How to Be a Skateboarder

You may already be learning how to skateboard, but there's more to being a skateboarder than knowing a few tricks. Skateboarding can be considered both a lifestyle and a subculture, so here's how to be considered part of it.

1. Learn how to skateboard. This should be obvious but it's worth emphasizing. You'll never be accepted as a skater in the long run if you can't back up your behavior with your skills. To learn how to skateboard, just ride as much as possible. To learn what a trick is, it might help to play skateboarding games. The Tony Hawk video game series is good, but only the MoCap games. American Wasteland, Project 8 and Proving Ground are the best, because real pro skateboarders motion captured it just for the game. EA Skate also helps, but it's a bit more complex. Just go out and skate!
2. Dress Like a Skater. Dress however you feel comfortable. skate brands are an obvious choice, but remember, just because you dress like a skater, doesn't mean you are. If you only ever wear DC or Adio, you'll probably get called a poser. Don't be afraid to be different. I wear skate clothes AND stuff like Gap and Old Navy. Wear whatever your style is, skateboarding is all about being different, rebelling from the normal, and having fun.
3. Talk Like a Skater. Every subculture has its own lingo. So do skateboarders. Become familiar with skateboarding vocabulary, hang out at the local skateshop or skatepark and see what the kids are saying. Don't overdo it, though. Posers might say it, but skateboarders NEVER say "hang-ten, dude!". "Dude" is a normal word in skateboarding lingo, and you'll probably hear it among skaters as often as "like" and "the".
4. Be Yourself. Skateboarding is all about having fun while being a rebel. But don't say dude in every sentence just because Dude Skater did. Skateboarding is huge. There are punk skaters, rocker skaters, hip-hop skaters, emo skaters, normal skaters and more. Don't be afraid to hop over sub-sub-cultures. I'm a punk/semi-emo/norm skaters. Wear YOUR clothes. Listen to YOUR music. Be YOURself.

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.

How to playing skateboard

Lots of people look at Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen and Daewon Song wishing they were just like that on a skateboard. While you can't be like them overnight, you can start now! Riding down a sidewalk with the wind in your hair is great, and flying over the curb, arms flailing because you hit a pebble is too. All you have to do is stand on a skateboard and roll, it's not brain surgery. This guide will help teach you some useful information on rolling.

Steps

1. Don't be a poser. Start skating for fun then eventually you will get the hang of it. Just don't say you're a skater when you're not, and don't brag that you're able to do tricks when you cannot. After all the best way to learn is to teach yourself, you will need balance and coordination and it will take time to get learn tricks.
2. Visit your local skate shop. This is a great way to see what works and what doesn't. Just by looking at others and asking them how their board, wheels, etc. hold up, you will learn what is worth buying; boards that cost more are not always better. Always make sure you buy new bearings every 6 months or so to keep your wheels rolling. They cost $10-$20.
3. Get the supplies. A skateboard can cost a lot ($50-$100), but buy something sufficient to last a while. Have a friend that is good at skateboarding suggest a brand to you. You then need comfortable clothing and a pair of sneakers. Skate shoes are a good idea, but as long as you can move your foot around easily feel comfortable, and know they won't fall apart after just a few uses, they'll work perfectly.
4. Set aside a day or two to get comfortable on your board. Feel how it leans, and how the wheels spin. Skate around in your driveway and on the sidewalk. Just get used to the feel of the board.
5. Practice. For tips on how to do moves, you can always watch a move in a video in slow motion and pay attention to the foot movement. Sequence photos are another great way to learn. But basically, the more you practice, the better you will be. Don't get discouraged because you can't land a trick the first or second try. Just practice and have fun, and you will get the trick eventually.
6. Get someone you know that's good at skateboarding to teach you. Your dad probably can't pop shove it or anything, so ask someone from a local shop or park if you can watch them. Bring some beginners and ask if what he's doing is intermediate to advanced skating, if it is, perfect. You have a teacher.
7. Try riding switch. This is with your feet in the reverse position that feels comfortable (with your back foot in front and vice versa.) This comes in useful when you try a halfpipe.
8. Learn how to manual. Put one foot on the tail and one just behind the front bolts. Apply pressure to the tail, causing the front wheels to rise off of the ground. Practice this. It is not easy to manual for long distances.
9. Ollie. This is the most vital of all skateboarding tricks. Place one foot on the tail, and one just behind the bolts. Some people will say put your front foot in the middle of the board, but it is harder to learn this way. That is for when you have ollies down pat and are going for sheer height. Now release all of the pressure on your front foot, causing your back to fly towards the ground. Just as it hits the ground, give a quick - the key here is quick - jump with your back foot. Jump as high as you can. As your board hops up, use the griptape by your front foot to drag it up further. Level out your feet in midair and stomp it down with your feet over the bolts. Now ride away cool.
10. The most important thing to remember is to land with your feet over the bolts and knees bent, this improves your chances of rolling away successfully and keeps the board from breaking as often.
11. Go skate! Find some other skaters to skate with. It helps you to learn from their styles or different skill levels. If you don't know anyone, just talk to some other skaters at the local skate park. They are usually friendly, and will help you out. Experiment, make a higher ollie, read about how to do another trick, whatever your heart desires. Your teacher is more a friend than an instructor now, share skills with him, and anyone else you want to show off to.
12. Learn to pop shove it. Do an ollie as high as you can, then as you level off your feet, give a nudge with the front foot on the board so it spins 180 degrees. You may want to use a little "scoop" motion with the back foot to make it spin easier.
13. Learn to kickflip. Do the same thing as a pop shove it, except when you nudge the board, kick the little area where the side of the board rises. Try out a few different motions until you get it to spin. This is not an easy trick, so practice and don't give up.
14. Learn to grind. Start with a fairly low rail (equal to or less than one foot.) This is not easy, so take it in steps. Start out simply rolling up to the rail, then jump off of your board and land with just your feet on the rail, letting the board roll away. Next, practice popping the board up as you jump, but don't worry about where it goes after that. Just make sure that your feet land on the rail. Now it's time for the real thing. Ollie as high as you can, in the direction of the rail. Land with your feet on the bolts and the board balanced on the rail. Once you get to the end of the rail, turn the board around (so it faces the right direction) and land over the bolts. This is called a boardslide.
15. Learn to drop in. Dropping in takes guts, but it's worth it. Start with your tail on the coping (the metal on the top of the halfpipe) and your foot just behind the bolts, but far enough back to balance. Put your front foot over the bolts, and slam the board down. Don't hesitate, or you will fall. It takes confidence and power. Don't worry about coming down on the other side, just hop off of your board at the top.
16. Do some liptricks. Some good ones are a Rock to Fakie, Axle Stall, and Nose Stall. These look impressive, but are not that difficult to learn if you have several months of experience.