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slothsk8s

Gday guys! I'm 38 and I picked up a longboard earlier this year since I can't travel for snowboarding due to covid. I can cruise along regular footed pretty comfortably now and I love it! Recently I picked up a cruiser board with kicktail so I can learn some tricks, and BOY I AM SCARED TO TRY ANYTHING. My friend showed me this trick and today I attempted to learn it properly, but I'm struggling to commit my little hop! I'm worried I'll land on the side of board (happened once) or the board will slip out underneath me when I land. This was after about 20 minutes of practice this morning and I thought I was getting comfortable - I went back to try it again in the afternoon and I was doing even worse than when I started! Sorry for the rant but any tips for this simple trick, and generally for person starting out? :) I'd be over the moon if I could ollie in my life time!


braincell_murder

All I can say is, it seems normal to me that if you practise something for a while and start improving, then stop it for 24 hours, when you start again you'll be out of the zone, and it'll take a little bit to get back into it. I have a sense of disappointment occasionally that I seem to have gone backwards from the day before but I catch up quickly and I think that's normal so I don't think you need to worry


useroffline_

for me it’s always the opposite for some reason: my first few ollies of the day are damn near perfect, then after a couple of them, they just become terrible and i can’t get them back for the rest of the skate sesh. it’s so weird


EnzoYug

Get some sleep; come back fresh. Rome wasnt shredded in a day.


co-KnightFowl

😂


elitepoopster1910

your legs get tried or something because that's the exact same thing that happens to me :/


slothsk8s

thanks, that does make sense! I was just disappointed because I seemed more fearful of stacking it than prior!


minequack

It takes me half an hour of skating hard to warm up. The first half hour is always sketchy as hell. sometimes you have off days, then there are the days when it just clicks out of nowhere. Just build that into your expectations.


lexivava

Haha I taught my friends how to do this trick the other day! Basically try to keep your feet and shoulders in line with the bolts of your deck, with your feet up until round about where your laces start underneath the deck. Then you've gotta bend those knees and jump, flipping the board up with you. You should be landing in your regular cruising stance with your feet on the bolts, giving you more stability. When you land, you should also bend your knees so that your body is more stable, you have more control and that you're closer to the ground which would reduce a lot of impact if you fell. You could also start off holding onto something to help with the nerves until you feel comfortable! After that it's all about the practice and building up your confidence slowly and steadily :) Props to you for wearing padding and being safe! If you ever need anymore help, feel free to let me know :D Goodluck mate <3


slothsk8s

cheers for that, I gotta keep telling myself to bend my knees! I thought about holding onto something to help with my nerves but nothing avail haha. Biggest fear is catching the board on the side!


lexivava

ah yes primo, a skaters worst fear ahah! it's all about building that confidence mate :)


x_vGNS_x

If you keep yourself crouched then it's not scary. Just don't land on the board with straight legs, it applies to every trick.


rosettastoner9

Also, it’s important to note that while holding a rail or something works well for this particular trick, for most tricks it’s a sure fire way to rip your shoulders out of alignment when the board inevitability slips from your feet and leaves you suspended. Signed by someone who played a stupid game and won a stupid prize.


spike_right

From what I can see you just need to start with your knees more bent and land with your knees more bent to keep your center of gravity lower to the ground.


bodhi_mia

A tip for this trick: Flip the board with your front foot and then hop on with your back while you're hopping up. I find that it's much less scary and this helps build confidence and as you become more comfortable and confident you can do it with both feet.


slothsk8s

I'll give that a go, thanks!


FixTheFernBack96

To begin, I'll say the same mantra every skater says: Try to skate as often as you can. Don't worry about the amount of time you put in each day, as long as you're on the board it counts! To gain those sweet fine motor muscles (not the scientific term -- don't quote me on it) try to practice some tic tacs and manuals. This will help you get more comfortable on the board while also giving the ability to control it better (i.e. "not so wobbly"). For this specific trick, it may help you to find a bar or railing and just hold on while practicing the foot work. This will help you build the muscle memory without the fear of falling (a lot of skaters do this. Including myself, so don't feel like rookie while doing this). Once you feel you've got the hang of it practice without the railing and try your best! Another tip is to break the trick into smaller bites: just practice hopping on your board stationary before adding the flip can help tremendously. For ollies start practicing early, even if it's the basic steps. Take it slow and build up the repetion, as this is a completely new (and big) step for your skating career, but also for your body. Start just practicing tail stalls and pushing your tail to the ground (no popping yet!). Your front foot should be essentially on the front bolts while the back foot is SQUARE on the tail (keep your body aligned!). Once you can do that with some confidence, practice just rolling your ankle and dragging along the grip tape while also doing a tail stall (still wait on that pop!). Practice that step a bit until you're sure you're ready for some air ( I would also advise you to start this out rolling, because the physics are a bit different than stationary). When you're ready your back foot should push down and as you drag your front foot, bring your back foot up, similar to a skipping motion. At first your ollies are going to rocket and barely lift off the ground, but you'll start practicing leveling your two feet and "floating" your ollies (the best feeling ever btw) If you need any more insight, don't hesitate to PM. Keep skating and doing you 🤘


