To learn skateboarding there are a few things that you require, so let us run down the list and see if skateboarding is cut out for you.
1. Get a good skateboard, which for a beginner should be a fairly thick and wide board, as this will give you more solidity and balance. You may not be able to throw it around too much but thats not the issue at first, you want a board that you will not keep coming off.
2. Get kitted out with a skateboard helmet. This is your number 1 priority, dont even think about getting on your skateboard without a helmet. You can also get knee and wrist pads too.
3. Find a good, safe area to skateboard in, where there are not many objects to crash into, and where there arent a lot of people that you might bump into as well.
4. To learn skateboarding you need to get the basics of your technique sorted out first. So get practicing learning how to balance on your board. Push off down a hill and see how long you can keep your balance. Find which stance you feel the most comfortable.
5. Try out jumping onto the board and keeping your balance.
6. To learn skateboarding you will have to be prepared for the fact that you are going to fall off and hurt yourself from time to time. There is no way around it, but at least if you have your safety gear on you will minimise any damage done.
7. Practice putting your feet on the edge of your skateboard and making your board curve as you move.
8. Practice flipping the board up from the back and then catching the front of the board with the ball of your front foot as it rises, and keeping control.
These are a few starting points for when you learn skateboarding.
If you want to learn all the skateboarding tricks in 8 weeks or less there is no better guide than the Secrets of Skateboarding, which you can find by clicking on Skate Secrets
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Tuesday 4 August 2009
Monday 3 August 2009
Having Fun Skateboarding
Here are my top 5 tips for having fun skateboarding. If you cant have fun skateboarding, you aint never gonna have any fun mon brave!! So here goes, lets see if I can give you a push in the right direction.
1. Let yourself go when you are skateboarding, have a blow out and a wild time. Put a smile on your face, rock and roll down that hill and give it everything you have got.
Dont think too much about it, just do it without any inhibitions and put yourself in the zone where the rest of your life cant touch you. I hope I am not gettin too hippy on you here!
2. This is the boring bit, but to have fun you have to wear a helmet. Yeah, but it isnt cool to end up on a life support machine with a brain that doesnt function proper cos you were too dumb to wear a helmet.
3. Get the basics down pat, so then you can improvise on the top of your good technique. Technique is vitally important, but once you have learnt the basic manoeuvres then you can really have fun.
4. Be creative, try out new moves. Try to think of a signature move that no one you know does. Push yourself to try out diferent things with your skateboard. Skateboarding can be an art form in the right hands.
5. Be sociable, get out with your mates when you are skateboarding and share the fun around. When you look back on your life you will find that all the best times you had, all the really great times you had, were when you shared things with other people, experiences and tribulations too.
So there we are, my guide to having fun skateboarding. Yeah a lot of it is tongue in cheek but there is a little bit of wisdom I like to think in there too.
If you want to learn all the skateboarding tricks in double quick time then you should click on Skate Secrets
1. Let yourself go when you are skateboarding, have a blow out and a wild time. Put a smile on your face, rock and roll down that hill and give it everything you have got.
Dont think too much about it, just do it without any inhibitions and put yourself in the zone where the rest of your life cant touch you. I hope I am not gettin too hippy on you here!
2. This is the boring bit, but to have fun you have to wear a helmet. Yeah, but it isnt cool to end up on a life support machine with a brain that doesnt function proper cos you were too dumb to wear a helmet.
3. Get the basics down pat, so then you can improvise on the top of your good technique. Technique is vitally important, but once you have learnt the basic manoeuvres then you can really have fun.
4. Be creative, try out new moves. Try to think of a signature move that no one you know does. Push yourself to try out diferent things with your skateboard. Skateboarding can be an art form in the right hands.
5. Be sociable, get out with your mates when you are skateboarding and share the fun around. When you look back on your life you will find that all the best times you had, all the really great times you had, were when you shared things with other people, experiences and tribulations too.
So there we are, my guide to having fun skateboarding. Yeah a lot of it is tongue in cheek but there is a little bit of wisdom I like to think in there too.
If you want to learn all the skateboarding tricks in double quick time then you should click on Skate Secrets
Thursday 23 July 2009
How To Do Skateboarding Tricks
If you want to know how to do skateboarding tricks then step right this way and we will give you a few tips on how you can become an expert skateboarding trickster!
OK, well if you are just starting out skateboarding the key is not to get too far ahead of yourself. You have got to learn the basics first, and have them so they feel like second nature to you, before you attempt any intricate tricks.
Skateboarding is a discipline that you have to learn, you gotta get your technique nice and tight so that you are in control of the board at all times. The board should almost feel like an extension of your feet,and of course this does take time.
So you have to put some hours in to get into that zone where your body and your wheels are working in perfect co-ordination. Then you look at how to do skateboarding tricks.
Starting from scratch, work on getting your balance on the board. Stand on the stationary board and see how long you can keep your balance. Then push off with you back foot and step on and see how far you can roll along before you come off.
Practice jumping on the board and keeping your balance. Keep pushing your board to go a little faster each time, as you will find you can often keep your balance better the faster you are moving.
Try different positions on the board and see which feels the easiest for you. Bend your knees and your body forward to help with your balance and increase the speed.
Then try to slant your body and feet to one edge so as to curve your skateboard.
When you get down to how to do skateboarding tricks the first one you should learn is the ollie as this is the basis for many skateboarding tricks. This involves flipping the skateboard up from the back and jumping up and controlling the front with the other foot.
If you want to learn all the skateboarding tricks in double quick time then click on Skate Secrets
OK, well if you are just starting out skateboarding the key is not to get too far ahead of yourself. You have got to learn the basics first, and have them so they feel like second nature to you, before you attempt any intricate tricks.
Skateboarding is a discipline that you have to learn, you gotta get your technique nice and tight so that you are in control of the board at all times. The board should almost feel like an extension of your feet,and of course this does take time.
So you have to put some hours in to get into that zone where your body and your wheels are working in perfect co-ordination. Then you look at how to do skateboarding tricks.
Starting from scratch, work on getting your balance on the board. Stand on the stationary board and see how long you can keep your balance. Then push off with you back foot and step on and see how far you can roll along before you come off.
Practice jumping on the board and keeping your balance. Keep pushing your board to go a little faster each time, as you will find you can often keep your balance better the faster you are moving.
Try different positions on the board and see which feels the easiest for you. Bend your knees and your body forward to help with your balance and increase the speed.
Then try to slant your body and feet to one edge so as to curve your skateboard.
When you get down to how to do skateboarding tricks the first one you should learn is the ollie as this is the basis for many skateboarding tricks. This involves flipping the skateboard up from the back and jumping up and controlling the front with the other foot.
If you want to learn all the skateboarding tricks in double quick time then click on Skate Secrets
Wednesday 15 July 2009
Skateboarding Culture
Skateboarding culture has developed over the years, and is an extremely diverse fusion of surfing culture, punk culture, street culture, hip hop culture, and hard rock culture.
You can see all the different strands blend into what is a firmly entrenched skateboarding culture now. It has taken most of the cool elements from these genres and created its own identity.
Initially it relied heavily on surfing culture in the 1950`s and 60`s, due to the fact that skateboarding grew out of and from surfing. So it used many of the same slang terms, which are still used today, and the whole ethos was tied to the apron strings of surfing.
As punk culture grew, and skateboarding culture moved away from its roots to embrace this, skateboarding began to be seen as a rebel thing, and this was conveyed in its attitude and clothes. The punk influence is still there now, especially in the kind of t-shirts skaters wear.
As some punk morphed into hard rock forms this hard edge became noticeable.
More fusion came in when street culture embraced skateboarding, and so then you had the hip hop culture having a huge influence on it, from clothes, to how you wear your clothes, how you act and move. It is exciting to see all the different strands merge into this fantastic, strong identity that skateboarding now has.
Skateboarding culture is now a thriving and constantly evolving subculture, that has movement, clothes, music and attitude at the heart of it.
As music and clothes subtly change, then so do skateboarders looks change, although their identity now is an extremely strong look, and any changes from this will be a very gradual process.
If you want to learn how to skateboard in double quick time with the best guide on the internet for learning you tricks, click on Skate Secrets
You can see all the different strands blend into what is a firmly entrenched skateboarding culture now. It has taken most of the cool elements from these genres and created its own identity.
Initially it relied heavily on surfing culture in the 1950`s and 60`s, due to the fact that skateboarding grew out of and from surfing. So it used many of the same slang terms, which are still used today, and the whole ethos was tied to the apron strings of surfing.
As punk culture grew, and skateboarding culture moved away from its roots to embrace this, skateboarding began to be seen as a rebel thing, and this was conveyed in its attitude and clothes. The punk influence is still there now, especially in the kind of t-shirts skaters wear.
As some punk morphed into hard rock forms this hard edge became noticeable.
More fusion came in when street culture embraced skateboarding, and so then you had the hip hop culture having a huge influence on it, from clothes, to how you wear your clothes, how you act and move. It is exciting to see all the different strands merge into this fantastic, strong identity that skateboarding now has.
Skateboarding culture is now a thriving and constantly evolving subculture, that has movement, clothes, music and attitude at the heart of it.
As music and clothes subtly change, then so do skateboarders looks change, although their identity now is an extremely strong look, and any changes from this will be a very gradual process.
If you want to learn how to skateboard in double quick time with the best guide on the internet for learning you tricks, click on Skate Secrets
Monday 13 July 2009
Great Skateboard Tricks From A 6 Year Old!!
Do you want to see some great skateboard tricks done by a 6 year old? I know it pains me to say it that when we are falling over on our backsides and losing our dignity, that a 6 year old can do these tricks, but it is true!
Have a look at this kid called Sebastian Kuhr who is doing some great skateboard tricks on this video at Skate Tricks
How cool is this kid?! He even comes from a cool place, Hermosa Beach in California. I mean I think that maybe beats Darwen in the wet and windy North of England where I reside hands down y`know.
Although I cant believe a Californian kid is cool enough to be into the Arctic Monkeys, which is on the soundtrack to the video. Methinks his dad might have had a hand in that one, although I am seriously impressed.
Anyways, about the video. Sebastian, or Seabass as he is known, does some great skateboard tricks on ramps, up and down steps and jumps. He performs, among others, a fakie bigspin and half cab, and a 6 stair ollie.
And joking aside it is worth watching him skate to learn some of these tricks, the positions he is in when going into the tricks, and how he executes them.
There is no doubt the younger you learn something the better it is to pick up, and also you dont seem to have any fear at a young age, at least that is what they tell me!
He obviously loves to skateboard, and competes in local skateboard contests. He can also snowboard to a high standard too.
There is nothing more to say than to say go over and watch the video of these great skateboard tricks, and maybe one day we can all be as good as him, though in my case I doubt it! The link is at Skate Tricks
Have a look at this kid called Sebastian Kuhr who is doing some great skateboard tricks on this video at Skate Tricks
How cool is this kid?! He even comes from a cool place, Hermosa Beach in California. I mean I think that maybe beats Darwen in the wet and windy North of England where I reside hands down y`know.
Although I cant believe a Californian kid is cool enough to be into the Arctic Monkeys, which is on the soundtrack to the video. Methinks his dad might have had a hand in that one, although I am seriously impressed.
Anyways, about the video. Sebastian, or Seabass as he is known, does some great skateboard tricks on ramps, up and down steps and jumps. He performs, among others, a fakie bigspin and half cab, and a 6 stair ollie.
And joking aside it is worth watching him skate to learn some of these tricks, the positions he is in when going into the tricks, and how he executes them.
There is no doubt the younger you learn something the better it is to pick up, and also you dont seem to have any fear at a young age, at least that is what they tell me!
He obviously loves to skateboard, and competes in local skateboard contests. He can also snowboard to a high standard too.
There is nothing more to say than to say go over and watch the video of these great skateboard tricks, and maybe one day we can all be as good as him, though in my case I doubt it! The link is at Skate Tricks
Thursday 9 July 2009
Skateboard Ramp Tricks
In skateboard ramp tricks we are gonna look at the blunt to fakie trick. This may not mean a lot to you at this precise moment, but stick with me kid and I will fill in all the gaps for you.
The blunt to fakie skateboard ramp trick is when you go up the ramp until both your back wheels come over the rim of the ramp. It looks like you are going to come right over and off the ramp as you have hit the top of the ramp straight on with your skateboard, but instead you are going to come back down.
