balance on, so I'd recommend you get something on the bigger side when you're starting out. Choose your wheels based on what you're planning to use the board for. Harder wheels won't be as smooth, but they'll give you more freedom to do tricks in the future. Softer wheels will result in a smoother ride, but it's a lot harder to do anything fancy on the board with soft wheels.

The most common option is to take your back foot off of the board, bring it forward a bit, and slowly lower it to the ground to generate friction and slow down. Alternatively, instead of just slowing to a crawl with your foot on the ground, you can always walk or run off of the board once you've slowed down.

Try slowly easing your foot onto the ground, then eventualy stomp down after losing some momentum. If you're about to die or something, then ditch the board, tuck and roll

Yes, the smooth surfaces at a skate park are great for learning. Avoid trying any tricks until you get comfortable with the basics.

Tell her that you want to do it safely and talk about ways you can protect yourself, like by wearing a helmet.

Going downhill requires a lot of balance. Depending on the steepness of the slope and whether there are any obstacles, you might want to keep your pushing foot out to be able to stop/slow down whenever you might need to. Or, you could just relax and let yourself be pushed down by gravity.

This depends on the person! It could take a week or a couple months. It's important to not give up and keep trying.

If you're just cruising around, you really wont have too much of an issue. However, if you notice the bottom of most skate shoes, the tread is very flat and usually a tight pattern to allow it to grip the tape better because more contact area gives you a better grip. This makes tricks easier to do and keeps you better planted on the board so you won't fall as easily from losing your balance.

Yes that is fine. Plain old trainers, skating shoes, whatever works for you is what is best.

Stomp the foot that you used to push off on the ground. You might fall but don't be discouraged--nine times out of ten it's impossible to get off a skateboard travelling at high speed and not hurt yourself.

Lean forward. If you lean backward, the skateboard will flip out under you, leading to a nasty fall.

When in riding position, make smooth strokes with your moving foot against the ground, propelling yourself forward.

Yes, since smaller boards are better for street skating and begin around 7.5"- 8". Any bigger is more for park skating, where you cruise a bit more.

You can use tennis shoes, but it is better to use skate shoes. Use tennis shoes with really good grips though.

After you are comfortable on your board, you'll need to know "tick-tacking". Just place your back foot on the very tail of the board and slightly pop your tail while simultaneously pivoting your legs sharply in the direction you want to turn. If all else fails, jump off. Look it up on YouTube for specific tutorials.

If your in school, ask some people if they skate. If not, just go to a local park and make some friends. They will be able to help you out with skating and teach you some stuff.

Parking lots can be good. Try to find one that isn't very busy, or go at an early or late hour (depending on how old you are and the hour). Be safe, and if there are signs prohibiting skateboarding in the lot, find a new place.

It depends on the bottoms. If the bottoms of the shoes are uneven or have a non-flat surface, it is better not to skate in them. The best shoes to skate in would be Vans, Airwalks, DCs, and Etnies, which are all signature skate shoes, though plenty of athletic companies now make shoes perfect for skating.

You could skate on your driveway or in empty parking lots, or any other skate-able surface.

Almost any kind board can be used for tricks, though some are much harder to work with than others. A cruiser board will work just fine for tricks, whereas a longboard might take more work to convince it to do what you want. Trick boards aren't the only boards that can do tricks. However, if you are a beginner, keep in mind that you should become comfortable with just riding before trying out tricks.

That's very true. The icy terrain can be very dangerous for skaters of any skill level. You should look for indoor skating facilities in your area for the winter months.

Tennis shoes will likely have more support for when you're starting out with learning how to skateboard.

Yes, as long as they have a flat bottom. Make sure they don't have a bumpy bottom surface.

Of course! Just make sure that you have other people around you to help you in case you fall and always wear protective gear. Learning on a longboard may be easier for you as well so it is good to use one. You can do anything you put your mind to!

Some great places to practice would be: A parking lot, around a school in the summertime when school is closed so that no one is there, a basketball court or your driveway.

It could be that your skateboard is to loose, or just because you don't bend your knees when you ride. I was just the same way when I started out, and that's okay! It could also be that you are not wearing the right clothes. Try wearing pants that have a flexible fit. Just practice about twice a week, read up on learning to skate, and you will improve.

Hard wheels are better for cruising. Also, consider investing in a longboard, they have super big wheels that go over rough terrain with greater ease.

Knowing terms would probably be helpful but no you don't have to. Maybe terms like vert, fakie, nollie, switch are helpful to learn. Also watching skate clips on Youtube and Instagram can help you to decipher what tricks are being done.

It's based on personal preference. The only thing that really matters in skate shoes is having suede on it if you are planning to do tricks.