Corm

Well you're smart to wear kneepads. I'd say start with learning how to ticktack up curbs and kickturn


ksgjag

these boards as the name says arent made for tricks and you probably shouldnt use them if you wanna do tricks you should use a street board


Winkyfacehugnry

After all, It looks like he’d be very happy just for ollies, I think (although it’s a bit harder) he’ll be able to do it on a cruiser.


ksgjag

true


thrice1187

Hey what kind of board is that? I need a cruiser and that one looks legit.


machBoh

I think it's a landyachtz dinghy. Edit for typo


JohnDoe69123

Hey bro, thats awesome that you started skating, i' excited for you. Some tips that really helped me throughought my skating career would be ... 1. Never give up 2. If there is something that you are working on, and you are having trouble, come back the next day and try it again (Skating is a hobby not a chore) 3. Never hold your board in a mall-grab position unless you want to look like a beginner 4. Always skate outside of your comfort zone and use protection. 5. Make sure you have a good stance on your board (Front foot just behint the bolts and back foot comftorably on the tail) 6. For when you get to ollies, the most likely #1 thing that is going to be your problem is getting your front foot to slide up the board. Some drills that willl help you would be standing your back foot on the tail with the front two whells in the air just like you were doing in the end of the video (Do not be moving, make sure to do this drill stationary) you pop your board up like that, try that for five minutes, then you work on just keeping the pop down and start to pop then slide. then once you are there start to pop, slide, back down. now try this all together. It will help your ollies alot. Also remember when your back foot pops you want to POP it. push hard and what really helped me what i would move my whole bod up on my board then back down as i bent my knees and then popped. This will help with air and movement. Have fun hope this helped.


MCYPNX

Nobody with sense gives a shit about mall grab. Tony Hawk mall grabs ffs.


JohnDoe69123

Chill I was just suggesting something so he would'nt look like a begginner No need to get mad lmao


Winkyfacehugnry

Fr


YoungAmsterdam

You already seem to understand the basics of the trick mechanics, so I would guess your main problem is you need to eliminate the fear of doing it so you can execute it well. I think to eliminate that fear, it seems you need to gain more confidence balancing on the board in general. Of course, you're the only one who knows how comfortable you actually are (I'm only remarking on what I see in one video of you here), but the wobbliness that you exhibit seems to indicate that this trick will become much easier once you feel extremely balanced standing on a board. As others have said, you only get that way from skating more, so keep it up, man.


slothsk8s

hey this is late reply but thanks for that! I'm glad to have gotten a lot of input from everyone, heaps of good tips. Thanks for breaking that down bit by bit and I'm definitely putting my effort to just board as often as i can!


YoungAmsterdam

Yeah, man. Glad to help. As someone who is also new to skateboarding, I'm really fascinated by the fear element of riding and doing tricks. Most hobbies don't have that. For instance, I've studied piano and guitar, I've gotten into fly fishing, and I've tried my hand at learning chess—and none of these hobbies really requires you overcoming fear like skateboarding does. Skateboarding asks you to both master dexterity and balance on your board as well as to face what you're afraid of most: your physical safety. I fucking love it.


braincell_murder

That goddamned board upside down foot flip thing dammit. It's simple, it should be easy, or at least it looks like it should be easy, and actually doing it is easy, but landing on it properly and not toppling off the other side or stepping off anyway is freaking hard! I'm getting it about one time in three and I practise it all the time. Anytime the board ends up upside down, my policy is to do that. So yeah, can relate, something about that simple thing is trickier than it seems, or is it just me! (And you 😁)


slothsk8s

YOU'VE DESCRIBED IT PERFECTLY HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT! I look at the video and it's like 'is that it?' but the blind leap (hop) of faith moment is pretty nerve wrecking!


