Momdadditude

Tips, tricks, and industry insights for professional Momdads.

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How to Cruise on a Skateboard


Skateboards are cool...everybody wants to be that kid cruising effortlessly down the sidewalk, hair ruffled in the wind, big grin on his face. Here's how you can get your little guy or gal on the board and moving.

Start slow and work your way up. Be sure to use a helmet, knee and elbow pads, gloves, and long sleeves. Practice in a debris free sidewalk or parking lot...somewhere free of pedestrians and vehicles.. Start by having your child step onto the board with the foot they feel most comfortable with. Kick with the other foot to propel the board forward. (If you step up with your right kick the ground with your left).

Once she's comfortable with this move and can zip along at a reasonable pace, it's time to cruise. Have her put her right foot up on the board behind her left foot at a 45 degree angle. Then have her adjust her left foot until it's parallel with the right one. When she's in the correct position she'll be standing on the board sideways. For balance have her bend her knees slightly and lean forward. To turn she should lean slightly in the direction she wants to go. Have her lean with her hips(not from her waist). When she wants to get off the board, she simply jumps off in the direction she's facing. To keep from losing her balance, she needs to land on the ground at a run.

Once she can cruise on the level, it's time to coast down a hill. Remember she has to learn everything gradually.

Find a gently sloping hill that looks safe (no nearby traffic or walls to run into). Have her mount the board and bend her knees slightly. Make sure she looks ahead and doesn't just stare at her feet. For balance she should keep her arms forward in front of her body and her weight centered on the board. If she starts coasting too fast, she can slow down by leaning slightly from side to side with her hips and running down the hill in a zig zag pattern, much as a skier slaloms down a mountain slope.

That's it! Now all you have to do is build on the fundamentals with a lot of practice. And you are now the coolest Momdad in the land.

Skateboarding requires an agile body and mind. It teaches quick thinking on your feet. In this fast paced world that's a good skill for anybody to know.





*skateboarding instructions excerpted from 101 secrets a Cool Mom Knows by Sue Ellin Browder and Walter Browder