Beginning skater tips!
December 22, 2015 11:40 AM Subscribe
My 8-year-old son received a (much-asked-for) skateboard for his birthday a few weeks ago. Yay! But neither his father nor I have ever skateboarded, nor do we know anyone who does/did. YouTube offers approximately 1 billion skateboarding videos...steer me toward age-appropriate videos/creators he could watch to learn the basics over the winter and be ready in the spring. Also any other resources would be appreciated!
Knee and elbow pads!!!
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:04 PM on December 22, 2015
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:04 PM on December 22, 2015
Yes, appropriate padding and helmet. When it's spring time, I might approach a dude or dudette at the skate park and offer some money for some 1:1 time.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:10 PM on December 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:10 PM on December 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
Trying to learn to skateboard by watching a video is like trying to learn to play the piano by reading music. Once you have mastered the basics then yes, you can learn a new trick by watching a video, just like you can learn to play a new song from sheet music. But a beginner needs to get out there and do it with someone who knows how.
posted by kindall at 12:35 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by kindall at 12:35 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Helmet. (Maybe get 3 skateboards and you 3 can learn together? I think it would make a cute family Christmas card for next year!)
posted by discopolo at 12:36 PM on December 22, 2015
posted by discopolo at 12:36 PM on December 22, 2015
I have spent a lot of time around a lot of skateboarders over a lot of years. Your son will find willing helpers at any park you go to. Skateboarders are a generous and fair-minded crowd.
Over winter, attach pvc pipe to the center of his board so he can work on his balance (you can also purchase rubber trucks for indoor balance practice).
Use beginners' terms for your video searches - balance, beginner, ollie, stance. And videos that show him how to fall. Falling into a roll is important. He will fall, so he should practice a lot over winter so he's not afraid to.
A few of my subjective choices for inspiration: Rodney Mullen, Skateistan, the Berrics, SkateMD.
posted by headnsouth at 12:41 PM on December 22, 2015
Over winter, attach pvc pipe to the center of his board so he can work on his balance (you can also purchase rubber trucks for indoor balance practice).
Use beginners' terms for your video searches - balance, beginner, ollie, stance. And videos that show him how to fall. Falling into a roll is important. He will fall, so he should practice a lot over winter so he's not afraid to.
A few of my subjective choices for inspiration: Rodney Mullen, Skateistan, the Berrics, SkateMD.
posted by headnsouth at 12:41 PM on December 22, 2015
I'm pretty sure the helmet kept my son from a concussion; the road rash was bad enough even with it.
posted by theora55 at 12:42 PM on December 22, 2015
posted by theora55 at 12:42 PM on December 22, 2015
Also one of those rubbery silicone plastic x things that lock the wheels; then he can use it inside as a balance board for practice.
posted by tilde at 12:43 PM on December 22, 2015
posted by tilde at 12:43 PM on December 22, 2015
Response by poster: Helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads are already procured...he comes from a long line of clumsy people, so that was definitely job #1. Also I had no idea these rubber things exist but they're on my Amazon list now. Now to find where the local skate parks are...
posted by altopower at 1:46 PM on December 22, 2015
posted by altopower at 1:46 PM on December 22, 2015
If it's winter that is stopping him getting out then I would look for an indoor skatepark, ideally one that does 'intro to skateboarding' lessons or has beginners only hours. If you are somewhere with tough winters then chances are there are a number of decent parks around.
Also I would add to the above that yes pads are important, but they don't make you invulnerable and so one shouldn't act like they do. Definitely learn to fall as said above, which basically boils down to roll with it as much as you can, try and take the impact on your soft fleshy parts and don't stick out your wrists. But also be aware of other people / skaters, especially at a skate park, and at any new spot or park take time to understand what the patterns of use are. Where the commonly trafficked routes are, where people tend to stand to wait their turn, where people go fast etc - you dont want to be getting in the way!
In terms of specific resources this was the standard learn to skate video in my day and would still be 100% relevant.
Overall the biggest thing to say is just keep with it! Skateboarding is incredibly hard, and even just learning the basics takes a huge amount of dedication, determination and patience. It takes most people 6 months of continual practice to get anything approaching a decent ollie. But it is very rewarding in itself, and I think the wider lessons it can teach are very beneficial.
posted by Albondiga at 2:49 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also I would add to the above that yes pads are important, but they don't make you invulnerable and so one shouldn't act like they do. Definitely learn to fall as said above, which basically boils down to roll with it as much as you can, try and take the impact on your soft fleshy parts and don't stick out your wrists. But also be aware of other people / skaters, especially at a skate park, and at any new spot or park take time to understand what the patterns of use are. Where the commonly trafficked routes are, where people tend to stand to wait their turn, where people go fast etc - you dont want to be getting in the way!
In terms of specific resources this was the standard learn to skate video in my day and would still be 100% relevant.
Overall the biggest thing to say is just keep with it! Skateboarding is incredibly hard, and even just learning the basics takes a huge amount of dedication, determination and patience. It takes most people 6 months of continual practice to get anything approaching a decent ollie. But it is very rewarding in itself, and I think the wider lessons it can teach are very beneficial.
posted by Albondiga at 2:49 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
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http://www.livestrong.com/article/433056-learning-how-to-skateboard-for-beginners-for-kids/
posted by calgirl at 11:58 AM on December 22, 2015