Physical Activity/Skateboarding X-treme

Skateboarding is a great way to get around, show off to your friends, have fun - and get fit at the same time.

A skateboard is a short, sturdy board, with curved ends on both sides. Generally, one side is narrower than the other. The narrower side is the tail. The other, wider, side is the nose. It doesn't really matter which side is in front when you skate, but I prefer to have the nose in front.

Get a Board

If you want to become a skater, you first have to get a board.

Getting a good board can actually prove to be quite a challenge. From my personal experience, I would recommend getting a skateboard from a skate shop, not a supermarket or the internet. At a supermarket, the only boards they have are toys, and you DO NOT want a toy. At an internet skate shop, the boards might be really good, but you cannot really see them in person. Only get a board from an internet skate store if one of your friends recommends it AND your friend is a good skater. A good board usually cost more and they last longer.

Get the Feel of the Board

Once you have a board, it's time to get used to the feel of it.

Just stand on it at first, and swing back and forth. That will give you the idea of moving. Once you are comfortable with that, try going around your driveway, leaning on your toes to turn in, leaning on your heels to turn out.

Once you are comfortable with riding, notice: which foot you push with, and which foot is in front on the deck. Here is a list of what foot you are:

• Goofy: you push your board with your left foot, and your right foot is in front
• Regular: you shove your board along with your right foot, and your left foot is in front

Some people skate mongo, which is when they push with their front foot. I would not recommend that, but I am regular and not mongo. It's what ever you are most comfortable with; in other words, personal preference.

Tick-tack

The "Tick-tack" is sort of a trick, but is mostly a way to turn sharper then just leaning in or out.

This is how you do it:

Center your back foot on the tail (right foot if you are regular, left foot if you are goofy), and put your front foot about ³/₄ up the deck. Once you are good at this, you might want to put your front foot farther down the board - maybe halfway down - to get an added spin and more speed.

Now apply slight pressure to your back foot and the nose of the skateboard will rise into the air. Next, move the nose either left or right by moving your body and stop the pressure on your back foot. Than should make the nose drop. Repeat this process, alternating which way you turn. For example, nose movement: left, right, left, right. That will help you gain speed, turn sharp, and say "Wow! I can do a 'trick!'"