A Culture on Its Own

Although skateboarding may seem like just another sport that many teenagers get into, through the years, this sport has developed its own culture and skateboarders can be easily identified not just because they have skateboards, but because they have a lifestyle that can be easily seen through the clothes they wear and the things they do. Not only that, skateboarding is also an international sport in which numerous countries have their own representatives in international levels of competition.

Usually, the passion for skateboarding starts out at an early stage of a persons life, pre-teens have long known how to ride one and by the time they are in their teens, many have already mastered the skill and are able to do tricks and jumps. Some though have failed to pick up on the sport early on and may be intrigued with the skateboarding culture and would like to join as well. If you are interested in being a part of this society, here are some tips to help you.

First, you will of course need a skateboard. Although most skateboards are basically the same, you need to find a skateboard that will represent your personality. A good and sturdy skateboard will be able to withstand most of the high impact it will receive when being ridden. You will have a board that you can be very proud of.

Make sure also to get effective safety gear. Knee and elbow pads are a must and most especially the helmet. Being a beginner, you will experience a lot of falls. And also, you don't really have to wear what most skateboarders wear. Just be sure to wear comfortable clothes that you can freely move in. Skateboarding is not just about wearing the right clothes or having the right shoes, although good gripping skateboard shoes can help with your balance.

If you don't know anybody who can teach you how to skateboard, try to observe first the other skateboarders in your area. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Advanced skateboarders know a lot of tricks and can share some of their tips. Learning the basics of skateboarding can be a time consuming process. Some take to it like fish in the water while there are some that just can't seem to find their balance. Just be patient and soon enough, you may be doing ollies on your own.

How to Do a Manual on Your Skateboard

As a skateboarder, you know that you want to learn how to do the different tricks that you see on TV performed by the pros. You need to consider the fact that skateboarding is a painful sport to learn and more pain will come as soon as you try out different tricks on your skateboard.

If you are going skateboarding and are comfortable riding your skateboard, then it may be time for you to start learning different tricks that will surely impress anyone who sees you.

One trick for beginners that you will definitely want to learn is the Manual. This particular trick is like doing a wheelie on a bike but in this case, you will be using a skateboard. You will ride the skateboard with only the back wheels rolling and the front wheels on the air.

The Manual is a great trick to learn and every skateboard enthusiast should learn how to do this trick.

Basically, this trick is very different from flip tricks which are more technical. What you need here is good balance and also a lot of practice in order to achieve this trick.

If you are new to skateboarding, it is recommended that you get comfortable riding your board first and perfect your balance. Also, it helps if you know how to Ollie.

Because this trick is not very technical, you can try it even if you are just beginning to go skateboarding.

To properly execute this trick, proper foot placement is important. To do the Manual, you need to place your back foot at the tail of the skateboard and your front foot just behind the front trucks.

You will want your back foot to cover most of the tail of your skateboard.

You need to remember that there is no right or wrong way to skateboard. You just need to be comfortable. So, if you feel more comfortable doing the manual with your front foot a little bit in front of the skateboard, do it.

Remember that safety is everything. So, put on your helmet before attempting this trick.

To do the manual, you need to have a lot of flat ground to practice it on. A skate park or long stretches of flat sidewalk are great places to practice. Make sure that the surface is mostly flat and smooth.

You need speed to perform the Manual. If you gained enough speed, then you better get ready to do the trick.

To manual, just put most of your weight slowly to the back foot. Never lean backwards as this will result in falling. When you see that the front wheels are lifted, you now need to balance your weight so you will not fall behind and send your skateboard flying across the street.

To end the Manual, just shift most of your weight in front and bring your weight back again to a balanced level once you land. Make sure that you put your shoulders forward. Again, never lean back unless you want to hear your own skull cracking.

These are the things that you need to remember about doing the Manual on a skateboard. All you need is balance and good speed.

What to Buy and What to Avoid

Now that you are taking an interest in skateboarding, the first thing that you will think about is buying a skateboard that you can practice on. Sure there are quite a lot of cheap skateboards available but you should be warned that cheap means dangerous.

Don't buy cheap skateboards from the toy store or from your nearest superstore. What this means is that you should not buy skateboards that are mass produced by companies that have little concern about the quality of the products they produce.

By nature, you have to face the fact that skateboards are dangerous. So, you wouldn't want to buy a cheap skateboard that is poor in quality which will make it even more dangerous to ride on especially when you plan on practicing your tricks on it.

Cheap skateboards will usually mean weak trucks, poor quality wheels that can break easily, freezing bearings, and boards that break easily. Good skateboard manufacturers will spend a lot of time to make the skateboards that are safer, better and last longer.

Instead of that mass produced cheap skateboard, try to buy a complete pro grade skateboard. This is high in quality and will last a lot longer. It will feel more comfortable when you ride it. Usually, skateboards like this will cost around $120. There are specific skateboard brands that you can choose from. If you are not sure which one to buy, try to take a look at skateboard brand reviews on the internet. It will give you an idea which brands will suit your riding needs best.

You can also try building your own pro grade skateboard. You can purchase the board, trucks, wheels, and bearings separately. This will allow you to get the best boards, trucks and wheels.

