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Day 3 learning to skateboard

spent a good amount of time outside today on smoother surfaces than I have been practicing on. feeling pretty okay about it now.

hearing from just about everyone that i should have started with a longboard, but whatever, i'll get there.

#beginner skateboarding #skate post

skateboarding

@clonemaster-general re: your skateboarding question!

my suggestion is to START with a LONGBOARD! you can get a more traditional one that is 36-39" long. they offer more stability, bigger wheels grippy wheels (Nineball longboard wheels are stable and sticky), they are heavier, and thus ostensibly offer easier balance for a beginner. you can also get a surfskate board like the ones from Carver which are basically mini longboards and have similar wheels to regular longboards. longboards usually dont have a tail (the flippy part at the end) that enables skateboarders to do cool jump tricks like ollies. but what they are GREAT FOR is..... CRUISING! aka going long distances with less effort and give that amazing "riding the waves" feeling you get while carving streets and hills (that is like a swoop side to side motion and how you turn, a beginner skill). learning to cruise on a longboard helps you basically pick up any board thereafter with a snap

that's how i first learned and it took me .2 seconds to pick up a skateboard. dont be deterred by the fact that you cant do traditional tricks on a longboard... bc you can do a LOT of longboard tricks, i learned to jump and "dance" on mine (youtube longboard dancing to see what i mean). and it is IMPERATIVE AND I CANT STRESS IT ENOUGH imo that you learn to cruise and carve before ever starting anything else.

okay now - #2 more important. if youre serious about skateboarding or longboarding, INVEST in a good brand with METAL trucks (never plastic - they dont turn) and multi-layer maple (less wear and tear) wood decks. i get my boards from Sector9 which is an amazing board company located in San Diego but they ship all over! they cost anywhere from $150-200 USD. it seems steep, but a cheap skateboard will make you dead in the water before you even start. it will kill your confidence and you dont want that! good gear makes a good ride!

#3 INVEST IN YOUR SAFETY! get a DUAL-CERTIFIED helmet (that means it is multi impact safe - say you fall and hit your head and bounce and hit your head, you are safe up to 1000 Gs i believe!). the helmet takes 800 and leaves your head with 200 which is under the threshold of concussion (300). you can get dual-certified helmets from Triple8 (around $50 USD) and other companies. also GET KNEE PADS AND ELBOW PADS. wear them all the time!!! it will mitigate your fear and make you a better skater!!! you can also buy wrist guards to protect your wrists for pretty cheap. who cares what you look like safety comes first!!

#4 this is a big one: PRACTICE FALLING!!! im serious! look up videos on how to fall. like anything, you can do it the right way and be safer! if you are afraid to fall while skating well... just do it! it will make you less scared. i used to practice falling off my board all the time - and landing on my forearms to minimize impact. it really does take your fear away if you "make" yourself fall.

#5 dont give up!! :) there is a skater that says if you dont fall (and you will at one point) you arent trying hard enough!! dont sweat it, have fun, and shake off the bumps and bruises

#6 look up skater instas or blogs for people you identify with - gender, ethnicity, sexuality - whatever! seeing the imagery of ppl like you succeeding and skating will inspire you and decolonize your head from the dominant white male hypermasc skate culture i.e. a lot of Thrasher stuff.

#7 watch videos on youtube for tricks and tips. learn if you skate "regular" (kick push with right foot) or "goofy" (kick push with left foot), this will help you learn tricks! try not to start skating "mongo" which is kick-pushing with your front foot (it can cause you to fall - less stability). ideally, if you go to kick someone naturally - that should be your kick push foot. your other (stable) foot should be parked firmly about 2 inches behind the front trucks (wheels and screw) for best balance when you start. and your kick push foot should be behind you, pushing.

#8 last... never stop learning! no one knows everything and everyone has something to learn and something to teach no matter how new or advanced they are. the skate community is really fun.. try to get a friend to learn with you to motivate each other.

phew ok i think thats it!! anything else? im here to help!

#skate post