With this trick you need to have the ball of your back foot in the middle of the boards tail as your back wheels go over the top of the ramp, and you need to push forward on your front foot near the front of the board. This will give you some momentum and you can push back in with the ball of your foot on the tail, and so this will enable you to pop back in.
You give it a kind of bounce at the top of the ramp as you are just going to go right over the ramp, and that push back on the tail with your back foot helps you pop up so you can slide backwards down the ramp.
You have to make sure you hit the top of the ramp with your wheels straight upwards, otherwise this will not work and you will probably come to grief and fall.
You need quite a bit of momentum for this trick to succeed as both front and back wheels have to make themselves clear of the top of the ramp.
So there we have one of the skateboard ramp tricks. If you want to learn all of the skateboard tricks there are out there in 8 weeks or less then click on Skate Secrets
The blunt to fakie skateboard ramp trick is when you go up the ramp until both your back wheels come over the rim of the ramp. It looks like you are going to come right over and off the ramp as you have hit the top of the ramp straight on with your skateboard, but instead you are going to come back down.
With this trick you need to have the ball of your back foot in the middle of the boards tail as your back wheels go over the top of the ramp, and you need to push forward on your front foot near the front of the board. This will give you some momentum and you can push back in with the ball of your foot on the tail, and so this will enable you to pop back in.
You give it a kind of bounce at the top of the ramp as you are just going to go right over the ramp, and that push back on the tail with your back foot helps you pop up so you can slide backwards down the ramp.
You have to make sure you hit the top of the ramp with your wheels straight upwards, otherwise this will not work and you will probably come to grief and fall.
You need quite a bit of momentum for this trick to succeed as both front and back wheels have to make themselves clear of the top of the ramp.
So there we have one of the skateboard ramp tricks. If you want to learn all of the skateboard tricks there are out there in 8 weeks or less then click on Skate Secrets
Tricks On Skatebords
OK, tricks on skateboards, let us look at how to do an ollie while moving, as opposed to doing an ollie while stationary----obviously!!
So your front foot should be around about in the middle of the board, and your back foot on the tail of your board. You push off with your back foot and then put your back foot on the tail, and push down on the tail with your back foot so the front pops up, and you slide your front foot forward, wait for the skateboard to even out in the air, and then you can drop the skateboard back down. The toes of your front foot should be over the front bolts when you are doing this, so that you can control the skateboard with that front foot.
You basically control the overall movement of the board with that front foot of yours, and to do that when you are pressing down on the board with your front foot to bring the board back down, you need to bend your knee forward, and also your body slightly forward, so that your weight is bearing down on that front foot.
The more you practice the better you will get at this, just like any other tricks on skateboards. The better you get, the more momentum you can carry into the moving ollie by pushing off harder, and then you can press harder onto the tail and get a higher jump on your skateboard.
It is not much harder than a stationary ollie, but you must take a little more care with your balance. Get your technique right, make sure your stance and positioning are perfect when you attempt this, and you will find it a whole lot easier.
Tricks on skateboards are always great fun, and as the ollie is the basis for many, many tricks, if you perfect this you will be really up and running.
If you want to learn all the skateboarding tricks in the book in 8 weeks or less then you must click on Skate Secrets
So your front foot should be around about in the middle of the board, and your back foot on the tail of your board. You push off with your back foot and then put your back foot on the tail, and push down on the tail with your back foot so the front pops up, and you slide your front foot forward, wait for the skateboard to even out in the air, and then you can drop the skateboard back down. The toes of your front foot should be over the front bolts when you are doing this, so that you can control the skateboard with that front foot.
You basically control the overall movement of the board with that front foot of yours, and to do that when you are pressing down on the board with your front foot to bring the board back down, you need to bend your knee forward, and also your body slightly forward, so that your weight is bearing down on that front foot.
The more you practice the better you will get at this, just like any other tricks on skateboards. The better you get, the more momentum you can carry into the moving ollie by pushing off harder, and then you can press harder onto the tail and get a higher jump on your skateboard.
It is not much harder than a stationary ollie, but you must take a little more care with your balance. Get your technique right, make sure your stance and positioning are perfect when you attempt this, and you will find it a whole lot easier.
Tricks on skateboards are always great fun, and as the ollie is the basis for many, many tricks, if you perfect this you will be really up and running.
If you want to learn all the skateboarding tricks in the book in 8 weeks or less then you must click on Skate Secrets
Wednesday 8 July 2009
How To Prevent Skateboarding Injuries
You may think how to prevent skateboarding injuries is to not get on a skateboard in the first place, and you would be right!
But in the event that we are not going to give up skateboarding then we need some guidance as to how to prevent serious injury.
Now first and foremost, never, ever go skateboarding without your helmet on. You are out in the street, you misjudge a move and fall backwards, if you havent got your helmet on, the back of your head is going to come into contact with concrete and it is not going to be pretty. So please wear your helmet, and make sure the buckle is fastened on it and it is a good fit so it does not move around.
Knee pads and wrist braces are important too, especially when you are first starting out and falling over with alarming regularity. Hand and wrist injuries are a very common injury.
You need a safe area to skateboard in, one that you are not coming into contact with cars, or pedestrians, and one that does not have any dangerous stationary objects in it. Be aware of your surroundings and amke a note of any potential hazards or problems that could occur. For instance look out for any uneven and bumpy surfaces.
To prevent skateboarding injuries always skate within your ability zone. In other words do not try any hard, potentially dangerous tricks if you are not up to speed with them and your technique is not tight enough to safely manage them.
To stop yourself falling backwards keep your body weight on your front foot rather than your back foot. When you do fall, make sure you bend your knees and roll with your shoulder as you hit the floor, so the fleshy part of your shoulder takes the minimal impact possible.
So there we are, how to prevent skateboarding injuries. If you have just started out and you want to learn how to do all the great skateboarding tricks pronto, then I suggest you take a look at the Secrets Of Skateboarding by clicking on Skate Secrets
But in the event that we are not going to give up skateboarding then we need some guidance as to how to prevent serious injury.
Now first and foremost, never, ever go skateboarding without your helmet on. You are out in the street, you misjudge a move and fall backwards, if you havent got your helmet on, the back of your head is going to come into contact with concrete and it is not going to be pretty. So please wear your helmet, and make sure the buckle is fastened on it and it is a good fit so it does not move around.
Knee pads and wrist braces are important too, especially when you are first starting out and falling over with alarming regularity. Hand and wrist injuries are a very common injury.
You need a safe area to skateboard in, one that you are not coming into contact with cars, or pedestrians, and one that does not have any dangerous stationary objects in it. Be aware of your surroundings and amke a note of any potential hazards or problems that could occur. For instance look out for any uneven and bumpy surfaces.
To prevent skateboarding injuries always skate within your ability zone. In other words do not try any hard, potentially dangerous tricks if you are not up to speed with them and your technique is not tight enough to safely manage them.
To stop yourself falling backwards keep your body weight on your front foot rather than your back foot. When you do fall, make sure you bend your knees and roll with your shoulder as you hit the floor, so the fleshy part of your shoulder takes the minimal impact possible.
So there we are, how to prevent skateboarding injuries. If you have just started out and you want to learn how to do all the great skateboarding tricks pronto, then I suggest you take a look at the Secrets Of Skateboarding by clicking on Skate Secrets
Beginning Skateboarding
When you are beginning skateboarding there are a few things you might wanna do, and some things it would be well to know.
So here are 10 quick tips on starting up:
1. Get a skateboard!! Hehee, no seriously I mean get a skateboard you are going to be comfortable on when starting up, that is one that is quite wide and heavy to give you good stability.
2. When you are beginning skateboarding you need all the right safety equipment, such as helmet, knee pads, wrist braces, cups etc. Skateboarding is a sport where you fall and hurt yourself, aint no 2 ways about it, so to minimise the impact get all the safety gear.
3. Find a safe place to practice. You dont want to have too many things, both moving or stationary, to bump into.
4. Get yourself acquainted with your board. Practice balancing on the board and staying on as long as possible. Try to develop a feel for your skateboard, all its nuances and its trajectory when you move forward.
5. Practice jumping on to your board and keeping upright. Try different angles to jump onto the board, and different areas to land on.
6. Get comfortable with your stance on the board, either goofy or regular, you decide what is best for you.
7. Start to push off on the board and gain some momentum and speed. Have your pushing foot further forward than your other foot when you do this.
8. Get used to bending your knees to gain both speed and a better balance.
9. Learn how moving your feet across your board can affect its trajectory, practice leaning to one side and balancing as you start to learn curves.
10. Practice stamping down on the back of your board to pop it and then balance on the board with your front foot controlling the board.
I hope this will help you as you are beginning skateboarding, if you want a fantastic guide to learning all the tricks then I recommend you click on Skate Secrets
So here are 10 quick tips on starting up:
1. Get a skateboard!! Hehee, no seriously I mean get a skateboard you are going to be comfortable on when starting up, that is one that is quite wide and heavy to give you good stability.
2. When you are beginning skateboarding you need all the right safety equipment, such as helmet, knee pads, wrist braces, cups etc. Skateboarding is a sport where you fall and hurt yourself, aint no 2 ways about it, so to minimise the impact get all the safety gear.
3. Find a safe place to practice. You dont want to have too many things, both moving or stationary, to bump into.
4. Get yourself acquainted with your board. Practice balancing on the board and staying on as long as possible. Try to develop a feel for your skateboard, all its nuances and its trajectory when you move forward.
5. Practice jumping on to your board and keeping upright. Try different angles to jump onto the board, and different areas to land on.
6. Get comfortable with your stance on the board, either goofy or regular, you decide what is best for you.
7. Start to push off on the board and gain some momentum and speed. Have your pushing foot further forward than your other foot when you do this.
8. Get used to bending your knees to gain both speed and a better balance.
9. Learn how moving your feet across your board can affect its trajectory, practice leaning to one side and balancing as you start to learn curves.
10. Practice stamping down on the back of your board to pop it and then balance on the board with your front foot controlling the board.
I hope this will help you as you are beginning skateboarding, if you want a fantastic guide to learning all the tricks then I recommend you click on Skate Secrets
Skateboarding Varial Flip
Let us have a look at a particular trick called the Varial Flip. A varial flip is when there is a lateral rotation of the skateboard or rider. There should be a varial rotation of 180 degrees.
The varial flip is basically a combination of the Kick Flip and the Pop Shove It.
It is important you have mastered these 2 tricks before you venture to do the varial flip.
So to start you need your toes off the side of the tail like a pop shove it, so that when you stomp on the tail the board rotates. You have your front foot like with a kick flip, so that you slide your front foot off the front of the board at the same time as the board pops up and rotates.
The board spins and rotates 180 degrees around as you are airborne, and then as the board lands on the floor you also land on the board with both feet nicely apart and balanced so that you catch the board just right and keep your balance.
So this is the varial flip, or varial kickflip, and is not too hard to figure out as you should have already got to grips with the kick flip and pop shove it.
This is basically shoving it as you flip, rotating the board with your back foot and flipping the board as well.
You do not want to flip the board too hard, but just enough for the board to rotate in the air and drop so you can land on top of it.
You can go on to heel flips and so forth after you have got to grips with the varial flip. I hope you have fun with this trick.
The trick, once learned, can be done at will, and looks a real neat and cool trick for you to perform. Like all tricks, your technique and control with this is everything, and you must have your technique rock solid before attempting it.
If you want to learn how to do all the skateboarding tricks in 8 weeks or less then click on Skate Secrets
The varial flip is basically a combination of the Kick Flip and the Pop Shove It.
It is important you have mastered these 2 tricks before you venture to do the varial flip.
So to start you need your toes off the side of the tail like a pop shove it, so that when you stomp on the tail the board rotates. You have your front foot like with a kick flip, so that you slide your front foot off the front of the board at the same time as the board pops up and rotates.
The board spins and rotates 180 degrees around as you are airborne, and then as the board lands on the floor you also land on the board with both feet nicely apart and balanced so that you catch the board just right and keep your balance.
So this is the varial flip, or varial kickflip, and is not too hard to figure out as you should have already got to grips with the kick flip and pop shove it.
This is basically shoving it as you flip, rotating the board with your back foot and flipping the board as well.
You do not want to flip the board too hard, but just enough for the board to rotate in the air and drop so you can land on top of it.
You can go on to heel flips and so forth after you have got to grips with the varial flip. I hope you have fun with this trick.
