Hints and Tips

(provided by HardCloud.com)

Skateboarding - Hints and Tips

Skateboarding Culture
The skateboarding culture has seen a mighty rise over the last few years. Where it was once considered the past-time of waifs and teenage tearaways, it is now recognised as an active sport - even the government seems to have acknowledged its social benefits and has gradually erected more local skate parks up and down the country. Skateboarding has a sub culture of art, music and fashion; it determines trends and has its own community which anyone can join.

Learning to ride a skateboard
Learning to ride well demands a great deal of practice and skill. Beginners should be prepared to fall off and get hurt a few times, but after mastering some of the basic skills, will soon understand the real meaning of accomplishment and adrenaline. There are two main kinds of boards to choose from: `regular` or `longer`. Regular boards are generally considered better for performing tricks whereas longer boards are better for longer distances and high speeds. Once you have your board, you must
decide on which stance feels the most natural and comfortable; riders who stand with their left foot forward on the board are referred to as `regular`, and those who stand with their right foot forward are referred to as `goofy` riders.

Mastering the art
One of the more common errors a beginner will make is in first learning to push away. The positioning of body weight is vital - the `pushing` foot should not be behind the foot on the board as effectively this means the board will always be a little too far ahead to control. The pushing foot should be ahead of the board just as though walking a normal step. Once these basics have been mastered, then simple tricks include an Ollie which is a jump in the air, a grind where one or both of the axles are scraped
along a curb or railing, or even a kickflip which is slightly more complex than an Ollie in that the skater kicks the board into a spin before landing on it.

The Serious Skateboarder
For those more experienced riders, learning new tricks will become a lot easier as you are more used to the way the board moves with your body weight and you can retain control. It`ll also help if you`ve had more experience in learning how to fall correctly! For extra practice then building your own ramps can build confidence; ramps can be bought or you can download the plans from the internet and use the dimensions to build your own halfpipe, grind rails or launch ramp. After immersing yourself in the skateboarding culture you`ll also become more knowledgeable about what the best kind of boards to go for are; the internet is a great way of comparing notes on the best street board (such as the popular Element Helium), best longboard, retro setup and Slalom setup (such as Sk8kings Axe).

Getting the Right Look
Beginners should always consider their safety particularly when graduating to tricks, and helmets, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist supports will protect you. Modern designs mean that they are actually very subtle and light and you can always conceal them under clothing. Skateboarding fashion has become very popular, even with non skaters who like the more punk, metal and urban trends. A good pair of jeans and an eye catching tee-shirt will definitely get you on the right tracks.

For completing your skateboarding look, see DC Shoes UK.