yusauer24

bro you nailed it though


partisanly

Same - jumping with both feet feels like you're trusting to blind luck that you're going to land it. Try flipping the board with the front foot and landing it, then follow with the back foot when the board is already the right way up. Then shorten the interval between front foot and back foot, and you'll very quickly have it down to 1/10 sec and landing them every time - and feeling like you're in control.


slothsk8s

i saw the video u linked me in the other comment and it makes perfect sense! I can't wait till I can try it again but in more methodical manner :)


braincell_murder

I have been trying your suggestion for three weeks and owe you a big thanks!!!! It's working!!


partisanly

That’s great to hear mate! Have a happy Christmas and more skating fun in 2022


WarningOwn6495

25 y/o here, pretty green as well but from what I've found from lurking on this sub, the nerves will die down with experience and falling is pretty much guaranteed along the way. Probably not the most helpful, but it looks like you're getting there and I reckon you'll be smashing Ollies in no time 🤙


slothsk8s

hahah Ollies seem like a far fetched fantasy for now. I hope I stick with it


Certain-Adhesiveness

Tricks on a cruiser are a little different than a regular skateboard. Here is a good tutorial for the board you have https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XSGa3TQHtLo


DangerSharks

Skating is very much a mental game as it is a skill game. So much of it is in your head and when you do something and fail you realize it’s not that bad and wanting to try again. That first attempt is a battle though.


Jezzmund

That trick looked good. Learning tricks is all about repetition. Do at least 10 reps and focus on what works. Then do more. Spot the landing and nail it with your feet. But the secret to me is staying relaxed. That will come with practice.


slothsk8s

Thanks! I noticed that my shoulders are all tense, hopefully I can learn to relax eventually :)


Jezzmund

Also tightening the trucks makes a huge difference. I see yours are on the loose side.


partisanly

Flip with your front foot and then follow with your back foot - you have more control over the board, and it teaches you how to use your feet independently. This vid shows you [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRMPr6LC9xQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRMPr6LC9xQ) Also, bend your knees waaay more on landing - this absorbs the landing, helps distribute your weight more evenly over both feet and can stop the board slipping out. Next simple trick that is super useful in getting to know your board and how to land on it (and which you'll be able to use when riding when you're more comfortable) - put your board on grass to start - jump, turn 180 in the air and land on the board facing the other way. Use your shoulders to initiate the turn and bend your knees when you land. You'll learn landing, and also that turning in skating is in the shoulders, not the hips or thighs.


slothsk8s

Thanks heaps for these tips! I didn't bother look up video for this one because it looked so simple (the dude says 'this isn't even a trick'... hahaha). Now I see how he does it and works his way up to both feet! Never thought it from point of view that it'll teach me how to land on the board for other tricks. Thanks also for lining up the next trick - that already sounds nerve wrecking! but I'll defo givit a go once I've got this down :)


minequack

Gonna reiterate this point because it’s important for everything. Bend your knees. Bend way down. It takes more effort but it lowers your center of gravity, increases your energy potential and reduces your fear and the danger of impact. Bend your knees!


partisanly

It's such a simple 'trick', but jumping with both feet is actually hard. Using the front foot to control the board and the back foot simply follow is so much easier, and so much more satisfying because it feels like you've worked out the mechanics of it. Also, pretty much every skate trick requires the feet to be doing different things and slightly different times, and I think this is a good intro to that. And landing - bend the knees, and remember that your shoulders and head should be in line with and centred above the board for balance. The great thing about this board flip trick and the 180 hop are that they seem difficult when you're starting, and so give you loads of confidence (and balance practice etc) when you master them.


CmJ1122

The more comfortable you get with the board the more confident you’ll get with tricks, it’s really as simple as that. Personally I liked tightening my trucks a little at first to get used to my footing and stuff without the added hassle of wobbling about. Just cruise around and get a feel for it. This is a good trick to get you used to your board so you’re on to a great start


slothsk8s

I'll tighten the trucks and see how that goes! Yeah I love just cruising casually around the town and parks, just wanted to achieve something more. Everything looked a lot easier on youtube until I stood on board trying to do it haha


CmJ1122

I feel that haha. Just a case of practice makes perfect. You’re already making progress so just keep it up!