The trick, once learned, can be done at will, and looks a real neat and cool trick for you to perform. Like all tricks, your technique and control with this is everything, and you must have your technique rock solid before attempting it.
If you want to learn how to do all the skateboarding tricks in 8 weeks or less then click on Skate Secrets
Skateboarding For Fun
Thats right, skateboarding for fun! This is the reason I took up skateboarding myself, well, that and the chance to get to know some chicks, and I guess that comes under the fun umbrella too!!
You gotta enjoy yourself on a skateboard, otherwise there aint much point doing it in the first place.
So how do we make skateboarding a fun activity? Well there a few things you can do to get to this unadulterated place of joy.
Firstly, get out there with a smile on your face, and do not take yourself too seriously. Let your inhibitions run free, which you may think is a good one coming from an Englishman, but there we go.
Do not get frustrated when you fall off your board, or think that you have lost your dignity. Who cares? Just get back on your horse and start again. We have all fallen off many, many times, we have all screwed up badly, it comes with the territory and how you learn to get better unfortunately.
Skateboarding for fun can be achieved by not taking on things you have no chance of succeeding in. Build up your technique and skateboard craft first, get to know how to balance on the board, and get your posture and feet right before anything else.
That way once you start to move onto the Ollie etc, they will seem easier to learn, and you can enjoy your learning curve more.
If you are trying to learn a new technique, and cant get it right and you are getting more and more frustrated, knock it on the head for a while and try something else. Go back to it when you feel fresher and more up for it.
Be creative and original once you have learnt the basics, let yourself go and enjoy yourself.
Sometimes when you are in the middle of something you forget that you started skateboarding for fun in the first place. You maybe need to take a step back and clear your head to put a grin back on your visage.
To learn techniques and tricks in double quick time look at this guide at Skate Secrets
You gotta enjoy yourself on a skateboard, otherwise there aint much point doing it in the first place.
So how do we make skateboarding a fun activity? Well there a few things you can do to get to this unadulterated place of joy.
Firstly, get out there with a smile on your face, and do not take yourself too seriously. Let your inhibitions run free, which you may think is a good one coming from an Englishman, but there we go.
Do not get frustrated when you fall off your board, or think that you have lost your dignity. Who cares? Just get back on your horse and start again. We have all fallen off many, many times, we have all screwed up badly, it comes with the territory and how you learn to get better unfortunately.
Skateboarding for fun can be achieved by not taking on things you have no chance of succeeding in. Build up your technique and skateboard craft first, get to know how to balance on the board, and get your posture and feet right before anything else.
That way once you start to move onto the Ollie etc, they will seem easier to learn, and you can enjoy your learning curve more.
If you are trying to learn a new technique, and cant get it right and you are getting more and more frustrated, knock it on the head for a while and try something else. Go back to it when you feel fresher and more up for it.
Be creative and original once you have learnt the basics, let yourself go and enjoy yourself.
Sometimes when you are in the middle of something you forget that you started skateboarding for fun in the first place. You maybe need to take a step back and clear your head to put a grin back on your visage.
To learn techniques and tricks in double quick time look at this guide at Skate Secrets
Secrets Of Skateboarding Review
You need to read this Secrets Of Skateboarding review if you are thinking of purchasing this e-book. This is without doubt the most talked about e-book in the skateboarding genre.
And you gotta ask yourself why this is? And this is because it can do what it says on the tin. It can help you to learn all the skateboarding tricks around, and then some, in 8 weeks or less.
So why can it do this? Well, the devil is in the detail, and Tony Waters is very, very good on the detail. He bangs on about the correct technique, and more importantly gives you detailed guides on how to go about getting the correct technique.
In the Secrets Of Skateboarding he writes in a concise and easy to follow manner, and all the e-book flows towards a natural conclusion.
He tells you exactly what to do before you even attempt a trick, where your feet should be and the posture you should have, so that you have the correct balance and weight distribution on each foot.
He tells you where and how hard to pop, and how your feet should rotate and flip the board.
Tony gives you brilliantly detailed guides on many, many tricks, among them the Ollie, Kickflip, Pop Shove It, Hard Flip, 360 Flip, Varial Flip, Frontside Heelflip, and Backside Heel Flip.
The Secrets Of Skateboarding could not make it more simpler for you, just follow the guide and do the exercises he shows you and learn the techniques exactly as he shows you, and you will learn these tricks 50 times faster than attempting them without this guide.
As I said it is his detailed analysis of how to go about learning tricks that wins me over. It gives you very specific instructions that make life a whole lot easier.
He even goes into the mental approach you need before attempting any tricks, and looks at visuallisation as a good technique to use.
So this Secrets Of Skateboarding review has to give the guide a big thumbs up. If you see a better guide, please give me a call!
You can find the guide if you click on Skate Secrets
And you gotta ask yourself why this is? And this is because it can do what it says on the tin. It can help you to learn all the skateboarding tricks around, and then some, in 8 weeks or less.
So why can it do this? Well, the devil is in the detail, and Tony Waters is very, very good on the detail. He bangs on about the correct technique, and more importantly gives you detailed guides on how to go about getting the correct technique.
In the Secrets Of Skateboarding he writes in a concise and easy to follow manner, and all the e-book flows towards a natural conclusion.
He tells you exactly what to do before you even attempt a trick, where your feet should be and the posture you should have, so that you have the correct balance and weight distribution on each foot.
He tells you where and how hard to pop, and how your feet should rotate and flip the board.
Tony gives you brilliantly detailed guides on many, many tricks, among them the Ollie, Kickflip, Pop Shove It, Hard Flip, 360 Flip, Varial Flip, Frontside Heelflip, and Backside Heel Flip.
The Secrets Of Skateboarding could not make it more simpler for you, just follow the guide and do the exercises he shows you and learn the techniques exactly as he shows you, and you will learn these tricks 50 times faster than attempting them without this guide.
As I said it is his detailed analysis of how to go about learning tricks that wins me over. It gives you very specific instructions that make life a whole lot easier.
He even goes into the mental approach you need before attempting any tricks, and looks at visuallisation as a good technique to use.
So this Secrets Of Skateboarding review has to give the guide a big thumbs up. If you see a better guide, please give me a call!
You can find the guide if you click on Skate Secrets
Tuesday 7 July 2009
How Do You Get Good At Skateboarding
So how do you get good at skateboarding? This might not seem very romantic to you but there aint no way around the fact that you get good by practicing. Now you may say no kidding Sherlock!!
But its funny how a whole load of people take up skateboarding, only to give up cos they find it hard to learn, or they keep falling over, or they hurt themselves once.
Oh purlease! Come on, the fact is that virtually everybody who gets on a skateboard for the first time finds it difficult, they fall off with monotonous regularity, and they hurt themselves not once, but quite a few times.
99% of us out there do not have a god given talent on a skateboard, but have to get there by learning the basics first, keeping it nice and simple, developing the correct technique, and building blocks so that you get better step by step.
Hey presto, and before you know it you find that, actually, you can skateboard pretty good all of a sudden, you can do some cool moves and tricks, and this skateboarding lark is a whole load of fun!!
So the question, how do you get good at skateboarding, can be answered by saying that you do have to put in the hard yards. Get comfortable on your skateboard first, find the stance you are happy with, and then start to experiment by jumping on and off your board, and pushing off and gaining speed.
Get your posture right, and find when you need to bend your knees and how to lean into a corner, and where to position your feet for this. All the time you are building blocks that you will be able to fall back on, and your technique will get tighter and smoother.
There will be setbacks along the way, you will crash and burn plenty times, but if you are determined you will come out the other side a good skateboarder.
To speed up the learning process you can use this excellent guide, which you can find by clicking on Skate Secrets
But its funny how a whole load of people take up skateboarding, only to give up cos they find it hard to learn, or they keep falling over, or they hurt themselves once.
Oh purlease! Come on, the fact is that virtually everybody who gets on a skateboard for the first time finds it difficult, they fall off with monotonous regularity, and they hurt themselves not once, but quite a few times.
99% of us out there do not have a god given talent on a skateboard, but have to get there by learning the basics first, keeping it nice and simple, developing the correct technique, and building blocks so that you get better step by step.
Hey presto, and before you know it you find that, actually, you can skateboard pretty good all of a sudden, you can do some cool moves and tricks, and this skateboarding lark is a whole load of fun!!
So the question, how do you get good at skateboarding, can be answered by saying that you do have to put in the hard yards. Get comfortable on your skateboard first, find the stance you are happy with, and then start to experiment by jumping on and off your board, and pushing off and gaining speed.
Get your posture right, and find when you need to bend your knees and how to lean into a corner, and where to position your feet for this. All the time you are building blocks that you will be able to fall back on, and your technique will get tighter and smoother.
There will be setbacks along the way, you will crash and burn plenty times, but if you are determined you will come out the other side a good skateboarder.
To speed up the learning process you can use this excellent guide, which you can find by clicking on Skate Secrets
Monday 6 July 2009
Skateboard Learning
This article on skateboard learning looks at what this activity can do for anyone who takes up the sport. Skateboarding is a hugely popular pastime, particularly with the young, and with good reason.
The thrills and spills you can get from being on a skateboard, the threat of danger if you do a trick or move wrong and crash, yeh the sheer adrenaline rush of flying down a hill, or looping into the air, is very hard to beat.
It takes a lot of skill and a huge amount of courage also to make a good skateboarder. When you have just started skateboard learning it seems unthinkable that you could do some of the tricks you have seen on the TV or You Tube or in the street or park by some experienced skater.
But make no mistake, if you have the guts and patience to keep learning and building up your technique and confidence, you will soon become a very good skateboarder in your own right. Some very wise dude once pointed out that genius was 90% perspiration and just 10% inspiration, and he was dead right. Skills and technique are not just god given, they have to be mastered by practicing.
And skateboarding gives you the precious ability to be creative and make your own signature moves on your board. A skateboard is a great way to reflect your personality, and can give you a feeling of real freedom. Once you get good you can really let your inhibitions go.
Skateboard learning will get you fit too. It is a great aerobic activity and will work most of your major muscle groups. It will help your balance and coordination no end, and will make you a far better athlete than you previously were.
If you want to be a skateboard pro in next to no time there is a great guide that can be found by clicking on Skate Secrets
The thrills and spills you can get from being on a skateboard, the threat of danger if you do a trick or move wrong and crash, yeh the sheer adrenaline rush of flying down a hill, or looping into the air, is very hard to beat.
It takes a lot of skill and a huge amount of courage also to make a good skateboarder. When you have just started skateboard learning it seems unthinkable that you could do some of the tricks you have seen on the TV or You Tube or in the street or park by some experienced skater.
But make no mistake, if you have the guts and patience to keep learning and building up your technique and confidence, you will soon become a very good skateboarder in your own right. Some very wise dude once pointed out that genius was 90% perspiration and just 10% inspiration, and he was dead right. Skills and technique are not just god given, they have to be mastered by practicing.
And skateboarding gives you the precious ability to be creative and make your own signature moves on your board. A skateboard is a great way to reflect your personality, and can give you a feeling of real freedom. Once you get good you can really let your inhibitions go.
Skateboard learning will get you fit too. It is a great aerobic activity and will work most of your major muscle groups. It will help your balance and coordination no end, and will make you a far better athlete than you previously were.
If you want to be a skateboard pro in next to no time there is a great guide that can be found by clicking on Skate Secrets
Thursday 2 July 2009
Skateboarding Safely
OK, let us have a look at skateboarding safely. Dont get the wrong impression that this entails crawling along on your skateboard at 2 miles per hour in a crouched position!
No skateboarding safely is just taking all the steps you can while you are skating to prevent serious injury. Nobody is telling you not to do wild tricks and moves.
So once you have your safety gear, helmet buckled up (essential), knee pads and wrist braces (essential when doing ramps or verts), elbow pads (non-essential but a broken elbow is a particularly sore injury which takes a long time to heal), and cups (now this is a particularly sore, painful injury!), you then want to look at how you are skating, to prevent injury, and to be skateboarding safely as much as poss.
When you fall off your skateboard, which trust me will be frequently, it is important not to try to break your fall by throwing your hands out, as all this will do will damage your hands, arms and wrists. So what you need to try to do is to turn your shoulder and roll it as you hit the ground. Your shoulder is one of the fleshiest parts of your body and will take impact better than most other parts, as long as you dont stiffen up as you are hitting the floor, but rolling with the shoulder so that the impact is minimal.
