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Q&A for How to Skateboard (Beginners)
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QuestionHow do beginners learn to skate? What's the first thing I should do?Jon Depoian is a Skateboarding Instructor and the Owner of Intro2Skateboarding, an organization based in Orange County, California that provides professional private, home-school, after-school, birthday party, and summer camp skateboard lessons for beginners and experienced skateboarders alike. Jon has over 21 years of skateboarding experience and over 10 years of skateboard instruction experience. He also has extensive experience producing street skateboarding videos and skating competitions.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.
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QuestionWhat is a good skateboard for a beginner?Jon Depoian is a Skateboarding Instructor and the Owner of Intro2Skateboarding, an organization based in Orange County, California that provides professional private, home-school, after-school, birthday party, and summer camp skateboard lessons for beginners and experienced skateboarders alike. Jon has over 21 years of skateboarding experience and over 10 years of skateboard instruction experience. He also has extensive experience producing street skateboarding videos and skating competitions.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.
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QuestionWhat's the best way to stop on a skateboard?Jon Depoian is a Skateboarding Instructor and the Owner of Intro2Skateboarding, an organization based in Orange County, California that provides professional private, home-school, after-school, birthday party, and summer camp skateboard lessons for beginners and experienced skateboarders alike. Jon has over 21 years of skateboarding experience and over 10 years of skateboard instruction experience. He also has extensive experience producing street skateboarding videos and skating competitions.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.
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QuestionHow do I stop when going downhill fast?Community AnswerTry 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
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QuestionCan a beginner learn to skate in a skate park?Community AnswerYes, the smooth surfaces at a skate park are great for learning. Avoid trying any tricks until you get comfortable with the basics.
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QuestionHow can I convince my mom to let me skateboard?Community AnswerTell her that you want to do it safely and talk about ways you can protect yourself, like by wearing a helmet.
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QuestionCan you give me more tips for going downhill?Community AnswerGoing 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.
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QuestionHow long will it take me to skate smoothly and easily?Community AnswerThis depends on the person! It could take a week or a couple months. It's important to not give up and keep trying.
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QuestionWill skating with work boots on affect the ride?Community AnswerIf 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.
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QuestionIs it still okay to skate with regular skating shoes?Community AnswerYes that is fine. Plain old trainers, skating shoes, whatever works for you is what is best.
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QuestionHow do I make an emergency stop when I'm travelling at high speed without hurting myself?Community AnswerStomp 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.
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QuestionWhen going down slopes, how do I distribute my weight? Is it better to lean forward or backward?Community AnswerLean forward. If you lean backward, the skateboard will flip out under you, leading to a nasty fall.
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QuestionHow do I continue moving when in riding position?Community AnswerWhen in riding position, make smooth strokes with your moving foot against the ground, propelling yourself forward.
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QuestionWhen learning to skate, does the size of the skate board matter?Community AnswerYes, 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.
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QuestionDo I need to buy skate shoes or can I just skate with regular tennis shoes? Will tennis shoes affect my ability to do tricks?Community AnswerYou can use tennis shoes, but it is better to use skate shoes. Use tennis shoes with really good grips though.
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QuestionHow do I do sharp turns?Community AnswerAfter 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.
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QuestionHow can I find skateboarding friends, especially when I'm a beginner?Community AnswerIf 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.
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QuestionI just got a skateboard, and I am starting out in my garage, but there are too many cracks and pebbles. Where would be a good place to start? (I don't have skate parks in my area.)Nadia EsparzaCommunity AnswerParking 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.
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QuestionCan I skate while wearing Adidas shoes?April CoteroCommunity AnswerIt 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.
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QuestionWhere can I practice if there is no skate park around?Community AnswerYou could skate on your driveway or in empty parking lots, or any other skate-able surface.
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QuestionIs it possible to do tricks with a cruiser? I can't afford a trick board.Community AnswerAlmost 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.
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QuestionI'm guessing it wouldn't be a good idea to skate on winter when it's icy?Community AnswerThat'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.
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QuestionCould I skate in converse, or would it be better for me to skate in tennis shoes?Community AnswerTennis shoes will likely have more support for when you're starting out with learning how to skateboard.
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QuestionAre sneakers okay to skate with?Ariella V.Community AnswerYes, as long as they have a flat bottom. Make sure they don't have a bumpy bottom surface.
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QuestionCan a 75 year old man learn to skateboard on a longboard?Kaci WoodCommunity AnswerOf 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!
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QuestionWhere are good places to skateboard without many people?Kaci WoodCommunity AnswerSome 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.
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QuestionI'm trying to learn to skateboard, but I can't even go in a straight line. I'm so stressed about it, what can I do?Laci XpCommunity AnswerIt 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.
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QuestionWhat are the best kind of wheels for cruising around in the streets (bad streets, lots of cracks everywhere). Are soft wheels, extra soft or hard wheels be best?Isabelw88Community AnswerHard wheels are better for cruising. Also, consider investing in a longboard, they have super big wheels that go over rough terrain with greater ease.
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QuestionDo I have to use skater language?Isabelw88Community AnswerKnowing 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.
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QuestionWith skating shoes, are high tops better, worse, or does it not matter much?Isabelw88Community AnswerIt'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.
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