Beginner skater

Step 1 - Beginner Skateboard Gear
So you've bought or borrowed your first skateboard, and you are wondering what to do with it. You've seen skaters at the park or on TV, and you know what skating's supposed to look like, but how do you get started? What sort of beginner skateboard gear do you need?

Well, the first thing you should do is get a pair of skate shoes (check out the Best Skateboard Shoes List). You can skate in regular shoes, but it will be a lot harder and even sometimes dangerous. Skate shoes are built with a large flat bottom, to better grip the board, and often with other features like reinforcement in areas where you'll likely wear the shoe down.

You should also get a helmet (check out the Best Skateboard Helmets list). You might see skaters not wearing helmets, and worry that wearing one will make you look weak or stupid, but don't worry about it. It's common now for skateparks to require helmets, and it's just plain smart, especially when you first start out.

Wearing other protective pads can be good too, but what you need totally depends on what you are doing (see the Best Skateboard Pads list). If you are trying to do tricks in your driveway, elbow pads might be a good idea, but you really only need knee pads if you are skating on a ramp, or trying some pretty crazy tricks. Wrist braces can be nice, but be careful not to get too used to using your hands to catch yourself when you fall.

Proskater Profile

Ryan Sheckler Basic Bio Information:
* Name: Ryan Sheckler
* Gender: Male
* Height: 5'4"
* Weight: 107 lbs
* Hometown: San Clemente, California
* Date of Birth: Dec. 30th, 1989
* Family: parents Gretchen and Randy Sheckler, brothers Shane "T-Bone" and Kane "Vol-Kane-O" Sheckler
* Occupation: Pro Skateboarder, Student
* Started Skating: 1993
* Started Competing: 1997
* Turned Pro: 2003
* Favored Discipline: Street / Park
* #1 Sponsor: Etnies
* Stance: Regular
* Setup: Almost pro model deck, Tensor 7.5 trucks, 52 mm wheels, Ninja bearings

Ryan Sheckler Skateboarding Style and Strengths: As the youngest pro skateboarder on the circuit, Ryan Sheckler has blown away the crowds with his ever increasing skill and variety of skateboarding tricks. Ryan Sheckler skates fast and hard, rarely bails, and has strong technical skateboarding skills.
Ryan Sheckler Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: In an interview for the X Games, Ryan Sheckler says, "I normally like to skate a good ramp over something, so last year at X Games (2004) when they had the jump over the bush, that was fun. And good set of 9-stairs is good too. Right at the moment, I'm doing good at everything I'm skating, spinning, flip tricks, it should be better for me at X Games (2005)."
Ryan Sheckler Skateboarding Career Highlights:
1996 - won CASL 10 & Under State Championships (at 7 years old)
1997 - won CASL 14 & Under State Championships (at 8 years old)
2003 - turned pro after winning 5th at Globe World Cup in Australia
2003 - won gold at X Games (street)
2004 - began to focus purely on street skating, traveling and filming for videos
2004 - Took first in US Skateboarding Championships, Pomona, California
2005 - repeatedly took first in Dew Action Sports Tour
Ryan Sheckler Personal History: At the age of 18 months, Ryan Sheckler found his dad's old school pool riding skateboard. Soon after that, Ryan began to push around on one knee, and eventually stood up on the skateboard. Ryan Sheckler is now a teenager, still in school, who also happens to be a professional world famous skateboarder. Ryan was home schooled through 7th and 8th grade, and attends Futures High School (a one-on-one school program for athletes and actors). Ryan loves riding moto-X along with skateboarding.
Ryan Sheckler Interesting Fact: Ryan Sheckler is the youngest pro skater to ever win gold at the X Games (2004)

Skate Trick (tre flip)

How to Tre Flip


The tre flip is a 360 degree kick flip that might take a little bit of time to get just right. Before you take this trick to the streets, see how to tre flip, and how you can best practice doing it.

