How to Start Skateboarding?
Skateboarding is not hard to learn, though it can get highly technical at times but it is just a matter of years and some broken bones. We have compiled the most basic and important tips for a layman to start skateboarding as a sport, an activity or mode of transport. 
Buy a proper skateboard, ride with others, ask for advice online and in the real world, and don’t be embarrassed. Everybody had to learn at some point, there’s nothing wrong with that. Skateboarding is great for your mental condition and is one of the best core body workouts which increases body balance, and concentration. It boosts self confidence and is a complete freedom of expression.
- Take it slow
- Learn how to fall
- Proper equipment
- Skate with others
- Make and watch videos
- Ask for advice on the web
- Age and overall fitness
- Never Give up!
Take it slow
Many beginners make it hard for themselves by immediately going for technical stuff. Skipping the basics will make it harder to progress later on. To be fair, landing a trick can be very rewarding but if you don’t master the basics, you’ll progress slower. Some tricks take time and you need to work your way up before you can nail it. Also make sure you know which stance you prefer, goofy or regular. It’s harder to learn skateboarding if you don’t know your natural stance.
Start by just balancing or pushing. You need to be able to push around comfortably and learn how your board responds. Here’s how your first day should look like. Start on grass or carpet so your board can’t move ride it out, repeat until you feel more in control. Once you can ride and know how to carve a little you can move on to really basic stuff. We would recommend to just practice and ride your skateboard for a couple of weeks first. Master basic tricks so that its easier to move on to more advanced tricks.
Learn how to fall
As soon as you start skateboarding, you’re going to ‘eat dust’ as skateboarders phrase it. Falling is part of the sport but you can learn how to fall properly. Basically you need to either roll or slide when you hit the ground. Sliding is recommend when you wear knee pads. Rolling when you don’t like to wear protective gear. Learn to make friends with momentum.
Proper equipment makes a difference
A cheap skateboard it’s going to be a lot harder to learn how to ride. Quality wheels, bearings, trucks and a deck are going to help you level up much faster. The problem with low quality boards is that the wheels are of poor quality, boards de-laminate and trucks break on minor impacts. Even the bearings play a vital role, if they don’t spin properly your wheels will give you a hard time. Don’t go for any cheap skateboards that you can get at Walmart or target. It can even get frustrating because your equipment is trash, you need to stay motivated in order to get better at skateboarding so proper equipment is important. Those cheap boards can be dangerous! A good complete setup will cost you between 6000/- to 8000/- (bare minimum). Check out our shop that lists quality skateboards.
Skate with a Coach
Learning skateboard alone is a lot harder than skating in company. It is the easiest when somebody (COACH) is teaching you the what and how’s, increasing difficulty at the correct pace and reducing the learning curve. Skateboarders like to help others out in general (as long as you act nice) and can give you pointers on how to improve. Don’t be shy to ask for advice. Everybody was a beginner at some point and people respect that. Experienced skaters can also spot what you’re doing right and what you need to work upon, which foot in front etc. Sometimes it’s just a matter of positioning your feet properly. Skateboarding with others is also very motivating, you’ll push your boundaries more but be careful there. If you’re not ready for a trick you need to wait until you feel you can. Over-confidence is a great way to get yourself injured, but sometimes you also need commitment to land the trick after numerous bail-outs.
Make and watch videos
Capture your skateboarding moments and share with others. A great way to learn is to just grab your phone and make videos. Observe what goes wrong and try to adjust, sometimes your balance is off which is easier to spot on a video. You can also save the videos and upload them to ask for advice.
Watching videos is also a great way to get some inspiration. I don’t know if watching videos will improve your skills but it certainly is a good way to see how it’s done. The only way to get better is by repeating until you nail it. If you’re getting frustrated it’s sometimes better to walk away and try again the next day
Ask for advice on the web
Ask for advice about anything that comes up. There are many experienced skateboarders out there that will gladly help you out. Many post videos about their technique and get solid feedback. It’s also a great way to watch yourself progress! You can always reach out to us for any sort of information or knowledge relating to skateboards at indianskateculture@gmail.com.
If you want to know what your’e doing wrong, upload a video (On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, youtube etc and Tag us “Indian Skate Culture” (#indianskateculture) to get featured on our page. Make sure it’s not potato quality and film your upper body, board, feet and legs. We would be happy to help you out skate better and explore more possibilities
Age and overall fitness
It’s harder to learn how to skateboard when you’re older. I’m talking about 30+ here not people in their twenties. Sure many skateboarders started at a very young age but that doesn’t mean you can’t become a great skateboarder. If you exercise regularly it’s much easier to learn to skateboard compared to a couch potato. If you’re not in top shape or haven’t done any sports in years, don’t worry about it. You don’t have to be an athlete at all. Skaters come in all sizes and shapes.
Also, getting out there and skateboarding is a good way to burn calories. Just take it slow and consider wearing a helmet and knee pads. I’d recommend this to anyone by the way, helmets can be life savers. Skateboarding is not dangerous, but taking precautions doesn’t hurt. Express yourself with freedom and creativity, because you live daily, and die only once.
hiii i really want to learn skateboarding..but there is no tutor or rink anything in my city..pls help..and i m 20 , i know u said people in twenties can learn it still..
visit Atal Skateboarding Academy, Indore – INDIA