Introduction
Longboarding is one of the greatest trends of 2011. More and more people use it as method of transport in the big cities. Even elder people seem to like the longboard. Mainly because it allows you to cruise more relaxed than with a skateboard. The board is also popular with surfers, who find that it really resembles surfing but then on asphalt. However while the longboard may be more suitable for cruising, the learning curve is steeper than that of a skateboard, especially in the tricks department. The purpose of this article therefore is to give some practical tips to give a boost to your skillset.
The process
The process of learning to longboard exists out of six simple steps. It is advises that you follow these in the given order. If you do so, you will quickly improve in skill.
Step 1: Decide what discipline you want to do
This is the most important step. There are various longboard disciplines you can choose. Each discipline will require other boards and material. For example for the downhill discipline you will need a speedboard. These kinds of boards are firmer than the average one and are designed to gain greater speeds. However if you take a speedboard to the skate park, you cannot expect it will be a great success. Therefore it is essential to customize your board to the discipline you want to perform.
Step 2: Goofy or regular?
One thing that always confuses beginners is the question if they have goofy or regular stance. These are respectively right foot in front and left foot in front. You can do this on intuition; just try it out and see what feels the best for you personally.
Step 3: Gaining feeling
Most newbies try to rush their learning process and immediately choose a steep hill to drive off. However in your first weeks as a longboarder it is advised that you only practice on a flat surface. Patience is the key here, because in order to become a truly good longboarder, you need to develop a good feeling of the board first. This is only possible on a flat surface.
Step 4: The first slope
After a few weeks, you may ride off your first few hills. Do this only when you are fully accustomed to the board. Do the easy slopes a few times and see if you perform well.
Step 5: The slide
Before you hit the really big slopes, it is essential that you learn the skill of sliding. By sliding you can easily stop or slow down when gaining high speeds. In the beginning you can jump off the board if you want to stop, but at such high speeds this is not possible anymore and would be dangerous. Therefore learn to slide before gaining too much speed.
Step 6: Progression
Each time you go out longboarding, try a more difficult slope. If you do the same slopes every day, you will not progress in your skill as a longboarder; you will become stuck on a plateau. Challenge yourself every time you are longboarding.
Conclusion
Longboarding is not a very difficult sport. However it has a bit steeper learning curve than skateboarding. However if you follow these six steps, you will progress in no time. It is essential to have patience and not rush the process. Only in this way you can become a truly good longboarder.
More Information
If you are enthusiastic about this sport, please have a look at the following articles: