Longboarding is a new and fast-rising sport that has fully been embraced by teens and young adults. However, it can be tricky and risky, especially for newbies who are still getting used to balancing on a moving skateboard.

The good thing is that with the right guidance, the learning curve is significantly shortened and you’ll be riding like a pro before you know it. So, if you are thinking of taking a crack at longboarding, here are 7 essential longboarding trips for beginners!

Get the Right Board

Longboards come in different sizes and shapes, and the “right” board usually differs from one rider to another. You want to consider the size of the board, the shape of the deck, your skill level and intended riding goals as just some of the factors when searching for the ideal longboard for you.

Generally, the best longboard choices for beginners are large for stability and ride closer to the ground for easy pushing. This is something you’ll find in a drop-through board. If you are not sure about what fits you right, you can ask the attendant at the store to help you select the perfect according to your preferences.

Find a Riding Stance

Establishing a riding stance from the get-go is the first step to learning how to longboard. Usually, everyone has a natural riding stance that may either involve your right foot being forward and left foot back or vice versa.

Essential Longboarding Tips Beginners gp 2

A classic way of discovering your riding stance is to stand with your feet together on the ground then have a friend push you from the back. Naturally, you’ll put one foot forward to avoid stumbling and this becomes your stance.

A riding stance is very important, especially when it comes to making turns on a bending section of the road. It also tends to vary between people who ride with the right foot forward and those who ride with the left foot forward.

Learn How to Fall

Longboarding is a sport that naturally features a lot of falls and rolls. Beginners and experienced riders alike can look forward to falling whenever they get on the longboard. As crazy as this may, you don’t have to always sustain an injury when you fall, that’s why participants wear various protective gear.

But safety gear aside, the art of falling is what will protect you against severe or permanent injuries. The best way to go about falling is to tuck your arms or hands around your torso as opposed to instinctively putting out your hands.

Also, try to land on the ground using your forearm and roll sideways on either of your shoulders to limit the impact. This will save you several broken bones and bruised knees, and as a rookie, you can try practicing Tucking and Rolling at home on a yoga mat before taking the board for a ride.

Practice your Balance in Static Mode

Those who are just starting to longboard must achieve a balancing skill when the board is in a static position. One way to do this is to place your board on a thick rag or a patch of grass so that there is no way the wheels can roll.

Get on the motionless board and settle into a natural position whereby your legs are almost shoulder-wide apart. Depending on the size of the board, your legs should also be near to or just above the truck bolts on your longboard.

Practice Your Turning Stance

Try rolling back and forth on the board to make the deck lean on either edge. This is how you learn to turn while riding. The way to go about this is to lock your ankles and shift your body weight either forward or backward for your deck to lean on its front edge and back edge respectively. 

Learn to Brake

Knowing how to brake is an essential skill that will come in handy every time you decide to ride a longboard. While there are different ways of braking, foot braking should be the first technique for you to master.

This simply involves putting down your back foot while in motion then brushing the ground using the sole for friction to slow you down. Foot braking works perfectly when moving at low speeds but gets trickier as the speed increases.

Practice Carving to Slow Down

Carving refers to performing successive turns in an “S” shape pattern while riding on your board. When going down a slope, this serves to slow you down by reducing the momentum every time you make sharp and quick turns.

During carving, your knees should be bent! To carve toeside, push the knees forward and pull your behind backward to carve heelside.

 

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