Tre Flip Position
For a tre flip, what you want to do is you want to put your back foot - and you want to put your toes hanging off a little bit - right where it starts to curve. When you first learn, you want to put your front foot close together so you actually get the spin. And once you start getting them down you want to move your foot up more and more - and the higher your foot is up, the more control you have over it. You might flip a little bit slower but it's easier to control it.
How to Tre Flip
As you're popping down, the whole thing's with your back foot - just scoop back behind you with your back foot, and you do a little kick out the front. You don't need to kick too hard - just your ankle - and it will start to rotate like that. It's pretty much like a scissor kick: once your back foot goes behind you, your front foot goes in front of you. And then you land it.
How to Practice a Tre Flip
Don't ever practice them stationary. Just practice it moving - because once you get them moving, then you'll get them stationary. It's weird, but that's what happens.
Common Tre Flip Problems
A problem that a lot of people have is that either the board goes in front of them or the board goes behind them. It's usually because you're leaning too far forward or too far back, and if it over-flips, just don't kick as hard. When you first learn them you might just start doing varial flips and it will keep hitting you - you just have to work out how to scoop with your back foot to get it all the way around. You don't even have to worry about the flip, just worry about the scoop until it spins all the way.

skateboarding trick tips

Rock and Roll - Learn how to Rock and Roll - skateboarding trick tips
Rock and Roll Skateboarding Trick Tip
The Rock and Roll is a cool skateboarding trick to learn. The Rock and Roll is where the skater rides up a ramp and, right at the top, rocks his or her front trucks over the edge. Then, the skater pivots on his or her back trucks doing a kickturn, and rides back down the ramp.

The Rock and Roll is very similar to the Rock to Fakie, another skateboarding trick. Before you learn how to rock and roll, you really should learn how to rock to fakie. You also want to have kickturns down, and feel comfortable doing them on a ramp.

Like with every other skateboarding trick tip, make sure you read though all of these instructions before you head out and try it. Make sure it makes sense to you, and that you can picture yourself on the ramp, doing it on your skateboard.

Skate Trick : OlLie Down stairs

How to Ollie Down Stairs

Ollying off of stairs is a sweet skate trick - it looks cool, and is very useful. The same principals behind ollying down stairs can work with other things too, like ledges or off tables.

Before you attack a set of stairs though, there are a few things that you need to know how to do:

* Skate - I'm not being sarcastic here - you need to really know how to skate. You need to be comfortable, and pretty good on a board. Don't rush too fast into this trick - make sure you have excellent board control and balance. Otherwise, you can eat it pretty hard on this trick, and though watching someone face plant might be fun, it's never fun to be the guy wearing pavement.
* Ollie - of course, you should already know how to ollie. Make sure you know it well though, and don't just have a weak low ollie - take the time to build up, and make sure you have a good, strong, high ollie before trying stairs.

Once you have the basics down, you need to find some stairs. Start off with some low ones - just one or two steps, or better yet start with learning how to ollie off of curbs. Low stairs aren't very hard, and the great thing about learning to ollie stairs is that it's easy to do the slow build up learning process! Make sure the stairs have a good flat path leading up to them, and leading away from them. AND make sure that you can see around them - nothing will mess up your ollie like having someone actually trying to USE the stairs!
Step 2 - The Approach
For smaller sets of stairs, or curbs, you don't need very much speed at all. Just get a few pumps in, and skate toward the edge at a comfortable speed.

This changes a lot when you are trying to ollie off higher steps. This should make sense - you need to be going fast enough to sail over all of the steps. It'll take some practice to get your speed figured out, but if you start with curbs or small stairs and work your way up, you won't have any problems.

Let me say it again though - please DON'T start off with anything high, even if your buddies are harassing you. Start off small, and work your way up.
Step 3 - The Ollie
You want to pop your ollie when the nose of your skateboard is around half a foot away from the edge. You might be tempted to wait until the last possible second, so that you get the most distance out of your ollie ... Good thinking! Except that ollying 6 inches away from the edge IS the last possible second! Your brain has to send a message down your spine, through your butt and into your knees, and then your muscles have to explode into action and pop the board. There's an excellent chance you will roll around 6 inches in this time, if you're rolling along at a good speed.

If you wait too long to pop, you'll know it. You'll be able to tell by the graceful way you'll be tumbling down the steps, or off the curb. If you do this, don't worry about it - wipe off the blood, re-attach your face and try it again.

If you are ollying off of a curb, or something smaller than just a few steps, you don't really need to ollie very high. You can, and it's great practice and looks good, but you don't need to. But any more than just a few steps (4 or 5), you'll want a good strong ollie.

After the pop, tuck your feet up and keep your shoulders square with your skateboard. Don't tilt or turn your shoulders - if you do, you'll spin a little in the air, and that will hurt more than ollying too late.

You want your feet tucked up so that you will be in the air longer. Shove your knees into your face, and get some good high hang time.
Step 4 - Landing
As you come down, if you can be aware of it, try and land with your feet over your trucks. If you land with your feet in the middle of the board, or on the nose or tail, you can snap your board. This sucks becasue boards are expensive, plus the sudden stopping of the board means that you will fly over it, and likely eat pavement again. Keep your feet over your trucks.

