As an outsider looking in, skateboarding can look ridiculously confusing and dangerous. If you are a beginner in the sport that is actually exactly what skateboarding can be, not to mention anxiety-inducing and overwhelming. If you are looking to get on a skateboard and start grinding rails like Tony Hawk you may not even know where to start, which is completely understandable. It takes time to learn a new sport and you always need to start from somewhere, so strap on that helmet and start practising.
There are a number of standard tricks that most beginners would be looking to master before moving on to more advanced ones. You need to learn how to nollie before you can consider a backflip, so make sure you don’t get too overconfident. For all of you beginner skaters looking to join the millions already in the halfpipe, this information is for you.
For some tips on learning tricks, keep reading for more information.
Start Very Simply
When it comes to a sport such as skateboarding it is very important to make sure you start simple and slowly. Skateboarding has a history of some pretty brutal injuries, and they happen to even the most seasoned of veterans. That is why it is so important that you take safety seriously and make sure you can handle the board itself before you start trying out kickflips and fakies.
Start by figuring out what stance works best for you, regular or goofy, and get comfortable riding the board around. The level of comfort is going to be different for every person who is starting, so take your time. Most importantly, you need to have fun.
Practice Makes Perfect-ish
Everyone knows that nothing is ever perfect in life, and the same can be applied to skateboarding. The best skaters are out there every single day honing their skills and solidifying the basics. If you are serious about learning tricks and skills it all starts with practice and repetition. Simple nollies and rail grinds should be practised until you don’t even have to think about doing them.
The more comfortable you get with your skating skills the better prepared you will be to take on more difficult tricks, it just takes time and patience. Keep at the basics every day and you will soon be kicking it with the best of them.
Take Safety Seriously
One thing that every single skater, regardless of experience, needs to always keep in mind is safety. There is a reason you see professionals wearing the proper helmets and safety pads, and everyone else needs to follow suit. You need to make sure that you protect yourself as much as possible from serious harm, as this sport is not for the faint of heart. If you drop into a 6-metre halfpipe without a helmet on you are just asking for your brains to be rattled. Make it part of your routine to check your safety equipment before you start skating, every single time.
Keep Trying
Skateboarding is not going to be for every person who tries it, and you will know pretty quickly if you are one of those people. If you have caught the vibe it is good to know that failure is a completely acceptable part of doing tricks. You will find yourself bailing and catching yourself more often than you don’t, it is all part of the learning process. Make sure you keep pushing yourself to try just one more time, it will pay off in the end. Don’t get too overconfident in the tricks you attempt, as it is better to perfect the basic ones before moving on to the more flashy stuff.
