Q&A for How to Turn on a Skateboard

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Question

How do you turn on a skateboard?

Jon Depoian
Skateboarding Instructor
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.

Jon Depoian

Skateboarding Instructor

Expert Answer

If your trucks are looser, you can turn by leaning on your toes or heels. For sharper turns, you can do a kick turn. For those, you push on your tail, lift up your front foot, and do a pivot.

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Question

Can I practice on a road?

Elizabeth Milchefski

Community Answer

Yes, but make sure it is an abandoned or not busy road. If you are just starting out in skating and don't know how to turn away from a car quickly, that could result in something pretty bad. So practice on a road with caution.

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Question

Do I need wrist guards, or will elbow and knee pads suffice?

Elizabeth Milchefski

Community Answer

Elbow and knee pads should be sufficient, as long as you know how to fall on them.

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Question

To tail kick turn, how do I keep my balance?

Elizabeth Milchefski

Community Answer

When you use your tail to turn, you shouldn't be using that much force to get your board off the ground. If you lose balance, you are using too much force to get the nose up. Normally, you would not lose any balance while doing this turn.

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Question

How can I do a kick turn without feeling scared if I have fallen when trying it before?

Community Answer

Try it on carpet or a grassy surface until you feel confident, then try it on blacktop or concrete.

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Question

How do I know when the board might flip over when I am lean turning?

Community Answer

When making a turn, your weight should feel balanced. If you feel as if your weight is leaning too far one way, or the board is tipping top far, then you know that the board might flip.

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Question

I have a penny skateboard but it doesn't turn, do I need to losen my trucks?

Elizabeth Milchefski

Community Answer

Use a skate tool in order to turn the big nut in the center of the truck counter-clockwise. Then you can do trial and error and continue to adjust until you feel comfortable.

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Question

How do I kick flip out of manual on a skateboard?

Community Answer

Press the back of your skateboard with your foot and turn. Make sure not to press to hard so that you don't fall.

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