Skateboarding with Misty

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Now it’s Misty’s turn and she is so confident and has no fear of going on stage. Rancid wishes her luck.

One of the judges asks her to introduce herself by giving her name and where she lives.

“My name is Misty and I am 13 years old. I am a unicorn and get very upset if someone calls me a horse! I live in the Candy Kingdom.” 

“And what are you going to do for us today,” the judge asks. 

“I am going to show you some skateboarding tricks,” Olivia says. “I’m also going to offer some tips as I skateboard across the stage.” 

‘Beginning skateboarding is not like getting into any other sport. There are no coaches to tell you how to ride or pull off tricks.  Ultimately, it’s up to you to learn.  At first, the board will not cooperate, and getting over the hump of being a beginner means practicing. Before you start skating, though, you should be sure you’ve gotten a few things squared away. Once you have the basics down, learning more complex tricks will get easier. 

Get a good skateboard - Learning to skate is easier if you have a decent board. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive one because it won’t need to survive the abuse you will dish out on your future boards. At first, you just need a complete skateboard intended for street skating.

Click Here to See Skateboards Available On Amazon

What to wear - This may seem simplistic, but it is often an issue for beginning skaters. As a skateboarder, your shoes are the most important item of clothing you own. You should think of them more as a piece of equipment than a clothing item. Do not attempt to skate in any shoes other than flat-soled athletic shoes.

The classic tennis shoe is a fine place to start. You do not need skateboard-specific shoes, though they work great. Other than that, just wear whatever clothes you are comfortable wearing.

Click Here to See Skateboard Clothes Available On Amazon

Where to skate - If you are just beginning to skate, you do not need obstacles to do tricks on, over or across. A beginning skater should think of obstacles in the most literal sense of the word. They are in your way and will make you fall. If there is concrete around your house, skate it. All you need at first is flat, smooth cement or asphalt. Try to avoid places with cracked concrete, though. Small cracks are okay, but if your wheel can fit in a crack, it will stop you in your tracks. Another thing that can stop your wheels cold is hitting what skateboarders call wheel bite (twigs, pebbles, broken glass, etc.) on the surface you skate. The sound this makes, “BURT!” keeps skaters up at night. Avoid it at all costs.

Pushing and Stopping - This tip will keep you in good standing with skateboarders everywhere. If you are regular footed (right-foot dominant), push with your right foot. If you are goofy footed (left-foot dominant), push with your left foot. Your dominant foot is your back foot. It goes on the tail and is also the foot you push with. Pushing with your weak (front) foot is called pushing mongo. While some skaters can pull it off, it will always look wrong. If it sounds like a put down, it is. Stand with your front foot over the front truck bolts and your back foot on the ground next to the board. Put weight on your back foot and push the board along the concrete. You can stand sideways on the board and coast or push again to go faster. 

You only have three ways to stop, remember to keep in mind how to stop a skateboard to avoid from injuring. At first, go slow enough so you can coast to a stop before you run out of concrete. The next way to stop is to hang your toes off the tail and drag them on the concrete. You’ll have to press the tail and pick up the front wheels to do this, so go slowly and be patient. You’ll get it. Just don’t drag the board’s tail on the concrete, which wears it down.

The emergency brake on a skateboard is simple: Jump off and run out to a stop. Forget the board and just run.

Turning - You should work on this part of the process as you learn to push and to stop. They all work together. Remember that you are building muscle memory and developing balance that you will be using continuously as you progress in skating. Small acorns produce mighty oaks.

The Keystone Trick: The Ollie - Depending on your natural ability, learning to ollie will take up most of your free time for a while to come. It may to you three weeks, three months or longer, but keep at it. You may have a natural talent for skateboarding that is hiding behind the difficulty of learning the fundamentals. This list is meant to get you out your door and on your board. I hope it helped you feel comfortable getting started. ‘ (Info here) 

The judges give Misty a standing ovation. She really did it well and didn’t fall once! The audience can’t stop clapping. 

“Thank you,” Misty says as she skates off the stage.

Let’s continue here - Red Rabbit does a puppet show with marionettes

Start at the beginning – Welcome to the Friends’ Got Talent show!

If you haven’t read the first part of this 2-part story you can read it here – Friends’ Got Talent