Learn Step by Step Downhill Skateboarding 2024

Skateboarding is fun and downhill skateboarding is not just fun; it is adventure. When you love something without question though it’s tough and risky, it’s called passion. Sometimes it becomes a genuine addiction. If you love skateboarding and want to go for more excitement, downhill skateboarding is the perfect action sports for you. First of all, you need to learn something before going for downhill skateboarding because you might get hurt really bad if you don’t. So, let’s learn step by step how to do downhill skateboarding.

Steps to Learn Downhill Skateboarding

Step 1: Learn to Brake

The first thing you need to learn to avoid getting hurt while downhill skateboarding is how to slow down and stop the board. There are a few methods you can use. The easiest and safest process is to brake using your feet.

• Footbrake: when you are going downhill, you will be going at a good speed. So, to adjust the speed and slow down, take your rear foot off the board, touch the ground carefully with the foot and let it slid along the ground for some time until your speed is reasonably slow. If you’re going at a good speed, don’t try to stop the skateboard at once. Let your rear foot slide a few meters and then stop.
• Controlled Slide: put your front foot over the front bolts of your skateboard. Have a firm stand on your board and turn it sharply to a 90-degree angle. Make adjustments with your upper body and your legs to shift your weight to finish the turn. This method is not for the novice but you should try to learn it in case you need a sudden brake. However, you may fall several times before you succeed at this method.

• If you have siding gloves that have plastic disks on the palms, you can place your hand on the ground in case you need to stable yourself while sliding. It’s recommended that you wear siding gloves.
• When you will become comfortable on the board, you will be able to tail-slide also. However, it’s not recommended for you if you’re new into downhill skateboarding. Because it’s risky and it will damage your skateboard’s tail.
• There is also an alternative to tail-sliding that doesn’t damage the skateboard’s tail. It is called heel-sliding. Although it won’t damage your skateboard, it might damage your shoe. So, it’s also not recommended for you.

Step 2: Keep Front Trucks Looser

The second step to learn is riding freely. For riding freely, you need to keep your front trucks a little looser than your back trucks. The back trucks bump more than the front trucks. So, it is good to have tight back trucks. Just make sure that the front trucks are not too tight to turn or crave. When you are going fast, this is the best thing to do. It will make sure that your back trucks don’t wobble and your front trucks turn smoothly when you want.

Step 3: Relax

Being relaxed when you are going at a good speed is important. If you become nervous, your tension will harden your muscles which can get into an accident. Staying relaxed will help you keep your muscles loose. Keeping your muscles loose is important to keep the balance when you are skateboarding downhill.

Step 4: Keep Your Weight over the Front Trucks

• Keeping most of your body weight over the front trucks is important to keep your balance on the skateboard. It will help you keep a balance and reduce speed wobbles.
• Bend your knees while you are going downhill. It will also help you reduce the wobbling of the board. Again, do not bend your knees too much.
• If your skateboard starts wobbling because of speed, don’t get nervous and try to loosen up the muscles of your legs and then slowly straighten up your body.

Step 5: Leave the Board When You Have To

Bailing out is not going to be a good experience at all especially when you are skateboarding downhill. Leaping out of the board is your last option. If you see that you don’t have enough time and space to footbrake or have a controlled slide and you might fall down the hill, leap out of the skateboard immediately. It will definitely hurt. However, rolling after bailing out may reduce the probability of getting a serious injury. So, try to roll like Neymar.

Taking necessary precautions will reduce the probability of getting hurt while downhill skateboarding. If you are a beginner, you should search some skateboarding videos. The steps mentioned above can be a good skateboarding for beginners guide. So, follow those steps carefully to avoid getting hurt and enjoy downhill skateboarding.