Try to keep your weight balanced between the trucks, too. Try to land as flat as possible. Bend your knees deeply as you land, to absorb the shock. A lot of skaters are lazy about things like this - they don't want to use their knees. Don't. You want to bend your knees deeply for the ollie, then pull your knees up after the pop while you are in the air, and THEN bend your knees deeply when you land.

After you've landed, just roll away!
Step 5 - Common Stair Ollie Problems
The biggest problem I've seen is getting yourself all psyched out about it, to the point that there's really no way you're going to land it. As with all things in skateboarding, you really need to relax. Just think of the stairs as a regular gap that you are ollying over. Or, go find some lower ones. Take your time, chill, and enjoy.

Visualization is extremely useful in skateboarding - picture yourself ollying the stairs in front of you, walk through how it will work, and that might help.

Speed is another common problem, but one that you should be able to figure out with practice. Start with something simple, like a curb, and work your way up slowly. Ollie off that curb again and again, until you're totally comfortable with it. Then find a place where there are just a couple of steps, and try that. Work up SLOWLY, and don't get too anxious and try something you shouldn't.

Actually finding these steps can be tough, too. Here are some places to look:

* skateparks
* schools
* churches
* public buildings
* shopping centers
* plazas
* colleges
* hospitals
* police stations...!

A lot of those places are best skated at night ... for obvious reasons. Some of them might be off limits, but you might be surprised who will say yes, if you ask. My brother's church as an awesome 6 stair, with a great concrete path coming right up to it, and they don't mind skaters there at all, as long as they ask!

If you run into other problems, please feel free to write me, or drop by the skateboard forum and ask for help! Have fun, stay as safe as possible, relax, and then have more fun!

Skate Trick Kick Flip

How to Kick Flip


After you've mastered the ollie, you're ready to step up to the kick flip. Find out how to do a kick flip, and easy practice tips that will help you execute and master this trick.
Kick Flip Set Up
For a kickflip, what you want to do is you want to put you back foot in the middle of the board, right at the center of the tail, and your front foot right under the truck bolts - a little bit pointed, not completely straight. And when you pop - while you side your front foot up - you want to flick out at the top of your ollie.

You want to ollie first, and when you're ollieing, that's when you flick out at the top of your ollie. That's going to make it flip, and then you catch it, and then you land. You don't want to kick down, because then it will just rocket flip, and it's not good.
Practicing a Kick Flip
It's a lot easier if you're moving - you probably should learn it stationary first and then practice on moving and don't give up on it. Because if you give up on it, you won't ever learn it. Just make sure you get a flick out, not down.
Common Kick Flip Mistakes
You're probably going to hit yourself in the shins a lot - trying to flick out - because a lot of people flick straight forward and it will just come up and hit them. You want to flick, but you want to flick out, at the top of your ollie. And heel side - just flick out to the side. Make it flip.

Thanks for watching. I'm David Willis with Uptown Skate School - for more trick tips check out About.com.

Proskater :ryan shecler

Trick skate-Dropping in step 8 (finish)

Learning trick of Dropping in
Step 8 - Troubleshooting
Commitment
- I'm not a big fan of commitment in relationships, but in skateboarding it's vital. The largest problem skaters face when learning to drop in is not pushing that front foot down fast enough. The moment you put some of your weight forward, you will be rolling down the ramp. That means that until you get those front wheels down, you will be rolling only on the back two wheels. This can make you slip backwards and fall very easily.

Chickenfoot
- This is where you take one foot off of the board and catch yourself. When I was learning to drop in, I would always pull my back foot off the board right away and catch myself half way down the ramp. It was a weird problem. The key was in trusting myself, and having self confidence. It also helped to go practice when no one else was around watching me.

Trick skate-Dropping in step 7

Learning trick of Dropping in
Step 7 - Ride Away
That's it. Hopefully you have a good idea of where you are heading once you hit the bottom of the ramp, so skate off! You'll have some speed, so keep relaxed, knees bent, and just ride it out.

The higher the ramp or transition you rode down, the faster you should be going. Dropping in like this can be perfect for getting enough speed to ride around the park, or to skate up another ramp and do a trick. It's all up to you.

Trick skate-Dropping in step 6

Learning trick of Dropping in
Step 6 - Stomp and Lean
When you put your front foot on the board, stomp it down with all your weight until your front wheels hit the ramp, and lean into it. Put all of yourself into the ramp - you can't hold anything back.

