Skateboarding – A sport that dates back to the 1960’s, has been growing for years to come. Whether you are an aspiring skateboarder, or an avid one, you may have noticed this trend already. People all over the world skate, it is becoming universal and more socially acceptable.
Whatever your reasons may be for wanting to skateboard, you always do it for fun and not because you could get sponsored, or get “famous”. If you are a beginner, consider this, skateboarding is not considered by everyone to be a sport. It is more of a way of expressing yourself; who you are as a person. Skateboarding is what you make it, it can be a way of transportation, a hobby, or a full-blown lifestyle.
If skateboarding is to become a lifestyle for you, there are a few things you should know. First off, skateboarding is illegal on certain property, specifically private property. Second, skateboarding hurts, you are almost 100% guaranteed to fall. Finally, when you begin to skateboard, consider getting a good pair of shoes made for skateboarding.
Vans Chukka Lows – The picture in the top right of the article shows a pair of Chukka Lows. They usually sell for about $57. They are a recently modeled shoe and they skate well. The shoe has no insole, but of course they do contain the classic waffle grip.
Once you have chosen to solid skate shoe, make sure you at least have a skateboard! For beginners, I recommend World Industries, Birdhouse or Alien Workshop. These boards are solid do not have much of a concave point. A second option is to just buy a complete. It is recommended that you buy a complete board as they are usually geared towards beginners. A helmet is strongly recommended for a beginner also. Once you have a board, a set of shoes and a helmet (optional) you are ready to skate!
The Ollie –
The ollie is the backbone of technical and flat-ground skateboarding. If you want to do any tricks, you will have to learn the ollie first. The ollie is a trick where the skateboarder quickly snaps down the tail of the board, slides his other foot up the front of the board to create lift and jump into the air. To perform an ollie, first set your feet up as follows: put your prominent foot on the tail of the board (slightly larger side), and put your front just under the bolts.
It is suggested that you try this trick stationary before moving on. Once you have got your foot position down, bend your knees and crouch down. After you have crouched down, jump while at the same time snapping the tail of the board down, simultaneously sliding your front foot up the board to create lift. While this may seem complicated at first, you will learn the trick, with patience and practice. After you have learned the ollie, learn a kickflip, then a varial kickflip, then a 360 kicklflip and so on.
Dedication – Skateboarding can take months, and even years to learn, but if you stay committed, you will eventually get good and your skills will pay off in the future! 50 percent of skateboarding is mental, and the other half is physical, which one you let take you over?
Tips for becoming a skateboarder – You always need to remember that no one likes poser. A “poser” in the skateboarding world is someone who claims to be something they are not. If you cannot kicklflip, do NOT lie about it, your peers will find out, and you will be labeled a poser. Don’t go around claiming to be a skateboarder until you have proved yourself to be dedicated to it and have earned yourself respect as a skater. And remember, have fun. You don’t always have to practice tricks, just go out and ride to your favorite music. Remember, skateboarding is about expressing yourself, not following others.