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.