Look around you before and during skating, are there any obstacles, both moving and stationary, that you may hit on your travels. Find a safe environment to skate in.
Do not run before you can walk. Start with simple moves, go on to the most basic tricks, and build yourself up to the most inventive and wilder tricks. They will come in time, but if you injure yourself badly through trying things too early it could shatter your confidence, as well as your bones!!
If you want to learn to skateboard mega fast the best guide on the net can be found by clicknig on Skate Secrets
No skateboarding safely is just taking all the steps you can while you are skating to prevent serious injury. Nobody is telling you not to do wild tricks and moves.
So once you have your safety gear, helmet buckled up (essential), knee pads and wrist braces (essential when doing ramps or verts), elbow pads (non-essential but a broken elbow is a particularly sore injury which takes a long time to heal), and cups (now this is a particularly sore, painful injury!), you then want to look at how you are skating, to prevent injury, and to be skateboarding safely as much as poss.
When you fall off your skateboard, which trust me will be frequently, it is important not to try to break your fall by throwing your hands out, as all this will do will damage your hands, arms and wrists. So what you need to try to do is to turn your shoulder and roll it as you hit the ground. Your shoulder is one of the fleshiest parts of your body and will take impact better than most other parts, as long as you dont stiffen up as you are hitting the floor, but rolling with the shoulder so that the impact is minimal.
Look around you before and during skating, are there any obstacles, both moving and stationary, that you may hit on your travels. Find a safe environment to skate in.
Do not run before you can walk. Start with simple moves, go on to the most basic tricks, and build yourself up to the most inventive and wilder tricks. They will come in time, but if you injure yourself badly through trying things too early it could shatter your confidence, as well as your bones!!
If you want to learn to skateboard mega fast the best guide on the net can be found by clicknig on Skate Secrets
Skateboard Safety
Skateboard safety may not be the most exciting subject to look at in the skateboard field, but it is the darn most important.
I know a lot of skateboarders get into the sport cos its extreme and wild, it gives you an adrenaline kick like no other and it gives you complete freedom when you are out there on the board.
But skateboard safety is mega important exactly for this reason. Skateboarding gives you that adrenaline rush as you can be right on the edge at times, and it is because you are right on the edge that you at great risk of seriosly hurting yourself.
And some injuries you just do not recover from, like a sickening crack to the back of your head.
You can still feel free and wild and uninhibited while following simple safety procedures. It really is the dumbest thing not to.
Skateboarders are on concrete most of the time, and that stuff does not give an inch when you hit it! Also you are leaving terra firma quite a bit of the time, and if you dont land right then man it hurts.
So please follow some simple skateboard safety rules to keep yourself fit and healthy and in top notch form.
First and foremost, wear a helmet and buckle it too. It aint no use if you go flying through the air and your helmet flies off in an alternative direction!
Also, wrist braces will stop you breaking your wrist or arm when you fall and put your hands out. A little note here, when you fall try to turn your body and roll over on your shoulder instead of throwing your arms out and making a mess of them.
Wear knee pads, especially when you are ramp or vert skating.
Elbow pads ditto.
And then there is the cup! It may not seem cool, but nobody knows its there, and if you do want babies in later life I figure its a good idea! Also guys, the pain really is intense down there when you get caught, I am sure I dont really need to tell you that.
So there we are with skateboard safety. When you get all your gear, and you want to be a top skateboarder in the quickest possible time, take a look at the best guide on the net by clicking on Skate Secrets
I know a lot of skateboarders get into the sport cos its extreme and wild, it gives you an adrenaline kick like no other and it gives you complete freedom when you are out there on the board.
But skateboard safety is mega important exactly for this reason. Skateboarding gives you that adrenaline rush as you can be right on the edge at times, and it is because you are right on the edge that you at great risk of seriosly hurting yourself.
And some injuries you just do not recover from, like a sickening crack to the back of your head.
You can still feel free and wild and uninhibited while following simple safety procedures. It really is the dumbest thing not to.
Skateboarders are on concrete most of the time, and that stuff does not give an inch when you hit it! Also you are leaving terra firma quite a bit of the time, and if you dont land right then man it hurts.
So please follow some simple skateboard safety rules to keep yourself fit and healthy and in top notch form.
First and foremost, wear a helmet and buckle it too. It aint no use if you go flying through the air and your helmet flies off in an alternative direction!
Also, wrist braces will stop you breaking your wrist or arm when you fall and put your hands out. A little note here, when you fall try to turn your body and roll over on your shoulder instead of throwing your arms out and making a mess of them.
Wear knee pads, especially when you are ramp or vert skating.
Elbow pads ditto.
And then there is the cup! It may not seem cool, but nobody knows its there, and if you do want babies in later life I figure its a good idea! Also guys, the pain really is intense down there when you get caught, I am sure I dont really need to tell you that.
So there we are with skateboard safety. When you get all your gear, and you want to be a top skateboarder in the quickest possible time, take a look at the best guide on the net by clicking on Skate Secrets
Wednesday 1 July 2009
Learn To Skateboard
When you are starting up and want to learn to skateboard the best advice I could give you is to get a cheap skateboard first up! Hey, there is method in the madness, cos you are gonna take a lot of dives and smash that board into a few inanimate objects, and a lot of the time those inanimate objects will come off best!
So dont spend a lot of money on a board that you find you have wrecked a few weeks down the line. Before you start to learn to skateboard have a look around in your local area for any skateboards going cheap. Go to a few shops and find out what sort of price they are selling boards for by all means, but I would for sure go for a second hand one to get you going.
Try to pick one that has a good width to it, and also a good depth/thickness, meaning that the skateboard is relatively heavy, so that it will give you more balance as you learn.
If it is possible I would also try to get good bearings on your wheels too, Abec 2 bearings are spot on I would say, as the higher the bearings, the quicker your wheels will spin.
When you want to learn to skateboard it is important to get a feel for your board and where your feet are positioned on the board. Practice rolling along on the board, and find the best place to position your feet that avoids you falling off or tipping up your board. Practice balancing and push off and bend your knees to see the effect the movement of shifting your body weight forward has on your speed and balance.
Practice banging your foot down on the tail of the board and catching the front end of your board with your front foot as it pops up, and then leaning forward and gaining momentum.
There are lots of little actions you can try out as you learn to skateboard.
The quickest way to learn all the tricks and everything you need to become a really skilled skater can be found if you click on Skate Secrets
So dont spend a lot of money on a board that you find you have wrecked a few weeks down the line. Before you start to learn to skateboard have a look around in your local area for any skateboards going cheap. Go to a few shops and find out what sort of price they are selling boards for by all means, but I would for sure go for a second hand one to get you going.
Try to pick one that has a good width to it, and also a good depth/thickness, meaning that the skateboard is relatively heavy, so that it will give you more balance as you learn.
If it is possible I would also try to get good bearings on your wheels too, Abec 2 bearings are spot on I would say, as the higher the bearings, the quicker your wheels will spin.
When you want to learn to skateboard it is important to get a feel for your board and where your feet are positioned on the board. Practice rolling along on the board, and find the best place to position your feet that avoids you falling off or tipping up your board. Practice balancing and push off and bend your knees to see the effect the movement of shifting your body weight forward has on your speed and balance.
Practice banging your foot down on the tail of the board and catching the front end of your board with your front foot as it pops up, and then leaning forward and gaining momentum.
There are lots of little actions you can try out as you learn to skateboard.
The quickest way to learn all the tricks and everything you need to become a really skilled skater can be found if you click on Skate Secrets
Skateboard Tips
In skateboard tips we are going to have a look at one particular skill, and that is how to build speed and gain momentum on a skateboard ramp.
An important point for this, please wear your helmet for it as there is a danger of alling back and cracking your head if you judge it wrong.
So here goes with these skateboard tips.OK, so as you are looking down the ramp, you have your back wheels over the edge of the coping and your back foot balanced on the tail of your board. You need to have your body leaning forward but not too far forward that you are going to tip right over. Also,if you do not lean forward enough you are going to fall back and take a nasty crack to the back of the head.
Now put your front foot over the front bolts, and with your back foot on the tail you just drop into the skateboard ramp. You must have your front foot over the front bolts, as if you have your front foot further back you are likely to fall back when you drop down the ramp.
So start with your weight on the tail, and then with your front foot ease down so that the board drops down the ramp. Lean forward,but not too much, and bend your knees some to gain momentum on the ramp.
You may come to grief a few times until you get the hang of how far you are leaning so again I cant stress the importance of wearing your helmet on this one.
Keep practicing this until it becomes second nature to you, and then once you have confidence you can build up your speeds more and more. Hope these skateboard tips will help you.
The best guide on the net to teach you how to become an expert skateboarder in 2 months or less can be found if you click on Skate Secrets
An important point for this, please wear your helmet for it as there is a danger of alling back and cracking your head if you judge it wrong.
So here goes with these skateboard tips.OK, so as you are looking down the ramp, you have your back wheels over the edge of the coping and your back foot balanced on the tail of your board. You need to have your body leaning forward but not too far forward that you are going to tip right over. Also,if you do not lean forward enough you are going to fall back and take a nasty crack to the back of the head.
Now put your front foot over the front bolts, and with your back foot on the tail you just drop into the skateboard ramp. You must have your front foot over the front bolts, as if you have your front foot further back you are likely to fall back when you drop down the ramp.
So start with your weight on the tail, and then with your front foot ease down so that the board drops down the ramp. Lean forward,but not too much, and bend your knees some to gain momentum on the ramp.
You may come to grief a few times until you get the hang of how far you are leaning so again I cant stress the importance of wearing your helmet on this one.
Keep practicing this until it becomes second nature to you, and then once you have confidence you can build up your speeds more and more. Hope these skateboard tips will help you.
The best guide on the net to teach you how to become an expert skateboarder in 2 months or less can be found if you click on Skate Secrets
Tuesday 30 June 2009
How To Be A Great Skateboarder
Do you want to know how to be a great skateboarder. Well let me tell you first and foremost that there is a process that needs to be followed to get you to this end product. There are no shortcuts and you must follow this and get the basics right before you can become an exceptional skateboarder.
So this is how to be a great skateboarder from the beginning. This is the short and sweet lowdown.
1. Get your skateboard gear, including skateboard, helmet, knee pads, wrist braces etc.
2. Get used to standing and balancing on your skateboard. Spend a few hours getting comfortable on it.
3. Work out which skateboard stance you feel right with, the goofy or regular. Usually goofy for left footers and regular for right footers.
4. Learn to push off on a skateboard and gathering speed.
5. Learn how to stop your skateboard! Believe me you dont want to miss this one out!
6. Learn how to carve around on the board by using your body weight to turn the board, and bending your knees correctly.
7. Go to a skatepark and learn how to skate over the slopes and ramps, always bearing in mind to keep your weight forward on the board to avoid crashing down.
8. Learn the basic tricks, such as the ollie, the kickturn, the pop shuv it and others.
9. Build on the basic tricks, learn more complex tricks that stretch you.
10. Use your imagination to enhance the tricks and the moves you are doing. Create your own signature mood and embellish others.
You can learn how to be a great skateboarder in 8 weeks or less if you follow the best guide on the internet, just click on Skate Secrets
So this is how to be a great skateboarder from the beginning. This is the short and sweet lowdown.
1. Get your skateboard gear, including skateboard, helmet, knee pads, wrist braces etc.
2. Get used to standing and balancing on your skateboard. Spend a few hours getting comfortable on it.
3. Work out which skateboard stance you feel right with, the goofy or regular. Usually goofy for left footers and regular for right footers.
4. Learn to push off on a skateboard and gathering speed.
5. Learn how to stop your skateboard! Believe me you dont want to miss this one out!
6. Learn how to carve around on the board by using your body weight to turn the board, and bending your knees correctly.
7. Go to a skatepark and learn how to skate over the slopes and ramps, always bearing in mind to keep your weight forward on the board to avoid crashing down.
8. Learn the basic tricks, such as the ollie, the kickturn, the pop shuv it and others.
9. Build on the basic tricks, learn more complex tricks that stretch you.
10. Use your imagination to enhance the tricks and the moves you are doing. Create your own signature mood and embellish others.
You can learn how to be a great skateboarder in 8 weeks or less if you follow the best guide on the internet, just click on Skate Secrets
Monday 29 June 2009
How To Learn To Skateboard
Hmmm, how to learn to skateboard. A question that has been asked since the dawn of time---OK well maybe not quite that far back but you get my drift.