It can be scary to stomp down and lean into open air. There is no turning back once you've started the stomp, and I would say at least 80% of the problems people have when dropping in is not being committed enough to this part. You have to trust that you and your skateboard will make this work. You have to invest in dropping in 100%. It's all or nothing. Be committed to the drop in. Once you do it, it will get easier and easier every time.

Here's a secret about skateboarding - skill is very important, but even more important than skill is self confidence. It's all in your head. This is what separates something like skateboarding from other "sports". Your strongest opponent is yourself. So when you face something like dropping in, and you do it, you are taking a huge step toward self control.

That was a little deep, but it's true. The point is, if you are going to try and learn to drop in, then just do it. It's like Yoda says, "Do or do not, there is no try." Yeah, I just quoted Yoda. But he would agree - when you get to the top of that ramp, and you are ready to drop in, just put your foot over those front trucks, stomp it down, and LEAN IN!

Trick skate-Dropping in step 5

Learning trick of Dropping in
Step 5 - Place Your Front Foot
When you are ready, put your front foot over the front trucks of your skateboard.

I recommend blurring this step with the next one, and not putting your foot there and waiting. But take a look at the picture above to get an idea for where your front foot should go.

Trick skate-Dropping in step 4

Learning trick of Dropping in
Step 4 - Set Your Tail
Put the tail of your skateboard on the coping (the rounded edge or pipe that runs along the top edge of the ramp, where the ramp and platform meet). You want your back wheel hanging down over the edge of the ramp. Hold your skateboard there with your back foot, putting your foot straight across the tail of your skateboard.

Your front wheels will be out hanging in the air, and your board will be cocked up slightly. Your front foot can be on the ground next to you, while you wait for your turn to drop in on your skateboard.

Trick skate-Dropping in step 3

Learning trick of Dropping in
Step 3 - Set a Line
While standing at the top of the ramp, take a look at where this ramp goes. Does it end in a large flat area? Or does it go directly up into another ramp? Think about where you want to head, once you get to the bottom of the ramp. For your first time dropping in, I recommend finding an area with a large flat area at the bottom of the ramp, but you don't need to worry too much about this. Mainly, you want to be aware of what you'll be skateboarding to wards, once you get to the bottom.

You also want to be aware of other skateboarders! Don't get so focused that you block out everyone else at the skatepark, and smack into someone when you drop in on your skateboard.

Trick skate-Dropping in step 2

Learning trick of Dropping in
Step 2 - Check Out the Ramp
When you first get to the skatepark, try skateboarding around the bottom of the ramp. Push around the park a little bit, getting a feel for the transition (ramps). Also, make sure you are wearing a helmet before you try this. Messing up while dropping in is a great way to smack your brain case on the ground, and end up never skateboarding again. Wear a helmet.

If you aren't used to skateboarding on the material that this ramp or park is made from, this step is very important. The feel of concrete, wood and metal are all very different when skateboarding. Certain skateboard wheels will work better for park or on other transition than others - if you are planning to mainly skateboard at the skatepark or on skate ramps, you might want to get some park formula wheels. However, if you want to skate both park and street, that is great too. Learning what kind of terrain you want to ride on will help you better decide on your skateboard setup.

Once you have a good feel for what it is like to skateboard around the bottom of the ramp or park, and a little of what the transition feels like, head to the top of the ramp.

Trick skate-Dropping in

Dropping in - Setup (step-1 of 8 step)
Learning to drop in at the skatepark or on a ramp is one of the hardest things to master in skateboarding. Not because it takes so much skill, but because it takes a lot of will and guts. However, if you are going to learn to ride at the skatepark or on a ramp, you will need to learn to get comfortable dropping in on your skateboard.

What is Dropping In? - Dropping in on a skateboard is how most skateboarders will enter bowls, skateparks and vert ramps. At the top edge of skateboard ramps and along the edges of bowls there is a rounded raised lip called the "coping". Being able to drop in allows skateboarders to go from stranding on the edge of the coping, straight into skateboarding with a lot of speed down the ramp.

If you are brand new to skateboarding, you'll first need to get comfortable with skateboarding around the park, along the ground, and over transition. You don't need to know any tricks befire learning how to drop in on a skateboard, but you will need to know how to ride your skateboard. This is because once you drop in, you will be riding very fast, and you'll need to feel comfortable with riding and guiding your skateboard. If you are brand new to skateboarding, read Just Starting Out Skateboarding and take some time to get comfortable with your skateboard.

Make sure you read all of these instructions before you head to the skatepark to drop in. Once you are familiar with them, go for it! Also, watch the How to Drop In Video for more help.