Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Get started
• Method 2 of 2: Longboard stands
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Longboarding is a sport similar to skateboarding. You use longer boards and larger wheels for more speed. You can freeride, slide and slalom with a longboard. Longboarding is a lot of fun, and it's easier to get started than skateboarding. If you have a longboard and free time you can start practicing! Before you do that, you can read this tutorial.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Get started

1. Decide what to look for in a board. Are you looking for a board to cruise through the city? Want to visit the skate park? Or are you looking for a board to roll off high hills?
   • Different sizes of longboards have different extras. Shorter longboards are more agile (make sharper turns) but are less stable (that you can fall faster).Longer longboards are more stable but less agile. Beginners should opt for longer longboards.
2. Buy some protection. It may not be the coolest way to longboard, but especially when you practice it is a good idea to have protection. If you are doing more extreme versions of longboarding (down mountains, stunts, really fast) it is essential to wear protection. For good protection you must have the following things:
   • A well-fitting helmet
   • Skateboard shoes for good grip
   • Elbow pads (optional)
   • Knee pads (optional)
3. Find out if you ride goofy or regular. Do you skate with your right foot in front? Then you drive goofy. Do you skate with your left foot in front? Then you drive regular.
   • To find out if you ride goofy or regular you need to have someone pushing you behind you without warning. Which foot you catch yourself with first is the foot with which you stand in front. If it doesn't feel right, you can always change feet.
4. Try to ride on level ground a few times. The lower you keep your body, the more stable it feels. Make sure you feel comfortable before proceeding.
5. Learn the correct stance for boarding. Stand with your feet between the trucks (the things that have the wheels on), a little wider than your shoulders. Turn your front foot forward slightly at an angle of about 45 degrees. Place your back foot sideways, perpendicular to the direction the board is going.
   • This is just a stand that you can use. After you are a bit comfortable on your board, you can just find other positions that you prefer to ride with. Choose the one that drives most comfortably.
6. Practice balancing on your longboard by standing on a small hill and slowly rolling down. Master what it feels like to stand on a longboard. Use your arms for balance and bend your knees slightly.
7. Balance yourself. If you get a little out of balance, it is best to look as far as you can to the direction the board is going. This ensures that your body gets back into balance.

Method 2 of 2: Longboard stands

1. Practice moving forward. Take your back foot off the board and use the ground to push off. You can choose to launch hard once or softly several times.
   • If you want to use your front foot to push off, you can try that. This has "mongo". Most people don't, but what matters is whether you feel comfortable in your way of boarding.
   • After you succeed a bit you can try to push a little harder. You find out that if you have a certain speed you can roll for a long time.
2. Practice making turns. If you want to ride around a bit, you must be able to make turns. Making turns is quite easy. All you have to do is lean to one side of the board, but not too much or you could fall.
3. Finds a way to stop or slow down. Dragging your foot on the ground is probably the best way. Other ways you can use to slow down include:
   • Lean to the right and left of the board. This way you go back and forth and slow down.
   • If you go really fast, it can also just help to stand up and spread your arms.
4. Don't worry if your board doesn't look like the one in the videos. Getting comfortable with your board takes time and the techniques work with almost any shape and size.
5. Have fun but be careful. Longboarding is great fun, pushing off too hard can cause serious injuries. You never think it is happening to you until it actually does. Think carefully about potentially dangerous situations, or stop before you can no longer stop. That said, good luck with your new longboard!

Tips

• Wear shoes with a lot of grip, so that the board is less likely to roll away under you.
• Use bigger and softer wheels for better sliding.
• Find a quiet street or find a place where you can watch the traffic well so that there are no accidents.
• Don't worry if you fall a lot, you'll get better eventually.
• Learn to sled. The Slideschool channel on YouTube teaches you the basic techniques and other tips to stop safely. www.youtube.com/slideschool

Warnings

• Would you jump out of a car traveling 20 km per hour? It's easy to get to this speed on a longboard, so know how to stop.
• Always be careful when in public places.
• Never longboard in a traffic area.

Necessities

• Longboard
• Knee pads
• Elbow pads
• Helmet
• Gloves
• Flat surface, without bumps