Let us take this question back to basics, how to learn to skateboard. Well the first thing you need to do is feel comfortable on your skateboard. We are assuming here by the way that you have already bought your skateboard, and it is a reasonably wide and heavy one to start with. And we are also assuming you have got your skateboard gear, such as helmet, knee pads, wrist braces etc, which are essential items mon brave.
So the way to feel comfortable on your board is to practice getting your balance right. Try different ways to get on the board initially, see how the balance changes when you have a wide stance on the board, or you have your legs close together on the board. Practice running at the board and jumping on it, and keeping your balance as long as possible.
You have to know that when you are finding out how to learn to skateboard you will fall off many, many times, and you will hurt yourself, it goes with the territory I am afraid. But faint heart never won fair maiden, or so the saying goes I believe?!
Find out what position on the board you feel most comfortable and balanced. Once you have done this for a while, you can then practice pushing off and getting some speed up. If you build your speed up enough the easier it is to balance and the longer you will be able to stay on your skateboard. Keep going and make yourself go faster and faster, and start to practice swaying your body backwards and forwards to see the effect it has. Bend your knees and lean forward for extra speed.
Practice pushing down hard with your back foot on the board so that you flip the front up, and see if you can stay on the board. Bend your knees forward again so that you dont fall backwards. All this is good practice,and once you have learnt some basic movements you can step up your activity.
Hope this has helped you in how to learn to skateboard. By the way if you want to be an expert in the next 8 weeks no finer guide has been written than the one you will find if you click on SkateSecrets
Let us take this question back to basics, how to learn to skateboard. Well the first thing you need to do is feel comfortable on your skateboard. We are assuming here by the way that you have already bought your skateboard, and it is a reasonably wide and heavy one to start with. And we are also assuming you have got your skateboard gear, such as helmet, knee pads, wrist braces etc, which are essential items mon brave.
So the way to feel comfortable on your board is to practice getting your balance right. Try different ways to get on the board initially, see how the balance changes when you have a wide stance on the board, or you have your legs close together on the board. Practice running at the board and jumping on it, and keeping your balance as long as possible.
You have to know that when you are finding out how to learn to skateboard you will fall off many, many times, and you will hurt yourself, it goes with the territory I am afraid. But faint heart never won fair maiden, or so the saying goes I believe?!
Find out what position on the board you feel most comfortable and balanced. Once you have done this for a while, you can then practice pushing off and getting some speed up. If you build your speed up enough the easier it is to balance and the longer you will be able to stay on your skateboard. Keep going and make yourself go faster and faster, and start to practice swaying your body backwards and forwards to see the effect it has. Bend your knees and lean forward for extra speed.
Practice pushing down hard with your back foot on the board so that you flip the front up, and see if you can stay on the board. Bend your knees forward again so that you dont fall backwards. All this is good practice,and once you have learnt some basic movements you can step up your activity.
Hope this has helped you in how to learn to skateboard. By the way if you want to be an expert in the next 8 weeks no finer guide has been written than the one you will find if you click on SkateSecrets
Sunday 28 June 2009
4 Ways To Skateboard
There are 4 main ways that people skateboard here on our planet, so let us have a look at each of them in turn.
1. Street Skating. This is an extremely popular sporting activity, and has blossomed even more with the genre merging with hip hop culture and fashion, and taking on a whole new life.
Street skating can provide endless variations to express yourself and your personality, and can take in skating on to curbs, and up on to rails, ledges and benches, and many other stationary objects found on our streets.
The ollie is used prevalently in street skating.
2. Vert Skating. This involves skating on ramps and other vertical edifices, which have been designed for skating. Vert skating became popular in the 60`s in the California area, and empty pools were commonly used for this at first. Vert skating has taken many of the street skating moves and adapted them for its own use.
3. Half pipe skating. This is a U shaped ramp of really any size. Originally they were just half sections of a large pipe, but as this has evolved they now have an extended flat bottom to them which gives the skateboarder more time and space to develop tricks in.
4. Vert Ramp Skating. This is a half pipe with steep sides that are completely vertical at the top. They are normally around 10 to 14 feet in height. The sheer sides can give skaters a thrilling ride, and can send the board straight up into the air off the top of the vert ramp.
If you want to learn how to be a crack skateboarder within 8 weeks time just click on SkateSecrets
1. Street Skating. This is an extremely popular sporting activity, and has blossomed even more with the genre merging with hip hop culture and fashion, and taking on a whole new life.
Street skating can provide endless variations to express yourself and your personality, and can take in skating on to curbs, and up on to rails, ledges and benches, and many other stationary objects found on our streets.
The ollie is used prevalently in street skating.
2. Vert Skating. This involves skating on ramps and other vertical edifices, which have been designed for skating. Vert skating became popular in the 60`s in the California area, and empty pools were commonly used for this at first. Vert skating has taken many of the street skating moves and adapted them for its own use.
3. Half pipe skating. This is a U shaped ramp of really any size. Originally they were just half sections of a large pipe, but as this has evolved they now have an extended flat bottom to them which gives the skateboarder more time and space to develop tricks in.
4. Vert Ramp Skating. This is a half pipe with steep sides that are completely vertical at the top. They are normally around 10 to 14 feet in height. The sheer sides can give skaters a thrilling ride, and can send the board straight up into the air off the top of the vert ramp.
If you want to learn how to be a crack skateboarder within 8 weeks time just click on SkateSecrets
Skateboard Information
Here we have some skateboard information on yer actual skateboard, including all you need to know on them. Here are a few facts guys and gals, dudes and dudesses:
The skateboard deck, that is the flat surface of the skateboard, is normally made out of laminated maple. How thick the skateboard is depends on the number of layers that the deck is made out of. The less experienced skateboarder should be more inclined to pick a thick skateboard for ease of balance.
For your skateboard information, the wheels are more often than not made out of polyurethane, and can be sized between 39 to 66 millimetres in diameter.
The front of the skateboard is called the nose, which comprises of the front truck bolts to the end of the board.
The back of the skateboard is called the tail, which comprises of the back truck bolts back to the end of the board.
The wheelbase is basically the distance between the front and the back wheels.
Most skateboards come with grip tape on them, or skateboarders put tape on them when they buy their board. The grip tape is stuck to the deck, and has an abrasive surface to give the skateboarder plenty grip to the board, so that they will not slip off so readily.
So theres some skateboard information for your delectation. If you want to learn how to be a top skateboarder in double quick time then this is a must see, just click on SkateSecrets for more information.
The skateboard deck, that is the flat surface of the skateboard, is normally made out of laminated maple. How thick the skateboard is depends on the number of layers that the deck is made out of. The less experienced skateboarder should be more inclined to pick a thick skateboard for ease of balance.
For your skateboard information, the wheels are more often than not made out of polyurethane, and can be sized between 39 to 66 millimetres in diameter.
The front of the skateboard is called the nose, which comprises of the front truck bolts to the end of the board.
The back of the skateboard is called the tail, which comprises of the back truck bolts back to the end of the board.
The wheelbase is basically the distance between the front and the back wheels.
Most skateboards come with grip tape on them, or skateboarders put tape on them when they buy their board. The grip tape is stuck to the deck, and has an abrasive surface to give the skateboarder plenty grip to the board, so that they will not slip off so readily.
So theres some skateboard information for your delectation. If you want to learn how to be a top skateboarder in double quick time then this is a must see, just click on SkateSecrets for more information.
Saturday 27 June 2009
Skateboard Skills
Looking to brush up on your skateboard skills hombre? Let us have a look at how to do real neat sharp turns on your skateboard. We will soon have you skating like a pro!
OK, this is good tuition on how to make those sharp turns, but remember you gotta practice and practice them cos there is no such thing as a free lunch, and all the people who look like a natural to you on their board had to go through the same learning process. They fell off and stumbled and looked useless at one point, and they would have felt like giving up a few times I am sure, but the thing is they didnt, and thats the difference between a good skater with top skateboard skills and a bad one.
Right, so when you push off you have your front foot over the front part of your bolts, and you will have your back foot towards the back wheel of the board. To build up some pace you need to push off a couple of times real hard and try to gather some momentum, and then you put your foot under the tail, twist your shoulders around in the direction you wish to turn, and the rest of your upper body will follow, causing you to make that sharp turn.
So to conclude, you apply pressure with your back foot as you throw your shoulder to make a sharp turn. Trust me you will probably have a few accidents with this as we all do, but you will get the hang of it pretty quickly.
If you want to learn how to skateboard like a pro in less than 2 months click on SkateSecrets
OK, this is good tuition on how to make those sharp turns, but remember you gotta practice and practice them cos there is no such thing as a free lunch, and all the people who look like a natural to you on their board had to go through the same learning process. They fell off and stumbled and looked useless at one point, and they would have felt like giving up a few times I am sure, but the thing is they didnt, and thats the difference between a good skater with top skateboard skills and a bad one.
Right, so when you push off you have your front foot over the front part of your bolts, and you will have your back foot towards the back wheel of the board. To build up some pace you need to push off a couple of times real hard and try to gather some momentum, and then you put your foot under the tail, twist your shoulders around in the direction you wish to turn, and the rest of your upper body will follow, causing you to make that sharp turn.
So to conclude, you apply pressure with your back foot as you throw your shoulder to make a sharp turn. Trust me you will probably have a few accidents with this as we all do, but you will get the hang of it pretty quickly.
If you want to learn how to skateboard like a pro in less than 2 months click on SkateSecrets
Thursday 25 June 2009
Learning To Skateboard
This post is for people who are just learning to skateboard. I will quickly mention the difference between the regular and the goofy stance. The Regular stance is for right footed people and the goofy stance is for us left footers.
Basically with a regular stance you stand with your left foot forward on the board, so that you are controlling the board at the back with your right foot. And obviously vice versa with the goofy stance. This will come naturally to you if you think about it and feel which stance makes you more comfortable and at ease. When you are learning to skateboard it is important to get yourself set right.
For some reason left footers do tend to rely on their left foot almost completely, whereas righty footers are more two footed. I know this from my own experience, as when I play football I cant do a darn thing with my right foot but have to keep the ball on my left foot all the time. Most left footers are the same.
Anyways, more stuff on learning to skateboard. When you get your stance right you then need to push off from a standing position. When you do this make sure your foot on the ground is ahead of your foot on the board, as if it is not your body weight will be all wrong on the board and it is likely that the skateboard will scoot on out in front of you. Dang!! That is so annoying!
So push off, making sure your foot on the floor is in front as you do so, and then as you push off bend you knees so that your body weight is pushed forward on the skateboard. This will give you the impetus to build up some speed and stay balanced on the board. When you are learning to skateboard, there aint no way Jose you are going to stay on that board if you dont build up a little bit of speed.
You can then, as you shimmy along, start driving the board from side to side as you move your body weight from one side to the other. This is generally known as carving and will help you to continue to build up speed on the board.
If you want to learn as quickly as possible how to be a tip top skateboarder, then click on SkateboardSecrets
This will give you all the info you need to know to become an expert skateboarder in 2 months flat.
Basically with a regular stance you stand with your left foot forward on the board, so that you are controlling the board at the back with your right foot. And obviously vice versa with the goofy stance. This will come naturally to you if you think about it and feel which stance makes you more comfortable and at ease. When you are learning to skateboard it is important to get yourself set right.
For some reason left footers do tend to rely on their left foot almost completely, whereas righty footers are more two footed. I know this from my own experience, as when I play football I cant do a darn thing with my right foot but have to keep the ball on my left foot all the time. Most left footers are the same.
Anyways, more stuff on learning to skateboard. When you get your stance right you then need to push off from a standing position. When you do this make sure your foot on the ground is ahead of your foot on the board, as if it is not your body weight will be all wrong on the board and it is likely that the skateboard will scoot on out in front of you. Dang!! That is so annoying!
So push off, making sure your foot on the floor is in front as you do so, and then as you push off bend you knees so that your body weight is pushed forward on the skateboard. This will give you the impetus to build up some speed and stay balanced on the board. When you are learning to skateboard, there aint no way Jose you are going to stay on that board if you dont build up a little bit of speed.
You can then, as you shimmy along, start driving the board from side to side as you move your body weight from one side to the other. This is generally known as carving and will help you to continue to build up speed on the board.
