How to ride a skateboard: regular or goofy stance, pushing, turning and stopping

TUREFF• •0

Once you have a board, the first job is not tricks. It is riding: standing comfortably, pushing, steering and, most importantly, stopping when you want to. Get these solid and everything else becomes far less scary.

Regular or goofy: find your stance

Regular: left foot forward, pushing with the right.
Goofy: right foot forward, pushing with the left.

Neither is better. To find yours, think about which foot you would naturally put forward to slide across a polished floor in socks, or ask a friend to give you a gentle, unexpected nudge from behind and see which foot steps out first. That foot usually goes at the front. If it still feels unclear, try pushing both ways for a few minutes; one will feel less awkward.

Where to put your feet

Front foot: just behind the front bolts, angled slightly forward.
Back foot: on or just in front of the tail, across the board.
Knees bent, weight centred over the board, eyes looking where you want to go rather than at your feet.

Locked, straight legs are the main reason beginners fall when the board hits a small crack. Bent knees soak it up.

Pushing

Put your front foot on the board over the front bolts, pointing forward.
Push off the ground with your back foot, a few smooth strides rather than one huge shove.
When you have some speed, place the back foot on the tail and turn your front foot sideways.

Push with your back foot, not your front one (pushing "mongo"). Mongo pushing works, but it makes it harder to get into a riding position quickly. Start slowly on flat ground.

Turning

Leaning: press gently on your toes or heels and the board carves. This is how you steer at speed. If the board feels too twitchy or too stiff, the truck tightness can be adjusted.
Kick turns: press lightly on the tail to lift the front wheels and pivot. This is how you turn sharply or in a tight space. Practise small pivots while standing still first.

Stopping

Learn at least one way to stop before you ride anywhere with a slope.

Foot brake: the most useful one. Keep your weight on the front foot, then lower your back foot and let the sole drag lightly along the ground, pressing harder as you slow.
Run out: at low speed, step off the board with both feet and jog to a stop. Fine on flat ground; not at speed.
Tail drag: pressing the tail onto the ground works but wears the tail down quickly.
Bail onto grass: if you are going too fast, aiming for grass and stepping off is better than hoping.

Never ride down a hill you could not stop on.

Falling safely

You will fall. How you fall matters.

Stay low: the closer you are to the ground, the shorter the fall.
Try to roll on your shoulder and side rather than landing straight on your hands.
On ramps, slide on your knee pads rather than putting your hands down.
Wear a helmet and wrist guards while you learn.
Let the board go. Chasing it into the road is far more dangerous than losing it.

A first-week plan

Day one: stand on the board on grass, then on flat ground, rocking it gently.
Day two: short pushes and rolling in a straight line.
Day three: gentle leaning turns and the foot brake.
Then: kick turns, longer rides and stopping on demand.

Ask a question about your stance or share what finally made pushing click for you in the comments below.