subject: Skatepark Fun [print this page] Before doing any of this, you'll need to find a skatepark. There are plenty of them around, and you can find where they are online. If you're having trouble finding a skatepark, check out a local skateboard shop. The skateboarders there should be able to help you out.
After you have found a skatepark that you can skate at, you may want to go and check it out. Survey the park before skating. This will help you plan runs and also see what you're in for. Surveying the skatepark is one of the best things you can do to help prepare yourself.
The first time you go to the skatepark, you should do it early in the morning. Not super early, but early enough that youre the only one there, or at least close to it. When youre early youll be in a better position to skate. If you dont have a skateboard for this, consider checking out http://www.the-skateboard-shop.com/
Since youre early, youll notice that there arent a whole lot of people in the skatepark. You may even be the only one. This is great because you wont be running into people, and you wont have the fear of being watched.
Being watched is one fear that a lot of people have when they go to the skatepark. There are other skaters there, and it can feel like youre being judged when you first go
There's a good chance that the other skaters don't care about what you're doing, so long as you stay out of their way. If you run into other skateboarders, they're probably going to start watching out for you, and not for your awesome tricks. Do the best you can to stay out of the way of other skateboarders.
Before you go out and skate, get your safety equipment together. Without safety equipment, you're vulnerable to the concrete. You need to wear safety equipment because it keeps you safe from the hard surface below. It also adds a sense of protection, which allows you to skate harder.
If youve never skated before, it would be wise to practice your skating outside your house first. The skatepark looks like fun, but it will just be a world of hurt for a new skateboarder.
Many people are used to the flat land outside. If youre one of these people, youll want to get used to the bowls and hills of the skatepark by taking them on slowly. Theres nothing like trying to ride a bowl, but then falling and hurting yourself.
Go slow when you first make your way into the skatepark. Try skating down a few of the more gentle inclines at medium to slow speeds. Bend your knees as you are going down and stand up just as you hit the flat land again. This will help you generate speed.
Remember to try and stay out of the way of other skateboarders. This is one of the reasons you should go to the skateboard park in the morning, and not the middle of the day or afternoon. Since there are less skaters, there are less people for you to run into.
Try not to get angry if you fall off. You'll be doing that a lot. Don't throw in the towel, either. Giving up early is not how you get better at skateboarding. The bottom line is to just have fun. Also, wear your safety gear!