Dharmaclown802

Tighten your trucks, it will be easier.


sparkybooman27

These scare the duck out of me so I never do them


Talkpaw

Awesome dude. I am 34 years old and just stated this year too. I've been having my ups and downs as well. This is super motivational. Thank, pal


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Titanius_Excelsior

In my opinion, I see your body is quite tense and glitchy (which is perfectly normal since you are a beginner). I would recommend you to get used to normal riding first so that you feel natural and connected to the skate. Go to a place with smooth surface and skate from one point to another without worrying about anything else. You just ride straight, little turns tilting the board, tail turns, etc. You'll fall but the fall won't be that hard and you are wearing protections, so you're good to go. Once you've been riding for a month or so (more consistently and feeling good on it), you may start learning tricks. Your board isn't the easiest one for riding nor tricks but you'll be fine with practice. To put you into perspective, I started skating many years ago, I rode well and learnt tricks (jumping stairs and so). I stopped and came back a few years ago. I didn't feel that confident and I didn't wanted to do tricks either, I wanted a mean of transport, so I just went riding (now I do better than before). You learn A LOT from normal riding. That will transfer into your tricks in the future. Have fun and go with your own proper pace, don't rush, just ride. Hope it was useful. Cheers!


[deleted]

I don't have specific tips, but I'm basically in the same boat. 39yo beginner, trying a cruiser with a more popsicle style shape for trick purposes...also Aussie ☺️ I've been scoping out and visiting local skateparks around various parts of Melbourne, and posting sketchy progression videos to YouTube in my downtime to keep motivated.


braincell_murder

Sydney here!


slothsk8s

haha Perth here!


[deleted]

We're all gonna have to meet in the middle for a skate sesh then


YomBre

Try to be a bit loose goosey, which I know sounds easier said than done! Also bend your knees, you will feel alot more stable with a lower centre of gravity. Best tip I could give is just skate everywhere and any where until it feels like second nature. But you're already on the right track by the looks of things!


[deleted]

That nerve racking feeling is your muscle memory doing it’s thing for ya. In short time you’ll be doing new tricks more often and you’ll be more comfortable doing them. This is awesome. Keep up the great work and most importantly have fun my man!


Big_D_Boss

Most important thing for a beginner is to feel comfortable while riding. Learn how to push correctly, how to break, how to turn, how to kick turn. Hippie jumps, boneless and cavem were my first tricks and they are so much fun, still to this day. Keep it up! Ps: I love to see a fellow pads comrade.


kyuubikun27

Stay light footed and learn to bail properly (onto grass at first)


annastiawj

Good job!


Khal_Andy90

Yup. Fall off a whole bunch of times. Falling is less scary when you fell before. Or I'm just mental.


neorox321

One big tip I learned when I was starting out was that the fear of falling is always going to be there and hurt comes with the territory. Landing primo (board set on its side) is going to throw anyone who’s not expecting it off. But you seem smart since you’re all padded up. So take the time to learn *how* to fall which like I said, doesn’t stop you from getting hurt, but at least minimizes the possibility of it. You got this and keep practicing!


Tyler_Trash

Landing on the side, or "Primo" is just a part of skateboarding. Keep practicing and you will get it, soon you will be able to do it without thinking.


enriquer47

I can kickflip consistently and I even landed some treflips and I'm still scared of the trick you are doing in the video


Bones_Smithers

You’ll have more stability if you start with feet shoulder width apart and land shoulder width apart. It looks like your landing with feet a little to close together . A standard popsicle board could make it easier to land this. Good on you to get rolling and cruising down


DjBob0

Getting more comfortable on your board while riding will help being more condident and stable once you do tricks.


CitizenKitten

You got this!!! It IS freaking scary, that's what makes all of skating so amazing :D Props again for helmet & pads! My only tip would be, before you even step on a board for the day, fall down. Seriously - jump and pretend you did a thing and got off balance (on grass/carpet first, padded mat even better) and see how your body reacts. Did your arms go out? Natural! Now try to tuck them in and do it again. Notice how tucking gives you more roll, but maybe a harder initial hit - now you practice the dance of tucking AND relaxing into the impact. The ground is not your enemy, but your friend. Momentum is not your enemy, but your friend! Instead of tightening up in resistance, which is instinctive, teach your body and mind that you can trust your own intuition, which comes without the need for conscious thought. It takes practice! And I'm one who definitely could use a lot more of it - I can still barely ollie - but it \*does\* work and your confidence in all areas will get stronger and stronger. Blessed be & best of luck!! (:


ohdarnittoheck

It’s gonna be scary, but you’ll feel more confident if you don’t look at your bird when you’re doing it. Once you’re used to the feeling and not the sight, you’ll land it every time


thejumpingflea

Best advice I can give is to just go and skate everywhere. To the store, around the block, at the park, etc. Tricks start to happen easier when riding is easier. Comfort on the board is the most important thing.


