Getting started in Skating

Get out and get moving

Once you have got all your equipment together get out there and get skating. The best place to learn is with friends in a safe urban environment away from speeding cars. Nice smooth tarmac is best and you may want to wear some safety equipment such as wrist guards, as you will probably fall quite a lot. At first don’t worry about tricks, instead get used to the feel of your boards. Zoom around to your hearts content, leaning into curves to turn and learning that all important balance. You may want to adjust your trucks - if they are too loose, you will get speed wobble that will throw you off your board at velocity.

Regular or Goofy

To gather speed and keep momentum going, keep one foot on the board and use the other to push the ground away repeatedly placing it back on the board to coast and take corners. It's a great feeling and, after this, walking will seem like a tiresome and inefficient way to get around. If you stand on your board with your right foot at the back, you skate 'regular'. If you have your left foot at the back, you skate 'goofy'. Whichever way feels right for you is correct.

Learn some Tricks

Once you are confident on your board you can start learning tricks or go to a skatepark to learn ramp tricks. Start with easy tricks that do not require air (jumping) first and move onto more difficult manoeuvre after.

Skating Tips

The best tip anyone can give you in skating is practice, practice, practice. Skating is hard and the harder the trick the more pleasure you will experience when you land it. Once you have landed it, play a game of three in a row with yourself or your friends. If you can land the trick three times in a row it means you have got it much more so than when success is a one off fluke. Do not allow yourself to get stuck in a rut however. Practice a couple of tricks at any one time, if you are having real difficulty with one take a break, skate around enjoying the sensation of speed or practice another trick you're better at before returning to your challenge refreshed and relaxed.