If you want to learn as quickly as possible how to be a tip top skateboarder, then click on SkateboardSecrets
This will give you all the info you need to know to become an expert skateboarder in 2 months flat.
Thursday 18 June 2009
Skateboard Moves
Skateboard moves to die for part 1! Let us have a look at the Laser Flip. The Laser Flip is kinda one of the more complicated skateboard moves. They tell me this particular trick was invented by a dude going by the name of Rodney Mullen.
Well Rodney, much respect is due cos you did the world a great favour.
Do you have any idea how to do the Laser Flip? OK, well if the answer was in the negative you may want to read a little further while I describe the trick for you. As I mentioned it is a bit complex but once you get your head and your feet around it you will be fine mon brave.
Place the front foot behind the back bolts and also towards the heel side edge of the board, and place your back foot near the side pocket of the boards tail.
What you need to do is scoop the tail inwards, while at the same time brushing the board in a heelflip motion. These movements have to be done in one sweep for the flip to rotate properly.
The board rotates similar to a heelflip. There is no doubt that it does take practice to get these skateboard moves right but it is well worth the effort once you have mastered them. Once you are shooting lasers with this trick you will be one happy skateboarder. It will probably feel like a work in progress for quite some time but aint that the case with most skateboard moves?
You have to remember Rome was not built in a day. It took those Romans, with a little help from a few thousand slaves grafting away you understand, a long time to put together that great city. But it was a labour of love I figure. Anyway, you get the drift, now get out and practice!
Well Rodney, much respect is due cos you did the world a great favour.
Do you have any idea how to do the Laser Flip? OK, well if the answer was in the negative you may want to read a little further while I describe the trick for you. As I mentioned it is a bit complex but once you get your head and your feet around it you will be fine mon brave.
Place the front foot behind the back bolts and also towards the heel side edge of the board, and place your back foot near the side pocket of the boards tail.
What you need to do is scoop the tail inwards, while at the same time brushing the board in a heelflip motion. These movements have to be done in one sweep for the flip to rotate properly.
The board rotates similar to a heelflip. There is no doubt that it does take practice to get these skateboard moves right but it is well worth the effort once you have mastered them. Once you are shooting lasers with this trick you will be one happy skateboarder. It will probably feel like a work in progress for quite some time but aint that the case with most skateboard moves?
You have to remember Rome was not built in a day. It took those Romans, with a little help from a few thousand slaves grafting away you understand, a long time to put together that great city. But it was a labour of love I figure. Anyway, you get the drift, now get out and practice!
Wednesday 17 June 2009
Skateboard World
This skateboard world blog is going to have a look see at a few interesting facts and other stuff about skateboarding. This is for all you skateboard afficionados out there who take mucho interest in the sport as I do.
Now this is a little known fact, but they reckon that upwards of 100,000 people a year around the world get injured on skateboards. And the most common injury? Y`know I would have figured the knee or maybe the ankle, but it is infact the wrist! All the more reason to wear wrist braces guys and gals.
Skateboarding is more popular than you may think. It is infact the third most popular sporting activity in the US of A. And the average age of a skateboarder is just 13 years old. Ahh, I remember those days! There was a lull in its popularity a few years back when a lot of the skate parks went bust and interest waned a little, but now it is back with a vengeance. It has reclaimed its street cred and cool, if it ever lost it, and is massively influential in areas as diverse as clothing, music and attitude.
Skateboarding sits in an overall 6th position in the world regarding its sporting popularity. When you think that many of the sports at the top, like football/soccer, have been around for a few hundred years, and skateboarding has been around for only around half a century it just shows the impact the sport has made on global consciousness. It really should not be such a surprise, I mean what other sport can you get such an adrenalin rush from time after time after time?
As we know skateboarding is an offshoot of surfing, kinda like its runt of an offspring! And terms such as frontside and backside come from surfing. As frontside means when your body faces the wave in surfing, so in skateboarding this means your body is facing the ramp or obstacle.
Now this is a little known fact, but they reckon that upwards of 100,000 people a year around the world get injured on skateboards. And the most common injury? Y`know I would have figured the knee or maybe the ankle, but it is infact the wrist! All the more reason to wear wrist braces guys and gals.
Skateboarding is more popular than you may think. It is infact the third most popular sporting activity in the US of A. And the average age of a skateboarder is just 13 years old. Ahh, I remember those days! There was a lull in its popularity a few years back when a lot of the skate parks went bust and interest waned a little, but now it is back with a vengeance. It has reclaimed its street cred and cool, if it ever lost it, and is massively influential in areas as diverse as clothing, music and attitude.
Skateboarding sits in an overall 6th position in the world regarding its sporting popularity. When you think that many of the sports at the top, like football/soccer, have been around for a few hundred years, and skateboarding has been around for only around half a century it just shows the impact the sport has made on global consciousness. It really should not be such a surprise, I mean what other sport can you get such an adrenalin rush from time after time after time?
As we know skateboarding is an offshoot of surfing, kinda like its runt of an offspring! And terms such as frontside and backside come from surfing. As frontside means when your body faces the wave in surfing, so in skateboarding this means your body is facing the ramp or obstacle.
Thursday 11 June 2009
Skateboard Trick
Here we got information on a skateboard trick called a heelflip. Listen up to what this ole trick entails, then get out there and give it a go!
The heelflip is not a direct descendant of the ollie if ya know what I mean, but is the opposite of a kickflip as the board spins towards the toes, rather than away from them. I hope that this is clear! Well it will be as we continue.
Now here is what we call the regular, standard, basic, and any other word that may come to mind, heelflip:
OK, the front foot should be placed towards the heel side edge of the board not too far forward, and the back foot must be placed right on the tail of the board, but at a slight angle.
So with the first move you are popping the tail of the board with your back foot, and jumping up into the air.
With the same movement slide your front foot out diagonally so the board starts spinning as you lean over the board.
So with your front foot over the top bolts you kick so the deck spins fully and you get your feet out of the way as it spins around.
You then catch the board and roll away. If you can stop the board spinning while your feet are still in midair then all the better too.
So that folks is the basic heelflip, which with a little bit of work on your part is a pretty damn cool trick to know. There are a host of variations on the heelflip, but I am saving them for a rainy day!
These include the double heelflip, triple heelflip, varial heelflip, 180 heelflip, 360 heelflip and many more.
Get the basic one right and then you can graduate to a few of the many variations of this.
A great guide to skateboarding tricks and how to become an expert on them can be found at SkateSecrets
The heelflip is not a direct descendant of the ollie if ya know what I mean, but is the opposite of a kickflip as the board spins towards the toes, rather than away from them. I hope that this is clear! Well it will be as we continue.
Now here is what we call the regular, standard, basic, and any other word that may come to mind, heelflip:
OK, the front foot should be placed towards the heel side edge of the board not too far forward, and the back foot must be placed right on the tail of the board, but at a slight angle.
So with the first move you are popping the tail of the board with your back foot, and jumping up into the air.
With the same movement slide your front foot out diagonally so the board starts spinning as you lean over the board.
So with your front foot over the top bolts you kick so the deck spins fully and you get your feet out of the way as it spins around.
You then catch the board and roll away. If you can stop the board spinning while your feet are still in midair then all the better too.
So that folks is the basic heelflip, which with a little bit of work on your part is a pretty damn cool trick to know. There are a host of variations on the heelflip, but I am saving them for a rainy day!
These include the double heelflip, triple heelflip, varial heelflip, 180 heelflip, 360 heelflip and many more.
Get the basic one right and then you can graduate to a few of the many variations of this.
A great guide to skateboarding tricks and how to become an expert on them can be found at SkateSecrets
Skateboard Decks
Skateboard decks are an extension of your personality, and it is important you start out with the right one from the get go for yourself.
First up, if you are a newbie, lets look at the width of the board. You want to have a board that is quite wide without too much curvature, as these sort of skateboard decks will give you more stability than a narrow one. One plus about a wide deck is that you can carve a whole lot easier on it.
With a narrower deck you will find it easier to do fliptricks and to ollie, as it stands to reason that a lighter deck will afford you to flip it and spin it better.
You have more control and options with what you can do with the deck but you do not have the same stability that a wider deck will give you, so start with a wider deck and progress to a narrower one when your skateboarding skills mean you have grown out of your first deck.
Deck sizes go from 7.0 up to 10.0 normally so there is quite a big difference between the smaller and the larger decks.
You also need some good quality grip tape to grip the skateboard decks up so you are not skidding around on the deck. Most decks will come with some free grip tape but if it doesnt ask them to throw some in for free!! It pays to be cheeky doncha know!!
There are differences in the ply depth of skateboard decks too. Again the more ply, in other words layers of compressed ply, in the skateboard, the thicker and heavier it will be.
If you are a newbie I would suggest that you go for a relatively heavy deck as this will also give you more stability.
If you want to learn to skateboard like a pro in double quick time have a look at this terrific guide to everything you need to know. Just click on SkateSecrets
First up, if you are a newbie, lets look at the width of the board. You want to have a board that is quite wide without too much curvature, as these sort of skateboard decks will give you more stability than a narrow one. One plus about a wide deck is that you can carve a whole lot easier on it.
With a narrower deck you will find it easier to do fliptricks and to ollie, as it stands to reason that a lighter deck will afford you to flip it and spin it better.
You have more control and options with what you can do with the deck but you do not have the same stability that a wider deck will give you, so start with a wider deck and progress to a narrower one when your skateboarding skills mean you have grown out of your first deck.
Deck sizes go from 7.0 up to 10.0 normally so there is quite a big difference between the smaller and the larger decks.
You also need some good quality grip tape to grip the skateboard decks up so you are not skidding around on the deck. Most decks will come with some free grip tape but if it doesnt ask them to throw some in for free!! It pays to be cheeky doncha know!!
There are differences in the ply depth of skateboard decks too. Again the more ply, in other words layers of compressed ply, in the skateboard, the thicker and heavier it will be.
If you are a newbie I would suggest that you go for a relatively heavy deck as this will also give you more stability.
If you want to learn to skateboard like a pro in double quick time have a look at this terrific guide to everything you need to know. Just click on SkateSecrets
Wednesday 10 June 2009
Skateboard Clothing
Skateboard clothing has had a massive influence on streetwear all over the world. It is impossible to deny that this is the case when you go down any city street and look at what the kids are wearing.
I live in England in the UK and most kids now dress in a hip hop skateboard style, and the trend is here to stay as this has been the look, more or less, for many years now.
Hoodies are de rigour wherever you go now, and skateboard clothing has fused with hip hop and streetwear to rule the clothing market.
Beanie hats and caps are everywhere, along with baggy jeans and skate trainers. Baggy jeans developed from skateboarding as the extra room in the jeans makes it easier to move and be flexible in them when you are on the board.
All the colours and graffiti style designs on the t-shirts and tops that are around have been derived from the skateboard scene. Now skateboard culture borrows from hip hop culture, and hip hop culture borrows from skateboard culture, so that both groups are pretty inter-changeable now.
So why has the skateboard clothing influence been so strong on streetwear?
I think it is simply because of two factors.
1. The style of clothes are so damn comfortable and easy to wear that people wear them and become hooked on the style, and wearing anything else just doesnt feel as good.
2. They really are a very cool line of clothing!! Hoodies, trainers, baggy jeans, graffiti style tops and great colours make the look pretty unbeatable.
I live in England in the UK and most kids now dress in a hip hop skateboard style, and the trend is here to stay as this has been the look, more or less, for many years now.
Hoodies are de rigour wherever you go now, and skateboard clothing has fused with hip hop and streetwear to rule the clothing market.
Beanie hats and caps are everywhere, along with baggy jeans and skate trainers. Baggy jeans developed from skateboarding as the extra room in the jeans makes it easier to move and be flexible in them when you are on the board.
All the colours and graffiti style designs on the t-shirts and tops that are around have been derived from the skateboard scene. Now skateboard culture borrows from hip hop culture, and hip hop culture borrows from skateboard culture, so that both groups are pretty inter-changeable now.
So why has the skateboard clothing influence been so strong on streetwear?
I think it is simply because of two factors.
1. The style of clothes are so damn comfortable and easy to wear that people wear them and become hooked on the style, and wearing anything else just doesnt feel as good.
2. They really are a very cool line of clothing!! Hoodies, trainers, baggy jeans, graffiti style tops and great colours make the look pretty unbeatable.
Skateboard Gear
Skateboard gear is something you kinda cant do without unless you want a busted head or a damaged knee. When you take a fall the only thing you want to hurt badly is your pride! And hey falling is part of the job description, lets not forget about that.
