Skateboarding,
the Beginners Guide
Skateboarding is one of the most awesome sports in the world mostly because how good you are is really up to you. There is no position you play, there are no coaches in your face screaming what you did wrong, and there is no clock you are trying to beat. It really is just you, the skateboard, and what you can do with it.
Ok, there really should be more than just you and the skateboard. You really need the right gear when you start out. That means a skateboard, skate shoes, pads, and a helmet. You may see the pros without a helmet and without pads but your also don't see them falling much and they all learned wearing pads and a helmet.
If your just practicing in your driveway you probably will not need more than elbow bads. If you are going off a ramp then you will want to add knee pads. A lot of parks will require pads so you might as well get some. A lot require helmets unless your over 18, and then some of them still require helmets even then.
The one thing you really want when you skate is good shoes. You want skate shoes because they are flat on the bottom and can grip on the grip tape on the top of the deck. Bad shoes will make you fall on your ass or other places.
Get Your Balance
The first thing to learn on a skateboard is not how to roll. It's how to keep your balance. So you will want to stand on the skateboard on a carpet or on grass and jumping on it so you get used to it. You also want to jump onto the trucks, which is where the bolts are. That's the strong part of the skateboard. Jumping in the middle between the trucks is a good way to bust a skateboard.
You want to get used to standing on it, and how it feels. You will want to learn to balance on only the front or rear wheels and see how it tilts when you put your weight to the edges. Learn how to flex your knees on it, too. You really want to learn to ride with the board instead of on the board. In other words you want to learn to steer it intead of be a passenger.
Goofy or Regular?
You will want to figure out fast if you are a goofy or regular rider. Goofy just means you skate with your right foot forward and its called goofy because most people, regular, skate with their left foot foreward.
An easy way to figure out which one your are is go walk up some stairs. Whichever foot you normally start up the stairs with is going to be your back foot.
What you just found out is if your left footed or right footed. Most people are right footed so that foot goes in the back, and thats why it is called regular. Some people like being different though, so they just decide to ride goofy. There is not a right or wrong way.