If you don't want to shell out a lot of cash, you will see that there are also good quality skateboards out there that aren't as expensive as the pro grade ones but not as cheap as the mass produced ones.

If you are buying your kid his or her first skateboard, you can cut some corners. However, never buy the $20 skateboards at your nearest superstore or toy store. For sure, you want the best quality skateboard for your kids. Although it shouldn't be the pro grade ones, you should get one that is of good quality.

These are the things that you have to remember when buying skateboards. If you want to prevent accidents and serious injuries, you might want to invest a little more money on the skateboard you purchase.

Learning How to Do This Impressive Skateboard Maneuver

Knowing how to go back and forth on a skateboard is one thing. However, you also have to remember that there is more to skateboarding than just riding it forward, stopping, and then riding back to where you came from.

If you know how to ride the skateboard comfortably, then it is time for you to learn about the different basic maneuvers that you can do with your skateboard.

One basic skateboarding skill is Kickturning. This particular skill can be easy to look at but it is rather complicated or confusing to do it. In this skill, you will need to have good balance on your skateboard.

Kickturning is basically where you will balance your back wheels for movement and swinging the front of the board to go in a new direction. This takes some practice to master and a lot of balance.

Before you start, make sure that all you are wearing all of your safety skateboarding equipments are to prevent injuries during falls when practicing.

The first thing you need to learn is how to balance your body and skateboard on two wheels, particularly the back wheel. Try to practice it on the carpet or on the grass outside to prevent it from rolling too much which can send your skateboard flying off and land your bottom on the pavement.

To balance the skateboard on two wheels, you need to get your back foot across the tail and your front foot just behind the front trucks. Try imagining your foot when you are going to attempt an Ollie. This is the same stance that you need to have to attempt Kickturns.

Keep your knees bent and relaxed. Your shoulders should be level to the skateboard deck.

Then shift your weight to your back foot. Just a bit of weight shift is good. Now, lift your front foot just a little. This will make the front of your skateboard pop up. To turn to the direction you want to go to, just rotate your back foot to the left or right along with your body.

Try practicing the duckwalk with kickturns. This will be like shifting the board from left to right with the kick turns. This will improve your balance and enable you to practice your kickturns.

You should also practice the tic tac. This is where you combine the left and right kickturns. Try doing a little kickturn to the left and another to the right. Do this continuously and you will be able to a great skateboard maneuver.

You may fall when attempting to do kickturns on the first few attempts but this is natural. Almost everyone falls when practicing this move. By knowing how to kickturn, you will be well on your way in becoming a good skateboarder.

How to Do It like The Pros

As a skateboarder, you know that you want to do the tricks that the pros do. It is very stylish and it is really something that is quite impressive. Knowing how to ride a skateboard properly is one thing, but knowing how to do impressive tricks while riding it is another.

So, here is one trick that you will definitely want to learn whenever you ride your skateboard as it will not only impress anyone watching but will also make you look like a pro skateboarder.

This trick is called the 360 flip. If you already know how to do the Ollie, then you will see that this skateboard trick will be easy to do. It is a really cool trick that can be very impressive if done properly, but you have to remember that you should know how to execute it flawlessly in order to avoid ending up having a mouthful of dirt or end up in the hospital.

The first thing that you need to do is make sure that all of your safety gear is properly put on. You should have the helmet to prevent head injuries when you fall, and knee pads as well as elbow pads to prevent injuring your limbs. You should also have the proper skateboard shoes as well as gloves.

Doing the 360 flip is very easy to do if you are a good skateboarder. However, if you are just beginning to skateboard, you might want to try learning the Ollie trick first as the 360 flip is entirely based on the Ollie.

If you can already do the Ollie smoothly, then you will have no problems learning the 360 flip.

Now, to do the trick, position your feet much like when you will do the Ollie. To do the 360 flip, you need to slam your back foot on the board just like you would when doing the Ollie but you need to hit it extra hard to get bigger air. You have to remember that you will need bigger air in order to perform the 360 flip.

To convert from the Ollie trick to the 360 flip, you should allow your front foot to slide off the board and you should use your toes to flip the board while in the air.

This trick is quite difficult to execute and you might experience falls because it's easy to get your feet jumbled. After flipping the board successfully, you will need to catch the board with your feet and center on it again.

On the landing, you have to remember that your knees should be bent no matter what. Bent knees are one of the most important factors when landing after doing a trick on the skateboard. No matter what trick you are doing, always bend your knees whenever you land.

Try learning this trick on slow speed or even when you are stationary. You may fall at first but once you got the hang of it, you will be able to do the trick smoothly and minimize falling.

How to Land with Your Feet on Your Skateboard?

After you learn how to ride the skateboard, you are perhaps trying out new tricks like ollie or flips. But the problem is, instead of landing both your feet on the board, your feet land on the ground, thus not completing the trick you've started. How do you solve this problem?

There are probably 2 reasons why your feet land on the ground instead on the board: you are either scared or you are doing the trick the wrong way.