If you want to be good at this sport you have to stretch yourself, and when you stretch yourself you are going to take a few tumbles and knocks, its all part of the fun guys and gals.
So what sort of skateboard gear do you need? You need a skateboard helmet when starting out, if you dont make this an essential purchase you gotta be insane. Some people dont think it cool to wear a helmet, well I dont think its cool to spend the rest of your life being spoon fed and a drip hanging out the side of your mouth so get a helmet. And make sure the helmet is a good fit and does not jerk around on your head.
Another essential piece of skateboard gear is the knee pads, as the knees are the area that takes most of the pounding and the strain when you are on the board. Make sure you get a pair with plenty of padding to prevent the jarring and bangs to damage your knees.
It is also a good idea to wear elbow pads and wrist braces too as these will protect these areas from scrapes and cracks. It isnt smart to be constantly getting bandaged up, and besides it is going to mean time away from your skateboard everytime you come to grief.
Skateboard shoes can also be bought, and these differ from a normal shoe in that they have a large, flat bottom that gives you better grip on the board, and they are strongly built so as to take the wear they are going to get.
If you get these pieces of skateboard gear you can skate with more freedom and invention, knowing that if you do make a few mistakes they aint gonna be on the catastrophic scale for you!
If you want to be good at this sport you have to stretch yourself, and when you stretch yourself you are going to take a few tumbles and knocks, its all part of the fun guys and gals.
So what sort of skateboard gear do you need? You need a skateboard helmet when starting out, if you dont make this an essential purchase you gotta be insane. Some people dont think it cool to wear a helmet, well I dont think its cool to spend the rest of your life being spoon fed and a drip hanging out the side of your mouth so get a helmet. And make sure the helmet is a good fit and does not jerk around on your head.
Another essential piece of skateboard gear is the knee pads, as the knees are the area that takes most of the pounding and the strain when you are on the board. Make sure you get a pair with plenty of padding to prevent the jarring and bangs to damage your knees.
It is also a good idea to wear elbow pads and wrist braces too as these will protect these areas from scrapes and cracks. It isnt smart to be constantly getting bandaged up, and besides it is going to mean time away from your skateboard everytime you come to grief.
Skateboard shoes can also be bought, and these differ from a normal shoe in that they have a large, flat bottom that gives you better grip on the board, and they are strongly built so as to take the wear they are going to get.
If you get these pieces of skateboard gear you can skate with more freedom and invention, knowing that if you do make a few mistakes they aint gonna be on the catastrophic scale for you!
Monday 8 June 2009
Skateboarding Tricks
Skateboarding tricks can generally be broken up into 5 separate groupings, and this is what we are going to mosey on down to take a gander at here.
OK here are the 5 main groupings, in no particular order mind.
1. Fliptricks. These are all based around the ollie and comprise of various types of aerial flips without using your hands. The feet remain on the board throughout the trick. Some fliptricks include a fakie ollie, an ollie 180, the kickflip, the heelflip, and the hardflpi etc. In many fliptricks the board is flipped upside down.
2. Freestyle tricks. Freestyle skateboarding tricks involve balancing on either one wheel or two, and sometimes just the front or back of the board, or even the edges. Freestyle has been popular for many years as it is a great way to improvise and have fun on the board, and you can get in to some cool flips.
3. Aerials. Similar to the fliptricks, and as the name implies they are tricks involving flipping your skateboard into the air, but with an aerial trick you use your hand or hands to control the board.
4. Slides and grinds. These skateboarding tricks involve the use of a rail or ledge that the skateboard slides or grinds along. The skateboarder jumps onto the rail or ledge with his board and either slides along it with the edge of the board, or grinds along it with the truck. You dont have to use just rails or ledges either, you can use whatever you got available and improvise, such as with the edges of pavements or pools. The great thing about skateboarding as far as I see it is we can all improvise and use our own imagination.
5. Liptricks. These are mainly done on a skateboard ramp. Half pipes, quarter pipes and mini ramps are all used for liptricks, which again as the name implies uses the lip of the ramp to perform various tricks, such as axle stalls, bean plants, boardstalls and inverts etc.
If ya want to learn to skateboard like a champ in the space of 2 months just take a look at the guide here by clicking on SkateboardSecrets
OK here are the 5 main groupings, in no particular order mind.
1. Fliptricks. These are all based around the ollie and comprise of various types of aerial flips without using your hands. The feet remain on the board throughout the trick. Some fliptricks include a fakie ollie, an ollie 180, the kickflip, the heelflip, and the hardflpi etc. In many fliptricks the board is flipped upside down.
2. Freestyle tricks. Freestyle skateboarding tricks involve balancing on either one wheel or two, and sometimes just the front or back of the board, or even the edges. Freestyle has been popular for many years as it is a great way to improvise and have fun on the board, and you can get in to some cool flips.
3. Aerials. Similar to the fliptricks, and as the name implies they are tricks involving flipping your skateboard into the air, but with an aerial trick you use your hand or hands to control the board.
4. Slides and grinds. These skateboarding tricks involve the use of a rail or ledge that the skateboard slides or grinds along. The skateboarder jumps onto the rail or ledge with his board and either slides along it with the edge of the board, or grinds along it with the truck. You dont have to use just rails or ledges either, you can use whatever you got available and improvise, such as with the edges of pavements or pools. The great thing about skateboarding as far as I see it is we can all improvise and use our own imagination.
5. Liptricks. These are mainly done on a skateboard ramp. Half pipes, quarter pipes and mini ramps are all used for liptricks, which again as the name implies uses the lip of the ramp to perform various tricks, such as axle stalls, bean plants, boardstalls and inverts etc.
If ya want to learn to skateboard like a champ in the space of 2 months just take a look at the guide here by clicking on SkateboardSecrets
Thursday 4 June 2009
5 Skateboarding Tips
Here are 5 skateboarding tips to help you start off your skateboarding life in the fast lane. And when I say fast lane, I mean in the fast lane while taking all due care and attention and with all the neccesary gear and equipment, if ya know what I mean!
1. Starting off you need to look at what sort of board to use. What you need is a reasonably thick and heavy skateboard, with quite a flat surface.
A thick and heavy board will make it easier for you to keep your balance when you start out and will be easier for you to control. And you dont want too much curvature on the board either, as again it may be difficult for you to progress with one in the early stages. You can always change to a lighter, more flexible model as your competence increases.
2. Make sure you wear all the right equipment and it fits correctly, including wrist, brace, arm and knee pads. A bad accident early on can really knock your confidence, but if you are properly protected you just dust yourself down and go again.
3. Concentrate on learning how to gain your balance on the board in a stationery position at first. Balance is everything when you are skateboarding. Get to feel the best position for your feet to be in that gives you the maximum control. Practice bending your knees. Practice jumping onto the slateboard and keeping your balance. This is all crucial stuff.
4. Once you have your balance you need to spend a few hours working on your turns. If you cant turn on your board you ain`t going to be able to do too much! Practice and practice turning on your board, feel the best position for your body to be in as you turn. Work on the position of your feet and how far you are leaning.
5. The first tricks you should learn are the ollie, followed by the pop shove it, followed by the F/S 180.
If you want the best guide on the net to make you an expert skateboarder within a couple of months time click on SkateboardSecrets
1. Starting off you need to look at what sort of board to use. What you need is a reasonably thick and heavy skateboard, with quite a flat surface.
A thick and heavy board will make it easier for you to keep your balance when you start out and will be easier for you to control. And you dont want too much curvature on the board either, as again it may be difficult for you to progress with one in the early stages. You can always change to a lighter, more flexible model as your competence increases.
2. Make sure you wear all the right equipment and it fits correctly, including wrist, brace, arm and knee pads. A bad accident early on can really knock your confidence, but if you are properly protected you just dust yourself down and go again.
3. Concentrate on learning how to gain your balance on the board in a stationery position at first. Balance is everything when you are skateboarding. Get to feel the best position for your feet to be in that gives you the maximum control. Practice bending your knees. Practice jumping onto the slateboard and keeping your balance. This is all crucial stuff.
4. Once you have your balance you need to spend a few hours working on your turns. If you cant turn on your board you ain`t going to be able to do too much! Practice and practice turning on your board, feel the best position for your body to be in as you turn. Work on the position of your feet and how far you are leaning.
5. The first tricks you should learn are the ollie, followed by the pop shove it, followed by the F/S 180.
If you want the best guide on the net to make you an expert skateboarder within a couple of months time click on SkateboardSecrets
Wednesday 3 June 2009
Skateboard Tips
Here are some skateboard tips for learning the pop shove it. This is a neat trick to learn early on in your skateboard life, as it does not require you to ollie and is a fairly straight forward trick, although you still gotta master it.
OK, here we go with our skateboard tips for the pop shove it. It is so named my friend because you are popping your skateboard, and then spinning the tail of your board right or left, whichever takes your fancy.
Now you need your back foot positioned on the tail of your board so that you can shove the back down with your foot, but still have enough control to spin it as you are pushing down to the ground.
The trick is to spin it at the right time as the board is popping down, so that the board stays under control and does not angle to one side or the other. You also push to the side with your front foot so you are getting a good clean spin. What you are aiming for is to spin the board 180 degrees so that it lands back under your feet.
Once it has rotated a full 180 degrees you need to catch it with your back foot, and with bended knees get your front foot back onto the board again. Voila!! You have mastered the pop shove it.
You will find that you need to go at a reasonably fast pace to pull this off, otherwise it will be impossible to keep your balance. When you get the hang of it you will get more juice from the trick by popping the board up as high as you can and spinning faster. Great fun!
These skateboard tips will take time to get the hang of and learn but will feel second nature after a bit of work on the rough edges.
OK, here we go with our skateboard tips for the pop shove it. It is so named my friend because you are popping your skateboard, and then spinning the tail of your board right or left, whichever takes your fancy.
Now you need your back foot positioned on the tail of your board so that you can shove the back down with your foot, but still have enough control to spin it as you are pushing down to the ground.
The trick is to spin it at the right time as the board is popping down, so that the board stays under control and does not angle to one side or the other. You also push to the side with your front foot so you are getting a good clean spin. What you are aiming for is to spin the board 180 degrees so that it lands back under your feet.
Once it has rotated a full 180 degrees you need to catch it with your back foot, and with bended knees get your front foot back onto the board again. Voila!! You have mastered the pop shove it.
You will find that you need to go at a reasonably fast pace to pull this off, otherwise it will be impossible to keep your balance. When you get the hang of it you will get more juice from the trick by popping the board up as high as you can and spinning faster. Great fun!
These skateboard tips will take time to get the hang of and learn but will feel second nature after a bit of work on the rough edges.
Thursday 28 May 2009
Skateboarding Tips For Beginners
Some skateboarding tips for beginners here folks. If you want to hear of a few moves and tricks you can do then step right this way ladies and gentlemen! Let the fun begin and no pushing at the back.
OK so I looked at the Ollie in the last post down below, which you know you really got to get your head around and learn this as soon as, cos it is the basis for many other sweet tricks, oh yes sirree.
To recap, the Ollie is a move where you jump in the air with at least one of your feet touching the skateboard at all times, the hands are not used at all and the back foot slamming on the back of the board gives you the impetus to leap into the air, along with you bending your knees, you then control the angle of your leap with your front foot. Cool huh?
Now lets look at some more skateboarding tips for beginners.
The Kickflip follows on from the Ollie and is harder to learn but a great trick.
So here goes: You are going at a nice lick on your skateboard, with your backfoot on the tail of the board, and your front foot near to the centre or maybe just past, with your heel off the side of the board.
You then push down fast and hard on the back tail, and with your front foot and toes you spin the board around. As the board spins around under you,you leap up into the air and as it spins back into its original position you fall back on board with your knees bent to both lessen the impact and have control of the board, and then you skate off. Just like that!!
Thats all folks from skateboarding tips for beginners, to be honest its way past my bedtime and I need my energy levels topped upto the max! See you soon.
OK so I looked at the Ollie in the last post down below, which you know you really got to get your head around and learn this as soon as, cos it is the basis for many other sweet tricks, oh yes sirree.
To recap, the Ollie is a move where you jump in the air with at least one of your feet touching the skateboard at all times, the hands are not used at all and the back foot slamming on the back of the board gives you the impetus to leap into the air, along with you bending your knees, you then control the angle of your leap with your front foot. Cool huh?
