Do you want to learn how to skate? My name is Zeek, and I am a middle school student who loves cheeseburgers! A little bacon and mayo on top, and you’ve got the best burger ever. Besides cheeseburgers, I love to skateboard. Before we get started, let’s talk about safety. You’re going to need some equipment. Safety matters, and you need to always make sure you are taking care of yourself and not getting hurt. I’ll tell you about it later. Skateboarding is hard, and when you’re first getting started, it takes practice just to even stand on the board. But stick with it, and you’ll have a lot of fun. It took me several days to learn how to ride and balance at the same time. Keeping your head, arms, and legs from getting hurt is important.
First things first, you need to get a skateboard, and you need to wear good shoes. There are a lot of places you can get a board – Walmart, Target, Best Buy, yard sales, Goodwill or other second hand shops, Dicks Sporting Goods, Amazon, eBay, or even Wish. Four wheels are all you need at first, but the better you get, the nicer you will want your board to be. You don’t have to buy an expensive one to get started. Now you need some gear, for instance, shoulder pads, helmet, wrist pads, knee pads – you know, the safety stuff…that’s about it.
Remember I said it took me several days to learn to ride? Don’t be upset if this is hard. It’s going to take a lot of practice. Don’t start by a busy road or on a hill. Find some flat space and practice practice practice.
To get started, just stand on the board and try to move around a little. Try to balance on the board. Even before you get the wheels moving, find your balance and move your body around a little.
Next, let’s get a little more complicated – stand on the board, put your foot on the ground, and push off. If you have trouble balancing while you’re riding, throw your arms up like you would be standing on a curb or balance beam. It’s kind of like walking on a tightrope.
Then just practice for a couple of days. You are not a professional, and you’re not going to learn overnight, so just take it slow and practice until you’ve got it right.
Stopping a skateboard is another important skill. Be sure you know how to stop. You can step on the back. Don’t let yourself get out of control. This is the most important part of skating. Practice when you’re barely rolling, and know how it works before you take off fast.
I want to tell you how to jump a speed bump. You stand on the skateboard, put one foot on the back end of the skateboard, then put your other foot on the other end of the board. Now you push down on the back end and jump at the same time. While you are in the air, push down on the front end. You know you have done it right if the front wheels land first and then the back. Try to stay balanced and try not to fall. Be sure you brag to all your friends about how you can land a skateboard now.
The next move is a nose-grind. It’s almost the same thing as what we just did on the speed bump. It has the same jumping step. So do the same steps as you would do when you jump a speed bump. The only other thing is just trying to make your jump higher so you can reach the rail. Then you just push down on the front foot. Your bragging rights just got even bigger!
Now I’m going to teach you how to do a kickflip. You do the exact same step we already learned, but this time you kick sideways.
Sometimes when you’re riding down the road, you might find a bump or a hole you need to avoid. If you are just trying to go over a speed bump, all you have to do is squat while you are riding. Stay away from holes. Your tire can get stuck, and you are going to fall – no questions.
If you are too scared to try a nosegrind or a kickflip, you need to make sure you get extra practice. Try going to a Walmart parking lot and attempt each move. The concrete parking blocks are great tools to help you learn using different parking lot heights.
If you want to learn how to ride on a halfpipe, I’ll give you a few pointers. It is very tricky, and it takes a lot of practice. Stand on the board, put your foot on the ground and push off. You’re going to feel your body falling backward. At that moment, tilt forward, just a little, and squat quickly. Now, just ride until you get to the other end.
Should I tell you how to pop shove? I think I will. What you want to do is put one leg on the back end of the board as you’ve done. Put your other foot on the other side of the board, push down on one end, then turn the board around two times, then shove it down your front foot and try. Be careful! It is very dangerous. It is one of the most complicated tricks, so you’re going to need a lot of practice.
Now let’s learn more tricks. This next trick is kind of simple; it’s going to be you on your board going up and down a ramp. When you are going up, lean forward and squat…when you are going down, squat down, lean forward, stay balanced…that’s basically it. But as I said earlier, throw your arms up like you would be walking on a curb.
Are you ready to learn how to do an ollie? You put one foot on the back end of the board, then you put your other foot on the other end of the board, push down on the back end. Once you are in the air, push down on the front end. Once you l, and just keep riding. Once you practice, you can show off.
Our last trick is one I made up. It is called over the rail. You ride till you get to a rail, and you just stand on the board, jump over the rail, but keep your skateboard on the ground. When you are coming down, you try to land on the board. Then to celebrate, do an ollie, and your friends will think you are an expert. They will want you to teach them, and maybe you can write a story one day as well.
So, you think you are ready to skate? If you are, I hope you are good, and hopefully, you got at least three tricks down. One day you should teach other people your skills.
green beans 