subject: Beginner Skateboarders - Are You Making These Mistakes? [print this page] You can have loads of fun skateboardingYou can have loads of fun skateboarding. Its become so popular that is has evolved from something just for teens to a full-blown sport for adults, too. Some people even make a living with skateboarding (think Tony Hawk)! And the great news is it's something anyone can learn. There is some bad news because it'll take a whole lot of time to become a pro skater. It will require tons of hard work and sacrifice, but if you have the desire - then you can read some great tips to get you started.
You'll need to be wearing the right foot gear. Skateboarding uses specific muscles in your feet, and you need to be able to move your feet in certain ways to control your board properly. If you ever want to do tricks, or if you use your board a lot, then you really will want to be wearing the proper shoes. A skateboarding athletic shoe is flat inside of it. They don't have any arch support, and that's done purposely. This design will allow your foot to have more control over the board. These shoes are not hard to find, and they're not expensive, either.
Don't worry about going slow. You'll see a lot of beginner skateboarders trying to do those cool tricks before they really have the proper skills. Many times this produces frustration, anger, or worse - an injury. Successfully skateboarding a couple blocks is not the same as being able to safely perform a trick. Hopping with the skateboard is not as easy as you may realize. Start out slow and steady, then start doing longer distances. Teach yourself how to start-off fast and stop smoothly with no falls. When you can ride for more than a few blocks steadily and feel confident enough to maneuver your board around the other people on the streets and sidewalks, you might be ready for a few tricks. But if you still take a tumble any time you try to ride the board in more than a short straight line, you are not yet ready for tricks.
Learn tricks one at a time and start slow. But make sure you have the basics down, first. Until you get the basics, don't be jumping big or going down the stairs. Begin with smaller lifts and then change directions. You can jump the board, then change direction. Get these basics tricks down before you try things that are more dangerous. Just like learning to skateboard, doing tricks takes starting small and gradually moving up. Just about any person can learn how to ride a skateboard. If you can be patient and learn slowly, then you really can do anything you desire on a board. It's so important to be patient, if you are you'll arrive there!
Beginner Skateboarders - Are You Making These Mistakes?