Now lets look at some more skateboarding tips for beginners.
The Kickflip follows on from the Ollie and is harder to learn but a great trick.
So here goes: You are going at a nice lick on your skateboard, with your backfoot on the tail of the board, and your front foot near to the centre or maybe just past, with your heel off the side of the board.
You then push down fast and hard on the back tail, and with your front foot and toes you spin the board around. As the board spins around under you,you leap up into the air and as it spins back into its original position you fall back on board with your knees bent to both lessen the impact and have control of the board, and then you skate off. Just like that!!
Thats all folks from skateboarding tips for beginners, to be honest its way past my bedtime and I need my energy levels topped upto the max! See you soon.
Wednesday 27 May 2009
Learning Skateboarding Tricks
I want to use this blog to give any one out there a quick guide to learning skateboarding tricks. Lets look at a few moves, there are oodles of different tricks but this is just one or two of them to be going on with.
Once you get to learning skateboarding tricks, and feel comfortable doing them, you really start to gain confidence on your board, and you will be flying.
OK here we go with a few:
A Kickturn. Kickturning involves balancing on your back wheels, and then swinging the front of your board to a completely different direction. This will seem real hard the first few times you attempt it, but let me tell ya practice makes perfect, and the kickturn is a pretty cool manoeuvre once you have mastered it.
The Ollie. One of the first you need to master, but it aint that easy to begin with. You should try this with a moving skateboard as it is much easier.
OK, so place your back foot on the tail of your board, and place your front foot between the middle and front trucks of your board. This is your starting position for an ollie, but if you feel better witha slightly different stance thats cool too.
Now you are ready to ollie, so bend your knees, and the more you bend the better height you will get. Then slam your back foot right down on the tail of the board and with your bended knees jump up by pushing off from your back foot, so as the boards tail goes down to the ground you are pushing up fast. You have to get as much height as you can with your back foot.
With the outside of your front foot you guide the front of your board. Your knees need to be as high as poss, they can hit your chest and once you are at the top of your jump try to level the skateboard out and have your feet at the same height.
Then as you come down to hit the ground, bend your knees and roll the board along. Perfect!!
The 50-50, or the truckstand as it is also known as, is simple enough. All it involves is having both feet on the tail of your skateboard and balancing as you move along. Its a neat trick to learn.
Learning skateboarding tricks is great fun, and you can soon look a real pro with a few of these in your pocket. Stay cool.
Once you get to learning skateboarding tricks, and feel comfortable doing them, you really start to gain confidence on your board, and you will be flying.
OK here we go with a few:
A Kickturn. Kickturning involves balancing on your back wheels, and then swinging the front of your board to a completely different direction. This will seem real hard the first few times you attempt it, but let me tell ya practice makes perfect, and the kickturn is a pretty cool manoeuvre once you have mastered it.
The Ollie. One of the first you need to master, but it aint that easy to begin with. You should try this with a moving skateboard as it is much easier.
OK, so place your back foot on the tail of your board, and place your front foot between the middle and front trucks of your board. This is your starting position for an ollie, but if you feel better witha slightly different stance thats cool too.
Now you are ready to ollie, so bend your knees, and the more you bend the better height you will get. Then slam your back foot right down on the tail of the board and with your bended knees jump up by pushing off from your back foot, so as the boards tail goes down to the ground you are pushing up fast. You have to get as much height as you can with your back foot.
With the outside of your front foot you guide the front of your board. Your knees need to be as high as poss, they can hit your chest and once you are at the top of your jump try to level the skateboard out and have your feet at the same height.
Then as you come down to hit the ground, bend your knees and roll the board along. Perfect!!
The 50-50, or the truckstand as it is also known as, is simple enough. All it involves is having both feet on the tail of your skateboard and balancing as you move along. Its a neat trick to learn.
Learning skateboarding tricks is great fun, and you can soon look a real pro with a few of these in your pocket. Stay cool.
Tuesday 26 May 2009
History Of Skateboarding
In this blog we are taking a walk down memory lane and looking at the history of skateboarding.
It started off as "side-walk surfing" and was closely related to surfing back then, a kind of offshoot. Fact is that skateboards we are pretty sure originated in California, so you can see the connection.
They were developed at first it is believed in the 1940`s, but only began to gain popularity in the 1960`s onwards. Surfers used them as a kind of dry surfing run, and kids who couldn`t get to the beach found skateboarding as the next best thing.
The first skateboards were surfboard shaped, but the board widened as people started using skateboards more inventively, and ramps started being used.
The history of skateboarding shows us that once skateboard parks came onto the scene things really started to rock and roll! People started all sorts of cool tricks.
They started doing nose wheelies, which is riding on the front wheels, and the 360 was invented, which is spinning around on the back wheels. I hope this isn`t dullsville for you, but I like finding out about the history of skateboarding, its neat to know how things are connected, and how sports develop and grow.
The ollie was the first skateboard trick of the modern era, and after the ollie things really hotted up.
If ya don`t know what the ollie is, it is to fly off the ground with the board, but not holding onto the board, and then landing back on the board. You can use your feet to press against the board in all types of ways for various manoeuvres and tricks. This must have been ultra exciting when this was first created.
By the way,do you know where the name of the ollie came from? It was the creators middle name Alan Ollie Gelfand.
So thats a brief history of skateboarding. It doesn`t always get the respect it deserves for the complexity and subtlety of the tricks and the imaginative moves.
To learn all the best skateboarding tricks in rapido time click on SkateboardingSecrets
It started off as "side-walk surfing" and was closely related to surfing back then, a kind of offshoot. Fact is that skateboards we are pretty sure originated in California, so you can see the connection.
They were developed at first it is believed in the 1940`s, but only began to gain popularity in the 1960`s onwards. Surfers used them as a kind of dry surfing run, and kids who couldn`t get to the beach found skateboarding as the next best thing.
The first skateboards were surfboard shaped, but the board widened as people started using skateboards more inventively, and ramps started being used.
The history of skateboarding shows us that once skateboard parks came onto the scene things really started to rock and roll! People started all sorts of cool tricks.
They started doing nose wheelies, which is riding on the front wheels, and the 360 was invented, which is spinning around on the back wheels. I hope this isn`t dullsville for you, but I like finding out about the history of skateboarding, its neat to know how things are connected, and how sports develop and grow.
The ollie was the first skateboard trick of the modern era, and after the ollie things really hotted up.
If ya don`t know what the ollie is, it is to fly off the ground with the board, but not holding onto the board, and then landing back on the board. You can use your feet to press against the board in all types of ways for various manoeuvres and tricks. This must have been ultra exciting when this was first created.
By the way,do you know where the name of the ollie came from? It was the creators middle name Alan Ollie Gelfand.
So thats a brief history of skateboarding. It doesn`t always get the respect it deserves for the complexity and subtlety of the tricks and the imaginative moves.
To learn all the best skateboarding tricks in rapido time click on SkateboardingSecrets
Friday 22 May 2009
Skateboard Stance
This blog I am going to look at things to know when you are starting out skateboarding. First things first you need to find out what is the best and natural skateboard stance for you.
OK, there are two basic skateboard stances, and these are the regular stance and the goofy stance, I kid you not!
With the regular stance you stand with your left foot forward to the front of the skateboard ( the front of the skateboard being where the board curves slightly upwards ), with the right foot at the back, and with the goofy stance, well go figure, you stand with your right foot forward to the front of the skateboard, and your left foot to the back.
Huh? So how do you know which one is the right way for you?
OK well as you can probably guess with a name like regular skateboard stance, this is the more common stance, and this is the one that right footed people use.
How can you tell if you are right or left footed? S`easy, get someone to throw a ball at your feet. Which foot does it feel natural to stop and control the ball and to kick it back with? If it`s your right foot then you are right footed.
There are a lot more right footed people in the world than left footed, but if you are left footed like me then you will favour the goofy skateboard stance.
So why go this way if you are left footed and vice versa? Well basically you will feel more comfortable in the goofy stance if you are left footed, it will just feel right, and don`t let anyone tell you that it ain`t right cos it is for you!
You want your controlling foot, the one you kick with, at the back of the skateboard as you control the board in the main with your back foot.
Of course you can be a really cool cat who feels just as comfortable in the goofy as the regular stance, and can switch from one to the other with ease. In that case you do as you please! Hey lets face it you can always do as you please, don`t ever forget that.
If you want a neat guide to learning all the skateboarding tricks in just a few weeks time click on SkateboardSecrets
This is a master guide that will teach you every trick in the book, as well as a lot of tricks that have never seen a book!
Catch you soon,
OK, there are two basic skateboard stances, and these are the regular stance and the goofy stance, I kid you not!
With the regular stance you stand with your left foot forward to the front of the skateboard ( the front of the skateboard being where the board curves slightly upwards ), with the right foot at the back, and with the goofy stance, well go figure, you stand with your right foot forward to the front of the skateboard, and your left foot to the back.
Huh? So how do you know which one is the right way for you?
OK well as you can probably guess with a name like regular skateboard stance, this is the more common stance, and this is the one that right footed people use.
How can you tell if you are right or left footed? S`easy, get someone to throw a ball at your feet. Which foot does it feel natural to stop and control the ball and to kick it back with? If it`s your right foot then you are right footed.
There are a lot more right footed people in the world than left footed, but if you are left footed like me then you will favour the goofy skateboard stance.
So why go this way if you are left footed and vice versa? Well basically you will feel more comfortable in the goofy stance if you are left footed, it will just feel right, and don`t let anyone tell you that it ain`t right cos it is for you!
You want your controlling foot, the one you kick with, at the back of the skateboard as you control the board in the main with your back foot.
Of course you can be a really cool cat who feels just as comfortable in the goofy as the regular stance, and can switch from one to the other with ease. In that case you do as you please! Hey lets face it you can always do as you please, don`t ever forget that.
If you want a neat guide to learning all the skateboarding tricks in just a few weeks time click on SkateboardSecrets
This is a master guide that will teach you every trick in the book, as well as a lot of tricks that have never seen a book!
Catch you soon,
Thursday 21 May 2009
Skateboarding Planet.
Welcome to Skateboarding Planet!. Everyone is welcome here, the young, the old, the beginner, the expert, the geeky kids, the kids with two left feet, the dudes and the chicks!!
This blog is for anyone who is interested in skateboarding, it is going to be a living, breathing creature that gets updated at least once a day whether you like it or not! I am going to try to pack it with as much information as I can, and I sincerely hope that there are lot of skateboarders, or wannabe skateboarders, out there that are going to find this informative, instructive, fun, maybe a little goofy at times, and hopefully a useful and good place to hang out for skateboarding fanatics.
Now don`t worry if you don`t know your varial kick from your ollie, or your kick flip from your heel, or you wouldn`t know a 360 flip if it bit you on the bum, in the not too distant future we will be covering all bases. If you are the type of person who likes to push mongo or ride goofy we got it all down here.
And the more input I get from anyone of you people out there who love skateboarding the better.
I am going to pack this blog with tips on various moves, write out beginners guides, give info on the latest trends and fads. There will be info on gear to buy, where to get the coolest boards etc.
So I hope you find us, stick with us and enjoy the ride. I will make this as fun and smiley as possible, as life sucks if you can`t let yourself go and enjoy it.
For all who love to get out and express themselves by skateboarding, I will see you soon.
This blog is for anyone who is interested in skateboarding, it is going to be a living, breathing creature that gets updated at least once a day whether you like it or not! I am going to try to pack it with as much information as I can, and I sincerely hope that there are lot of skateboarders, or wannabe skateboarders, out there that are going to find this informative, instructive, fun, maybe a little goofy at times, and hopefully a useful and good place to hang out for skateboarding fanatics.
Now don`t worry if you don`t know your varial kick from your ollie, or your kick flip from your heel, or you wouldn`t know a 360 flip if it bit you on the bum, in the not too distant future we will be covering all bases. If you are the type of person who likes to push mongo or ride goofy we got it all down here.
And the more input I get from anyone of you people out there who love skateboarding the better.
I am going to pack this blog with tips on various moves, write out beginners guides, give info on the latest trends and fads. There will be info on gear to buy, where to get the coolest boards etc.
So I hope you find us, stick with us and enjoy the ride. I will make this as fun and smiley as possible, as life sucks if you can`t let yourself go and enjoy it.
For all who love to get out and express themselves by skateboarding, I will see you soon.
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