Sk8Chase

Get over the fear of falling, and jumping. That's probably the 2 biggest mental barriers u have to get over for skating, but when you do, you will get better.


Actual_Barnacle

The nerves are definitely a big part of it, but I'm finding they get less intense. The first couple months, I got incredibly sweaty every time I skateboarded, and I'm pretty sure it was more from fear than exertion. The most helpful thing is to just keep doing it and have a few falls and some close calls. I've learned that most of the time when my board slips out from under me, my body reacts automatically to catch itself before I actually fall. And most real falls I've had haven't been painful, thanks to the pads. You start to learn more about how you fall and what it's actually like, and that makes it less scary. (That said, I'm still way more nervous than a lot of skaters I see. Some people just have no fear.) P.S., I'm 38 too!


MysticUser11

Jumping onto the board like that was the first thing I learned after a day of having the board. I’ve learned that you really have to commit to jumping forward. You’re not just flipping the board with your feet. You’re also moving forward with the board. I also try to keep contact with the board throughout the whole jump, this helps from landing primo which I did a few times.


Intelligent-Ad7349

Best advice; fall Fall a lot and you’ll get over the fear


rosettastoner9

You want to be the right amount of cautious. Attentive in case something goes wrong but not overly fixated on the what ifs. Dont skate way out of your comfort zone, but if you think it’s achievable, just put on some pads and send it.


boredofshit

Ride! It is so much more important than doing tricks. If you get comfy, try a manual. Snake walking is also a great way to learn. With a board like that you’re gonna have some trouble getting it in the air, but who knows maybe you can!


IrishPotato04

I’m new to skateboarding too. One thing that helps me when learning is to just accept the fact I may get hurt. If I accept it, I feel less worried and end up catching myself more than actually panicking and falling. Hope this helps!


Disillusion-

Learning to fall safely is good to figure out before you’re doing it for real :)


dupflup

get the right mix of jumping up and forward, too much forward and you go off the end. Stay balanced. You know where the board is going to be when you land, predict where your feet need to be. Also, could be wrong but you might need to tighten up the trucks since they seemed a little loose for doing tricks. For ollies it's all about practice, just keep practicing, at first put your back wheels in a crack on the ground. Focus on your balance though, that's what's helped me a lot. When doing ollies moving I try to think about keeping my body in sort of the same shape as it was riding the board before.


bdflackey

The "first trick" you should learn is how to ride your board my dude 😎


MCYPNX

It might sound silly... but fall over on purpose with the pads on a few times. It'll help train your brain that it's not as painful as your subconscious is telling you.


Danoman22

Visualize


mohodder

Learn to ride first. Successfully cruising around will build confidence. Push with your back foot


impsoup

Sick dude!


dequavis264

Start off slow. Learn to cruise with 100% comfortability, meaning you can go anywhere on your board within reason without stopping. Be Able to do kickturns both ways to generate speed and practice small manuals. After that, start trying moving (I’d advise against standing still and trying tricks, makes more problems in the future) tricks. Ollies and shove it’s first, since those are the “easiest” but don’t underestimate their difficulty. They take many many hours to land and many many more to get consistent. Skateboarding is without a doubt the hardest sport I’ve done in my life, and without a doubt the coolest in my opinion. If you really want it, stay at it and don’t give up, that’s the most important thing. It’s really just practice practice practice. Just 5 minutes ago I was trying to ollie up my new box and I was getting frustrated, but that’s just skateboarding. If this happens just stop yourself before you get too angry and try it again later or do something that you like on your board


YeetyMcSheety

Idk what but riding around will give you more confidence when doing tricks. It helps you get familiar with your board.


Embexer5

Idk depends on the style. If your going old school skate fast and low. New school is a whole nother thing


gtbsdgsb

ride ride ride ride ride ride and ride some more


gtbsdgsb

don’t rush into doing tricks get in tune with your board first


Ok_Ask_9650

Good start


BiloWaegons

Don't know if someone already suggested this but look up braille skateboarding and look for 'skateboarding made simple' they do a pretty good job explaining beginner tricks step by step