New to longboarding... initial "fears"

[Shmax]

Hi Silverfish forums. I just recently bought a longboard 2-3 weeks ago, but have only skated on the weekends or maybe 1-2 days during the week due to school. Anyways, over those few weeks I have certainly seen my confidence on the board go up but I can't help but think that there is a limit that I'm afraid to push myself past.

I have a fear of falling (mainly at speed). I would not consider myself the most daring person and I'm beginning to wonder things like, "how do you even train for a hill? how do I start to work on doing speed checks/REAL slides? Will I ever even be able to pull off those big slides or go down those hills?" (the only slides I can do are pretty slow 180 slides... rarely... and little basic slides. I've mainly stuck to learning some tricks, working on dancing (mainly cross stepping) and cruising. Whenever I get to a decline I get nervous, and on noticeably larger hills I footbrake well past the "peak" of the hill where I would really pick up speed and cruise down the gentle part towards the uphill. I always kind of mentally punch myself for doing that...

The main questions I have for you guys are:
1. What were your fears as a novice longboarder? What, if any, fears do you have now? How did you overcome them, or what steps are you taking?
2. What is a good way to work on doing some really nice slides?
3. Does the first real experience of falling off your board break your fear of falling?

I was reading threads and clearly a lot of longboarding is given towards speed. It just made me think that maybe I need to start to chip away at this big fear of hills I have so I can enjoy my longboard to its fullest potential.

[Lilla]

Try starting at the base of a hill, and work your way up at levels you're comfortable at, gradually making your way to the top of it.
:}

[jsweriduk]

Wear a lid and sack up. You will get used to speed. Don't bother trying to figure out how fast you are going either, just go

[swisschez]

Try starting at the base of a hill, and work your way up at levels you're comfortable at, gradually making your way to the top of it.
:}

seconded.

also do this:
1. make slide gloves*
2. learn to coleman (try and find other shredders to help ya out if u can)*
3. learn to footbrake*
4. wear a helmet


*all this can be found searchin around the forum
Silverfish Longboarding - The Longboard Skateboarding Community - Search Forums

good luck man.

[Shmax]

Thanks for the replies guys. I was actually astounded looking around and seeing the general good-natured feel the people on the forums give off. Glad to see that this is a helpful community!

I have another question: I got my board with purple durian wheels... and my brother got me orange 4prez wheels as a gift. When should I use them? I know durians are more slidy, and I'm guessing that orange 4prez would be more grippy and therefore more suited for hills/stable carving? Would sliding at speed get harder for a noob like me?

[WillJ]

LEARN TO FALL

seriously.. get used to falling, how to tuck your chin to prevent smacking your head and whiplash, how to tuck-n-roll, how to deal with pain, etc

skateboarding hurts, period, you'll learn to love the soreness

[VampMN]

Thanks for the replies guys. I was actually astounded looking around and seeing the general good-natured feel the people on the forums give off. Glad to see that this is a helpful community!

I have another question: I got my board with purple durian wheels... and my brother got me orange 4prez wheels as a gift. When should I use them? I know durians are more slidy, and I'm guessing that orange 4prez would be more grippy and therefore more suited for hills/stable carving? Would sliding at speed get harder for a noob like me?

I know one thing that helped with my confidence (still working on it though), is to wear knee and elbow pads (helmet too of course). Try to practice falling in ways that utilize your elbow/knee pads and slide gloves. Once you figure that out, your confidence will probably be better when on your board. Just don't get too over confident. That can be bad too.

[AfterHoursBoarding]

Hey, I just started longboarding a few months ago, and I totally see where your coming from, so Im gonna try to help you out.

1. Everyone has fears, and everyone has limits. I noticed when I started longboarding I was afraid to go down fast hills because I didnt want to wipe out. But the truth is, if you wear a helmet, some kneepads or even just slide gloves you can save yourself alot of pain. Also I like to wear a light long sleeve shirt and jeans.

2. As for sliding, find a nice brisk downhill that your comfortable on and just practice, practice and practice some more, TRUST ME just longboarding a ton makes you more comfortable and you get better and get more confident.

3. And yeah, once you take a good tumble you see that its usually not that bad, or at least not worth giving up longboarding for!

Anyway hope some of this helps, feel free to check out my longboarding videos if you like.8)

[bryguy27007]

Don't worry about going fast.
Do whatever the #### you want.
Honestly, if you have more fun dancing then bombing hills, do it.
Just because there are longboarders that go fast, doesn't mean that you have to.
If you are going to go fast, wear a helmet, gloves, learn to slide, pads.

If you would rather cross step on the flats, do that.

Just have as much fun as you possibly can.
That's the meaning of life.

[bryguy27007]

Don't worry about going fast.
Do whatever the #### you want.
Honestly, if you have more fun dancing then bombing hills, do it.
Just because there are longboarders that go fast, doesn't mean that you have to.
If you are going to go fast, wear a helmet, gloves, learn to slide, pads.

If you would rather cross step on the flats, do that.

Just have as much fun as you possibly can.
That's the meaning of life.

[Cann0n]

Keep a bandaid in your pocket.

[Understanding In a Crash]

The main questions I have for you guys are:
1. What were your fears as a novice longboarder? What, if any, fears do you have now? How did you overcome them, or what steps are you taking?
2. What is a good way to work on doing some really nice slides?
3. Does the first real experience of falling off your board break your fear of falling?

1. Falling indefinitely + getting hit by a car. NY is pretty notorious for everyone doing 20+mph over the speed limit and everyone knows how to drive so therefore becoming human roadkill was definitely one of the first things that popped into my mind when it came to street skating. My fear now is basically the slow coming to a stop hitting a crack and the board stopping and inertia throwing your body off the board since it's pretty unpredictable. #### happens.

