If you’ve never stood on a skateboard before then you aren’t aware of how easy it can be to fall off. It requires knowing some foundational tips that will help you stand upright without falling off.
Here’s how you can take the first steps onto your board without worrying about falling and getting hurt.
Table of Contents
How to Stand on a Skateboard
To stand on a skateboard properly, you will need to establish a stance, keep your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly, and move your head in the direction you are going. The more you focus on balance, the better you will be at standing on your board.
Figuring Out the Right Stance For You
When you’re first standing on a board for the first time you have two options to choose from, goofy or regular. The two stances are essentially the same thing just in opposite directions.
For regular stance, you have your back foot toward the end of the board while your left foot points toward the board’s front.
Goofy stance is just the opposite, your left foot is toward the back of the board while your right foot is at the front.
It’s likely that one of these stances feels more naturally comfortable than the other. You’ll have to do a little experimenting to see which one feels best.
It’s best to try these stances when your board is at a standstill and has no chance of moving. This way, you won’t risk falling off the board just trying to step on it.
Keep in mind that whichever stance you end up choosing, you’ll be using the foot at the tail end of the board to push off. So you’ll need to be comfortable balancing on your front foot.
Focus On the Distance of Your Feet
When you stand on a board you’ll want to separate your feet about shoulder-width apart. This will create a better sense of balance and stability when you’re riding.
If you were to keep your feet together so that they are touching, you don’t have enough width in your balance to keep upright.
Any small bump or fast turn will cause you to rely on a stable balanced position in order to stay on your feet. If you don’t have your feet spread wide you’ll end up toppling over fairly easily.
But, don’t spread your feet too wide though. The board itself has a slight elevation on either side and if your feet end up on those points you could end up flipping the board yourself.
It’s best to focus on keeping both feet on top of the trucks that rest on the underside of the skateboard.
The trucks are all of the hardware that keeps your wheels attached to your board.
If you place your feet on top of these trucks while riding you’ll end up having the best balance possible.
Keep Your Knees Bent
In the beginning, skateboarding has a lot to do with balance. The more you can focus on balance, the better you will be able to stand on a skateboard.
Bending your knees while you balance on the top of your board will give you more ability to handle obstacles you run into while riding.
As you hit a bump in the road, your bent knees will be able to withstand the pressure as the top of your body stays balanced.
It’s a lot like the suspension in a car. When a car hits a bump, the suspension takes most of the hit while the frame of the car stays relatively stable.
If you don’t bend your knees, you could easily become unbalanced by any small pebble or bump.
Not only that, but it would be more wear and tear on your knees if you didn’t have them bent.
Turn Your Head Forward
When you are standing on a skateboard in a standstill position you could look in any direction and it would be fine.
When the skateboard is moving you want to keep your head focused in the direction you are moving rather than looking all around you.
It’s similar to riding in a car and switching lanes. Whenever you look over your shoulder to check for a car, sometimes your arms want to turn with your head and it ends up moving the car sooner than you wanted.
The same thing can happen when you’re turning your head and skateboarding.
You could end up shifting the position of your body and turning the board in the wrong direction.
It’s probably obvious but turning your head away from the direction you’re riding will also cause you to hit more obstacles and it could potentially cause harm.
Get Better at Balance
It has been mentioned several times in this article, but balance will be your best friend when standing on a board for the first time.
If you aren’t too good at balance don’t worry, you can still practice it to help when you’re standing on your board.
There are a lot of different balancing tools you can buy that will help with balance. They usually involve some kind of ball in the middle with a board going over the ball.
You stand on the board which balances on top of the ball and you try not to fall off. Try to create some games while balancing to make it more fun.
Frequently Asked Questions about How to Stand on a Skateboard
If Goofy Stance Bad?
There’s no wrong or right way for you to stand on a skateboard. It will depend on which position feels most comfortable for you and which foot you prefer to push off with.
How Long Does It Take to Stand on a Skateboard?
It will depend on how long you practice for but most people are able to stand upright on a skateboard within a few hours.
Standing on a Skateboard
Standing on a skateboard for the first time can feel uneasy because it requires a lot of focus and balance.
As long as you follow through with the tips mentioned in this text, you’ll be ready in no time.