Being scared is perfectly okay. This means that you are taking skateboarding seriously and you are aware that you might get hurt if you do something stupid. But, you have to overcome this fear in order to perform the tricks. If you can't land with both of your feet on the skateboard, start with one foot.

It doesn't matter if it is your left or right foot. What matters is that you are determined to do the trick right. The key here is practice. After you can land on one foot, try landing on both feet. If the other foot still refuses to land on the skateboard, then there must be something wrong either with the execution of the trick or the form of your body. If you are not comfortable doing tricks while rolling on a concrete ground, it is okay to practice on the grass or carpet. As long as you are determined to do it right, you'll be okay.

Read articles and watch videos of the skateboarding trick you are trying to learn. You will learn quickly if you learn from the experts, or at least, people who know what they are talking about.

Now try the trick again and be determined to land both of your feet to the board. If you still can't, I suggest that you get someone to help you determine what's wrong with your execution, someone you trust and understands about skateboarding, someone who is willing to help you improve your skill. Do the trick again. Practice until you get it right. If you are still having problems with one or both feet, practice harder and don't give up.

It can be frustrating but skateboarding should be fun. So relax and keep practicing. Sooner or later you will get it right. And once you do, practice even more.

How to Do the Kickflip

As a skateboarding enthusiast, you know that doing tricks is the best way to impress your fellow skateboarders. Learning how to do skateboard tricks is easy once you get your balance and are comfortable riding the board.

One trick is called the Kickflip. This trick is a variation of the Ollie and it is also considered to be one of the most difficult and popular beginner skateboarding tricks known.

With the Kickflip, you will start with an Ollie. Then you flick the board with your foot to make the board spin underneath while you are in the air. After the you get the board to spin once under your feet, get back on board, land and continue riding.

To do the Kickflip, you need to start with the most basic trick in skateboarding, which is the Ollie. If you don't know how to do the Ollie, then you will need to learn it first as the Kickflip is a variation of the Ollie.

It is also important that you know how to ride your skateboard comfortably in order to get used to your board and know how to balance it well.

Before you attempt the Kickflip trick, be sure that you are wearing all the necessary safety equipment, such as knee padding, elbow padding and a helmet.

The stance is basically the same when you do the Ollie. You need to get your back foot on the tail of the board and your front foot on the middle of the board or just behind the front trucks. You may want to try this trick when you are stationary by placing it on grass or carpet, which will prevent the board from sliding off as you are practicing. Or, you can also attempt to learn this trick while you are rolling at a comfortable speed.

Now, when you are ready, try to Ollie as high as you can. While in the air, flick the board with your front foot. This will be like flicking something with you hand like you would with a fly buzzing around your food but do it with your front foot and with the skateboard. Try kicking your front foot towards the heel side of the skateboard and use your toes to flick the board. It is important that the motion of your foot should be out and a little down. Do not kick the skateboard down, just flick it.

After flicking the board, get your feet out of the way in order for the board to make a complete spin. This happens so quickly so try to practice getting your feet out of the way.

While the board is flipping under you, try to keep your body level to the ground. This will help you maintain balance and also help you achieve a good landing.

After the board has done a complete spin, bout your back foot on it to catch it and prepare for landing by getting your knees bent. After catching the board with your back foot, you will want to put your front foot on the board too.

Remember that this trick takes time to master. So, try practicing over and over again. It may take time for you to get the board to do a complete spin, but after a few tries, you will be able to get it right.

How to Do the Skateboard Railstand Trick

If you do flatland skateboarding, then you will want to try some of the tricks available for flatland skateboarding. Some of the tricks here are easy for some skateboarders to do while there are other skateboarders that find them hard to perform.

Before you learn tricks, it is important that you wear your proper skateboarding safety gears. You have to remember that skateboarding is indeed a painful sport. If you are just learning to do a trick, there is a big chance that you will fall and experience pain.

Wear your helmet and pads to avoid sustaining serious injuries related to skateboarding, such as head trauma and broken bones.

One popular flatland skateboarding trick is called the Railstand. In this trick, the skateboarder will stand on the edge of his or her skateboard. The skateboard will be on its side with the wheels facing the side.

Also called Primo or Primo Stall, this skateboard trick can be easy to do for some skateboarders while some find it hard to execute properly. The great thing about this trick is that you don't need to know how to Ollie to perform it. So, if you are already riding your skateboard comfortably but you still don't know how to do the Ollie, you will still be able to try out this flatland skateboard trick.

There are two types of Railstands. The first is the Toeside Railstand and the other is the Heelside Railstand. The Toeside Railstand is a bit easier than the Heelside Railstand. To perform this trick, you will need a flat surface, such as your driveway, your garage or even your living room.

First, you will need to put one foot over each truck. Then, push on your toes and jump up. This will tilt the skateboard and you will need to land on the edge of the skateboard.

The Heelside Railstand is a little trickier to do than the latter. To do this easily, try taking your back foot off the skateboard. Then, put the load of this foot right on the side of the back wheel or the trucks. In one smooth motion, jump off the skateboard where your toes will pull the skateboard on its side and land on the side of your skateboard with both feet.

These are the different ways to do Railstands. As you can see, they are quite easy to do. With enough practice, you will be able to do them effortlessly.