2. Stand up slides or like hill slides? Watch videos, read experiences and trick tips. It helps... Have appropiate gear to be safe and sliding gloves.

3. I couldn't agree more. One of my first hills I bombed doing about 20mph ended up bombing me. I got bad road rash, needed stitched in my side, and bruises all the way around. After that hospital experience I don't have much to fear except those pesky low speed board halts. Nah I do fear alot but the first fall definitely broke me in the right way.

[Fortune]

1. What were your fears as a novice longboarder? What, if any, fears do you have now? How did you overcome them, or what steps are you taking?

Main fear was looking like an idiot while falling, second was getting hurt while falling. I was scared of going too fast to stop, and a car pulling out in front of me, or hitting a bump or something. Got over those by gaining confidence (by skating), learning how to foot brake at any speed (first few times I tried foot brake at relatively high speeds, my board wobbled like a b!tch, now it doesn't at all), and being more watchful.

2. What is a good way to work on doing some really nice slides?

Can't help you much here, other than suggesting you get a helmet and some slide gloves.

3. Does the first real experience of falling off your board break your fear of falling?

Probably depends on the rider, but it did for me. Somebody was walking their dog up one of my favorite hills, and I thought they were actually paying attention, but the dog was on one of those extendable leashes. I swerved to avoid it running at me and my front wheel hit the tire of a parked car, and my board stopped but I flew. Got some bad road rash and some scrapes, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

Not scared of falling much anymore, but the shower is my new arch-enemy.

[plush]

Mostly I worry more about getting hit by cars. Drivers and pedestrians here in the Manila,PH are not as law abiding and cautious. As for falling and getting hurt.. I play other sports too like soccer. So the No pain, no gain dogma has always been instilled in my mind.. Cuts, bruises, swollen parts, sore muscles, torn ligaments and other injuries are always on the menu.. Another thing I fear is ruining the tattoos on my arm.. Wearing safety gears boost confidence. Helmet, pads and gloves are a must.. Skating with friends who can teach you and watch your back also helps. I had a major speed wobble using my friend's mini purple heart [a 7” x 27.5” mini by Ladera] on this slope. My friend was watching my back and he cheered on me to relax, go in a drop knee position and don't' bail.. That totally saved my ass ..

[Cann0n]

I have scabs on my knees every day. I get scabs on top of scabs. I don't even fall often. They are from sliding and my knee just rubbing from being too low.

If you got fears, you will fail. Don't have fear when you bomb a hill... You gotta just do it and have fun. Ride loose. Last time I bailed at speeds, I lost the confidence so I tried hard not to get wobbles... ended up getting wobbles... which led to some scars.

Ride the board, don't let it ride you.

[plush]

If you got fears, you will fail. Don't have fear when you bomb a hill... You gotta just do it and have fun. Ride loose. Last time I bailed at speeds, I lost the confidence so I tried hard not to get wobbles... ended up getting wobbles... which led to some scars. Ride the board, don't let it ride you.

So true man... After that wobble, I did rode that slope over and over again. Felt the improvement. My guy friend kept on saying he never expected i'd have balls like that, considering i'm a girl.. There will be more falls to come.. So yeah.. woohoo...

[LongBomber]

Not scared of falling much anymore, but the shower is my new arch-enemy.

HAHA True that man.

Honestly falling isn't as bad as you think it would be. Adrenaline covers the pain for a good 20 minutes or so. One time I wiped out towards the bottom of a hill going about 40mph. After rolling a few feet I sprung up and did the whole "I'm okay, did you guys see that?!" dance...of course on the way home I started to feel the road rash so just make sure you got some tylenol ready

Personally, I still would rather not fall...but having experienced the fall makes riding a little more comfortable. Boarding is a big part mental, so just relax and don't do anything you don't feel comfortable with...work your way up to the big hill.

[Cann0n]

So true man... After that wobble, I did rode that slope over and over again. Felt the improvement. My guy friend kept on saying he never expected i'd have balls like that, considering i'm a girl.. There will be more falls to come.. So yeah.. woohoo...

Any chick that skates is okay in my book.

[Eldu]

1. When I started longboarding I was afraid of speed. I overcame it pretty quick. You just have to go faster and faster, if you want to get used to the speed. Now I'm mostly afraid to run someone over with my board, or getting hit by a car.

2. Wear your pads, helmet and gloves. You won't get hurt if you have proper gear. I suggest that you start slaiding in steep hills. I did, and I'm not dead. Yet. And you're going to #### yourself up while learning. I busted my knee a while back and hurt my pelvis a few days ago. Learning takes time and it hurts, but it's worth it.

3. The first time you hit the asphalt don't take the fear away. However you may notice, that falling doesn't hurt so much. Adrealine helps with the pain. You just have to fall right. Roll on the ground. It's not the falling that is painful, it's the days after that. Pain tells you that you're still alive ; )

[keef]

Hi Schmax, I think everyone has a fear of falling at some point. It's just as you push the limit, that fear moves with it. The first time I fell speedboarding I'd just cracked the 30mph threshold, and I had a split second realising I'd ####ed up my footbraking and that I was going to fall, so I just kind of let myself go rather than fight it, slid along the ground on my body armour, managed to grab my board, and I was fine, even laughing. After that I wasn't scared of falling at that speed. What's different though is hitting hard stuff like barriers and signposts, that hurts. Try to minimize the risk of that.

The absolute minimum safety gear I'd wear is lid and slide gloves, even when just cruising, if nothing else the lid stops my old bald head from getting sunburnt.

As Bryguy27007 says, don't feel pressured into going fast. It's not all about speed. I get just as much stoke cruising the sea path at the surf point, as I do bombing the mountain roads, especially when the Chicas are walking around in their thong bikinis.......