Goofy or Regular Stance?

Skateboarding has two stances: The Goofy stance and the Regular stance.

To find out which stance is comfortable for you, try some of these tips.

 First of all, the goofy stance is where you place your right foot in the front. Regular stance is where you place your left foot forward and right foot at the back. Try some of these tips in order to know which stance you will be most comfortable with.

Whichever foot you are comfortable kicking it with will likely be your back foot. You have to remember that the balancing foot should be on front and the kicking foot should be at the back of the board.

Next, go upstairs and observe which foot you use on your first step. Whichever foot you use will be your back foot on the skateboard. This means that if you use your right foot to go up the stairs first, you will likely be comfortable using the regular stance.

For those  right handed people, most skateboarders use the regular stance. This is why regular stance is called regular as it is used by most skateboarders.

Try skateboarding using both stances. Whether it is regular or goofy stance, you will see that skateboarding  is for fun to do.

Remember these stances and you should be able to know which stance you will like to use. Although it is not necessary that you should go and use regular stance if you kicked the ball with your right foot, it just basically means that it is a good way to find out what kind of stance you will most likely be comfortable with.

Whichever stance you use, always prior your safety. Always use safety gear and you will  have a fun from skateboarding.

A Culture on Its Own

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

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

First, you need a skateboard to start up. You need to find a skateboard that will represent your personality. Although they all look the same. Make sure also to get effective safety gear. Knee and elbow pads are a must and most especially the helmet. Just be sure to wear comfortable clothes that you can freely move in. Skateboarding is not just about wearing the right clothes or having the right shoes, although good gripping skateboard shoes can help with your balance.

If you don't know anybody who can teach you how to skateboard, try to observe first the other skateboarders in your area. Advanced skateboarders know a lot of tricks and can share some of their tips. Learning the basics of skateboarding can be a time consuming process.

Skateboarding Help for Beginners

It is going to be hard for beginners to ride the skateboard at the first time. Don’t worry about it. You will learn better with proper techniques.

First, know the gears. Never, attempt to ride a skateboard without padding up and wearing a helmet. Remember, if you don't know what you are doing, it is better to suit up for the occasion than to be sorry after a major cut or a broken bone. Riding the skateboard for the first time may involve falling and hurting yourself. Do not ignore the importance of these gears.

It is time to step on your skateboard, after you are fully prepared. You have 2 choices: the regular and the goofy. Once you are comfortable standing on your skate, push forward.

You can take your skateboard to a skate park or in your garage or anywhere you can skate safely. Place your front foot right behind the front truck and your back foot, on the ground. With your back foot, push forward. If you are doing it correctly, you should be rolling by now. Push 2 or 3 times and put your back foot above the rear tracks. Relax your body. Balance. If you slow down push off some more.

Now, learn how to stop. There are 4 ways to stop your skateboard: bailing out, power sliding, heel dragging, and foot breaking. Since it is your first time, use your foot to stop. Then you need to learn how to turn. Just bend the board slightly to your left and you go left; bend the board slightly to the right and you turn right - that easy.

If it is to be overwhelming, then take it nice and slow. Do not force yourself to learn too quickly because it is not an overnight process. By practicing and mastering the basics first, you are on your way to your first skateboarding trick.

Understanding and Learning the Basics

By Ferry Suwantoro

Who wants to ride a skateboard at high speed comfortably? Try to imagine cruising down the street with your skateboard at high speed and suddenly a car pulls out from a garage. Surely you wouldn't want to humiliate yourself by jumping off your skateboard or sprawling on the side of a car like that Garfield doll sticking on the car windshield with your skateboard still going at high speed down the street.

You also need to turn your chest and let it face forward as well. After that, transfer all your weight on the front of your foot as you swing your back leg out and lower it to the ground. Try to keep your weight centered on the front foot and always remember to keep your back leg straight as you lower it to the ground. Never lean back or forward when performing the skateboard footbrake.

As you lower your back leg to the ground keeping it straight, try to apply light pressure to the ground with the sole of your shoe and continue to gradually increase the pressure if you need to slow down faster. Try to remember that you should do it nice and easy.

When the skateboard comes to a complete stop, just place your back foot on the ground.

Always remember that like all other skills on skateboarding, you need to practice, practice, and practice some more.

Now that you know how to footbrake on your skateboard, you will now be able to avoid that car that suddenly pulled out from the garage and avoid injuring yourself and paying for the damages you do to the car when you crashed into it.

Remember these tips and you can be sure that you will be able to go skateboarding a lot safer. Always remember that skateboarding is not just about going fast and doing tricks, it is also about knowing how to stop.