You have seen your friends riding their skateboards and doing tricks so easily. Even you want to join them. But unfortunately, not only do you not have the right gear, but you also do not know how and where to start. Don't be disheartened. Given below are some simple steps to help you out. Go through them and you will be a champ in no time. Essential Gear Before you step onto that skateboard, there are certain things you need to have in order to protect yourself from getting hurt when you fall down, which is bound to happen. While learning to skate, or even when you are an expert in this sport, you need to wear protective gear for your own safety. The first thing that you need is a good pair of skate shoes. If you want, you can also skate wearing your regular shoes, but they will be a lot harder and may sometimes prove dangerous. So, it's best that you get the best skating shoes available. They have a large, flat bottom, which grips the skateboard better. Never forget to wear your helmet. Do not think that people who wear helmets are delicate. Not at all. The helmet protects your head from major injuries when you fall down. So, it's mandatory that you wear your helmet whenever you are skating. The other thing that you need is protective pads. But that depends on what you are doing. If you are skateboarding on a driveway, then you need elbow pads. But if you are doing tricks on the ramp, then you need knee pads. They protect your elbows and knees if and when you fall down. Of course, the final thing you need is a good skateboard. It's better that you buy a cheap one first when you are just learning, because the expensive ones are good, but they are too fast, so it will be difficult to learn to skateboard. Also, sometime later, if you do not feel like skateboarding, then it might be just lying around, thus a waste of money. Useful Tips Now that you have all the gear in place, let us see how to use the skateboard. Balancing The first thing that you need to know is to stand on the skateboard. You have to get comfortable with the skateboard before you perform any tricks on it. Place the board on the grass or on the carpeted floor, and try and stand on it. Try balancing only on the front or back wheels. Move your feet in different positions, in order to get used to the size of the board. Regular or Goofy You now have to decide what your skateboard stances are; regular or goofy footed. By goofy we mean that you skate with your right foot forward, and by regular we mean that you skate with your left foot forward. Most right-handed people are regular footed, while it's the opposite for left-handed people. But there are various ways to find out whether you are regular or goofy. Kick a ball, note the leg with which you kicked it. That foot is your back foot, i.e., it goes to the back while you are skating. With the other, you balance yourself on the board. Another trick to know your stance is to go climb a flight of stairs. The first foot that you put out while climbing up is your back foot. First Ride Once you have decided on the stance, take the board to a more concrete area and set it down. Make sure there are no cars or people you might bump into. Put your front foot (whichever foot it is) on the front truck, or just a little behind it. Now, with your back foot, push off, so that your skateboard moves. Once you start moving, put your back foot back on the board. If you feel that you are slowing down, use the back foot again to push off. If you want to turn while you are on the board, just lean in the direction you want to turn. But this will only turn you slowly. The best way to turn is, just for a few seconds balance on the back wheels and then swing your front wheels in the direction you want to turn to. Sounds difficult, but with practice, you will learn how to skateboard well. Keep doing this quite frequently. Do not try any tricks until and unless you are absolutely comfortable on the board, and the risk of falling down or hitting others reduces. Stop It! You now know how to start a skateboard, well and good. But how do you stop a moving skateboard? Well, there are several ways in which you can do this, the first one being foot breaking. This is the easiest way to stop a skateboard. Just take your back foot off the board and drag it on the ground. It needs some practice and focus. The second step is heel drag, where you put the heel of your back foot out, in such a way that it sticks out of the back of the board. Now lean back in a way so that the front of the board goes up in the air, but your front foot should remain on the board, and then step down on your heel. Drag it for a short distance and then stop. This step will need some practice, and it's usually recommended that beginners do not try this till they are totally comfortable with the board. Bail is the next way to stop when all the other steps fails. Keep your knees bent while riding, then it will be easier for you to jump. Try and jump forward, then your skateboard stops automatically. Try all your steps on a cheap skateboard. Try, Try and Try Again Another important tip is that never give up. No one can be an expert with just one try. If you give up the moment you fall down, thinking that you cannot do it, then you are wrong. You fell down, get up and try again; if you fall down again, get up again. Only then will you learn how to skateboard. Never give up. But first learn the basics, tricks and techniques will follow later.