How to Balance Yourself on a Skateboard

Have you ever wanted to know how to ride a skateboard, but find yourself falling off before you can even move forward? Some people are blessed with good balance, but some of us need specific pointers to keep our backsides off the ground. This guide is for the gravitationally challenged.

1. Choose your board. There are three different kinds of skateboards one can use. The type of board you use will affect how easily you can find your balance.
• A skateboard is a board usually up to 32 inches long and 7 to 8 inches wide on average. The wheels are mounted onto trucks, which are screwed into the actual board. Grip-tape is the surface on top of the board that makes it easier for your shoes to stay on the board.

• A fishboard is an old type of skateboard that is also up to 32 inches long, but they can go up to 11 inches wide. It is incredibly heavy and thick, and the trucks/wheels are much wider and mounted closer to the back. Some have an additional rubber backing so they can stop easier. New fishboards are expensive and hard to come by, and are not in major production.

• A longboard is a board that ranges from 3 1/2 to 6 feet long, and can be anywhere from 8 inches wide and up. These boards usually have grip-tape covering parts of the top of the board, and small openings for the larger, thicker wheels. They are fun, but harder to control.

2. Figure out your stance. Skateboarding, in all forms, requires you to figure out how you stand on your board. If your left foot is forward, or you are facing to the right you are in the position called "regular". If your right foot is forward, or you are facing to the left you are in the position called "goofy".
• Are you right-handed or left-handed? This is a simple way to check your stance. For most people, they stand with their writing hand facing backwards and their opposite foot forwards.

• Perhaps the fastest way to tell is by this: Stand tall, with no objects in front of you. Let yourself fall forward. Which ever foot you naturally catch yourself with is your dominant foot.

• Another way to find out is to take a running jump. Which ever foot you lift off of is usually the foot you'll favor for pushing.

• What feels more comfortable? Try both positions. See what feels more natural to you.

• Yet another way is to place you hands on a long wall while on your skateboard. Push your self whichever way you think you may be first, and then the other way. Whichever feels more comfortable will be your stance.

3. Get on the board. Proper foot placement usually depends on the type of board you're using, your height, and the size of your feet. There are a few ways to do this. If you are standing correctly, you'll be able to begin moving on a slope simply by pushing your weight from your back foot onto your front foot.

• A general rule of thumb is to keep your front foot on or near the bolts on the front of the board and your back foot slightly on top of the "tail" of the board. (The tail is the part of the board that sticks up on the back of a skateboard) Exact placement would be your front foot on top of the front bolts or slightly below just near the bottom two bolts. You should have your toes and the balls of your feet placed on the board with your heel hanging off the other side. For the back foot you should have the ball of your foot on or around the center of the tail. This will allow you to turn by lifting up the front of the board and pushing your front foot to ether side. This is the positioning usually used while moving. Another way is...
• Look at the screws that hold the trucks on your board. Place your front foot over the lower two screws on your front truck, with your heel and toes hanging off the edge of the board. Place your back foot just before the board begins to curve, with your heel more on the board, and your toes hanging more off. Or...
• Place your back foot on the bottom curve of your board, so the board is pried up between your foot and the back wheels. Place your front foot gently on the back of the bottom two screws, just in place. Do not apply any pressure just yet.

4. Balance yourself.

• Keep your weight on your feet.

• Stand up straight.

• Spread your legs.

• Bend your elbows and hold your arms perpendicular to the ground.

• Lower your center of gravity by bending your legs.

5. Practice pushing while keeping your balance! This is the part where many people encounter difficulty, because it involves taking one foot off of the board so that it can push against the ground.

• Rotate your front foot 45 degrees, so the toes are facing more forward then before.
• Place your weight onto the front of the board.
• Take your back foot off the board and move it above and next to your front foot, with your toes facing forward.
• With a single sweep, push the ground with your raised back foot. Use the ball of your foot.
• Place your back foot onto the back of the board and rotate your front foot back into place. You can do more than one push at a time.

6. Turn by shifting your weight.

• Turning right: For people with a regular stance, gently lean and put more weight on the balls of your feet. For people with a goofy stance, gently lean and put more weight on your heels. In the goofy stance, this should be more difficult than turning left.
• Turning left: For people with a regular stance, gently lean and put more weight on your heels. This should be more difficult than turning right. For people with a goofy stance, gently lean and put more weight on the balls of your feet.

7. Prepare to fall. While these steps should help you maintain your balance, if you don't fall when learning the basics, you will fall as you learn more advanced moves. It's better to learn how to fall properly than to get hurt because you flailed on your way down.

• Falling Forwards
  
  
  • Keep your body facing the side.
  • Place your upper arm so it is covering your face and your hand is on your shoulder.
• Falling Face-First
  
  
  • Slightly bend your knees.
  • Turn so your shoulder will meet the ground.
• Falling Backwards
  
  
  • Bend your knees.
  • Put your head down and cover it with your arms.
  • Turn and roll.
• Falling Sideways
  
  
  • Cross your arms.
  • Go into a midair type fetal position.
  • Use your shoulder and roll.
• Falling Forwards on Steep Slopes
  
  
  • Straighten your foot.
  • Bend down into a position that looks like you are sitting on your legs.
  • Slide across your knee pads until you stop. If you need to stop faster, you can use your arm pads the same way.
• Tumble and Roll This trick is used by professionals in place of the face-first fall. It keeps your body in motion so you don't absorb a lot of damage.
  
  
  • Place your hands on your forearms.
  • Raise your arms above your head.
  • Bend over, with your head facing towards the ground.
  • Place your arms on the ground.
  • Use your kinetic energy to allow your body to barrel roll.