Getting your set up

Before you move any further, observe the initial steps and know what you are looking for. Be sure to learn the terms concerning the skateboard, look for some expert opinions and advice what is the best choice for you as a beginner. Don´t rush to buy to expensive gear if you are still uncertain if this is the right sport for you. Learn the parts of a skateboard like a deck, trucks, wheels, and bearings. These parts come in a variety of shapes, sizes, with different types of softness and flexibility, which has a lot of impact on your ride in general. Furthermore, be sure you have the right equipment such as shoes.

Basics

Learn how to stand on the board first. Make sure you learn and know how to balance, for this is one of the most important elements in skateboarding. Regular stance is when the left foot placed at the front of the board, and right on the floor, while the goofy stance is with the right foot on the board, and left on the floor. Try out both options, even though one of them will appear more natural to you. Learn some basic motions before you move on and be safe.

Pushing

This is apparently connected to the previous step. Once you learn how to stand on the board you will have to move on it, try slowly. First, make one push with both right and left leg. Then after you are sure of your balance on the board, make gradually more pushes to move more on the board without stopping. This may require more practice since you are practically the first time on your board ever. Practice as many pushes as the space in front of you allows.

Tick-tack

After you are comfortable with moving while on your skateboard at different speeds then it is the time to make the next basic step. It is a manoeuvre called “tick-tacking.” This is where your balance comes in handy because now you will finally be able to test your balance practising. The main part is to stand and move on your skateboard in a way that your leg on the front of the board changes direction in a zigzag way, while the other leg on the back of the board makes pressure in order to lift up the front part. That is why balance is necessary. Making too much pressure on the back and you will fall off the board on your back. This will also improve agility while you are on your skateboard. It may seem like a too complicated move to start with, but it will prepare you sooner for the things that come. Be sure to have necessary protection.

Manual

Only if you have mastered the tick-tack manoeuvre, move to the next step which is manual. A manual is a movement in which you balance yourself on either front or the back part of the board. This is also beneficial exercise for your balance on a skateboard. Start with small goals, and then gradually as you make progress set yourself a larger goal. There are two types of manual: nose-manual and tail-manual. Usually, it is easier to master the tail-manual first even though they are basically the same manoeuvre with slight differences in terms of balance. It is done by riding on only one set of wheels – front, in the case of nose-manual, and back in the case of tail-manual.

Frontside and Backside Powerslide

These tricks forcefully turn your board 90 degrees, your body turning forward as it slides in case of frontside powerslide, or turning backward in case of backside powerslide. This trick is often necessary to control speed while going downhill. Furthermore, it is a basis for different slide tricks which are usually made of boxes, ledges, and bowls. This is a more complicated and even terrifying trick which requires a certain amount of speed to be successful in the first place. Therefore, you need to stay low when you perform the slide, in order to keep your centre of gravity closer to the ground.

Shove-it

After powerslide, you are usually better prepared for some more complex manoeuvres. This means that you have made a lot of progress from the day when you have made your first stand on the board. Therefore it is the right time to learn how to shove-it. By this degree of practice, it is already a simple manoeuvre – spinning your board 180 degrees underfoot. It is the easiest rotational trick in skateboarding, so spare a couple of hours and try it.

Ollie

The ollie is an essential trick in skateboarding, and after you have mastered all of the steps before, which can take for months, it is the time to try something like this. Even though you have already seen it a lot, ollie is the trick where both skater and its board leap into the air without the use of hands. It requires a lot of practice, but once you are already here be patient.