It’s recommended that you get comfortable with the basics of skateboarding before attempting to learn how to turn. Strap up with the proper protective gear—a helmet, wrist guards and knee and elbow pads—to safeguard yourself against scrapes, bruises and more serious injuries. [2] X Research source
Your feet should be lined up straight across the deck to create the leverage needed to generate the turn. Keep your feet away from the nose and tail. Putting too much weight on either edge will lift one set of wheels or the other off the ground.
The general idea is to simply lean in the direction you want to go. The fine-tuned mechanics of the skateboard will take care of the rest. These directions should be reversed for goofy riders (those who place their right foot up front). [5] X Research source
If you find yourself falling off to the side of the board, you’re probably leaning too hard. Don’t be too heavy-footed. Try repositioning your weight delicately at first and working your way up to wider curves.
Looser trucks will make leaning turns easier, but will reduce the overall stability of the board, as the deck will be able to move around more freely around the wheels. [7] X Research source Trucks are the metal axles that hold the wheels on, and there is one in the front and one in the back of the board. [8] X Expert Source Jon DepoianSkateboarding Instructor Expert Interview. 5 June 2020. Play around with different levels of tightness in the trucks to strike the right balance between stability and ease of movement.
If you’re not moving fast enough when attempting a kick-turn, you’ll most likely just end up spinning in place over the rear wheels. You’d use a kick turn for a sharper turn or, for instance, to go up on a ramp, turn, then ride down the same way you came. [9] X Expert Source Jon DepoianSkateboarding Instructor Expert Interview. 5 June 2020.
Keep your weight centered over the middle of the board. There’s no need to lean one way or the other as there is for an easier turn. Don’t put any weight on the tail until you’re actually ready to start turning. This is a good way to get acquainted with the concrete.
Pushing down too hard or too fast will force the tail into the ground, killing your speed, at best, or resulting in a nasty spill. Lifting the nose to steer will probably feel pretty foreign at first. Practicing the “manual”, a skill that involves balancing on the back wheels while rolling or stationary, may help you get a feel for negotiating your weight on the tail. [12] X Research source
These pivots will likely be smaller rotations, only a couple degrees, when you first start. It’s called “tic tac toe. “[14] X Expert Source Jon DepoianSkateboarding Instructor Expert Interview. 5 June 2020. Kick-turns can be used change the direction of the board up to about a 30 degree angle while moving. Any sharper than that and you’re likely to lose control. Be careful—the longer the front wheels stay off the ground, the greater the chance of the board flying out from under you.
Both methods of turning, leaning and kick-turns, are essential basic techniques to master when you’re learning how to skate.
