PART 4: Tips for getting on the board, riding, stopping, balancing.

Getting on the board sounds like a very simple task but it is not! If you have never stepped foot on a board before, here is what you need to know:

• Make sure you are on flat surface
• Start out on smooth concrete

When first getting onto a longboard, the best thing to do is to take a slow approach. An important thing to keep in mind is a part of Newtons first law which is: An object at rest will stay rest unless acted upon by another force. Before you step on the board, the object is at rest (when it is not accelerating , it is at rest.) so keep in mind that when you step on the board, the board will start to accelerate a little and will therefore throw you off balance. This only happens on the first few times you try to get on the board, after that you will get used to it and balance won’t be a problem anymore. As mentioned above, the best way to practice this is on flat surface because on flat surface, you have full control of the board and the board will stay still. I used Newton’s first law to explain this because many people do not think about how the board will react when first getting on. That is why many people fall after simply trying to step on the board. If you keep this in mind, that you getting on the board will cause it move, you will be more aware and more careful when stepping on it.

Balance: Step by step

• Make sure the board is on flat surface and smooth concrete
• Approach the board, stand sideways, put your front leg on it,(behind the front bolts) put your back leg on (same place as you put the front but just on the back) then quickly crouch (this helps with balance for first timers.) As soon as you feel that you’re going to fall, do not panic just quickly crouch.
• Hold on to the sides of the board while crouching. (Remember you are sideways on the board so hold on to the sides that are next to you. Many people get confused with this and try to hold the nose and tail of the board)
• The board will very slowly accelerate. As this is happening put your back leg on the ground (this stops the board)
• With the back leg on the ground, slowly let go of the sides and stand up.
• Slowly kick backwards with your back leg and gently put it back on the board. It will slowly accelerate.
• Congratulations, you are now riding your board
• Lean forward to turn right and lean backward to turn left (Or if you push with your left leg, lean backwards to turn right and forward to turn left)
• Since you haven’t given it a proper push the board will accelerate very slowly so to simply stop again, crouch down, hold the sides and put your back leg down. (Again, the crouching is only a good strategy on your first few times.)
• Get off the board

Pushing the board:

A good thing to have in mind about pushing the board for first timers is Newtons third law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite amount of reaction. Just like the exhaust of a rocket (fuel being pushed backwards in a rocket engine) pushing a longboard requires you to kick backwards, (as if your doing a back pass in football/soccer) for it to move forward. So remember, your action is kicking backwards and the opposite  reaction is the board moving forward. If you kick forward, you will most likely go off balance or the board will just go backwards. In depth, Newton’s second law states that the greater the force, the faster an object accelerates and the greater the mass (weight) the slower an object accelerates. This means that if your board is heavy you need to apply more force to your kick (push harder) to gain faster acceleration. (Remember: You will have more stability on heavier boards but it will not be as fast or as easy to execute turns. It is always best to start out with lighter boards because you will learn how to balance and turn much quicker than you would on a heavier board)

When you first start out, start with light pushes and then as you get comfortable, push harder and harder. The harder you push, the more pressure you need to apply on your back leg in order to stop.

STOPPING:

There are two main ways to stop. One is using your back leg on the ground and the other is to jump off the board.

• Jumping off the board is only an effective way to stop if  you are off balance. With jumping off, a good thing to keep in mind again is Newtons third law. You jumping off the board is the action and the board moving in the opposite direction is the reaction. When jumping off, do not jump forward, instead jump backwards as it is safer. After you jump off, the board will continue to move and within seconds it will stop on its own.

• Using your back leg to stop is the easiest and most efficient way when first starting out. Simply just take your back leg off the board and gently step on the ground. The faster you are moving, the more pressure you will need to apply to it in order to stop.

You will go off balance trying to stop during your first few tries with higher speeds and harder pushes, it is natural and all it takes is practice to get better and by practicing for a few times, you will master it in no time. Same with all the other techniques  mentioned above. Your first tries will be sloppy but the more you skate the better you will become without even realising it! The best way to get comfortable on your board is to ride on it as much as you can. The more you ride the quicker skating will feel natural to you, allowing you to develop more skills and techniques on your own.