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How to slide on a longboard – ultimate guide
It’s now or never! I’ll go through how to slide on a longboard and the steps you may take to learn how to do it. I’ll go over the many types of slides, what works and what doesn’t, as well as the necessary equipment. Everything you need to know about sliding on your longboard, and more, will be explained here. Take a look at it.
What exactly is a slide?
Before we get into how to slide, we need to learn about the many types of slides – but first, we need to understand what a slide is. This type of knowledge, in my opinion, is critical because it establishes a basis. It will come in handy while talking to other skaters, reading other DH skate blogs, and seeking guidance, among other things.
A skid is just losing traction on your wheels. Because of the friction created by them sliding on the ground, you can slow down in a smooth and controlled manner. Using your weight, body position, and slicing the board to the point where it oversteers and starts to lose traction is a nerdier explanation.
You then keep the board in the oversteer position with your superior balance and control until you’re satisfied with how much you’ve slowed down. You return it, give it a chance to acquire traction, and then roll away.
Before attempting a longboard slide, there are a few things you should know…
Do you have the proper sledding gear and equipment?
Yes. If you wish to go sliding, you’ll need the following items:
- Gloves that slide
- Wheels that slide
- Helmet
- You don’t mind tearing up your pants
- Protect your bum with hip protectors.
While you can slide on any board, of any size, with any wheels, a customized setup is always preferable and easier to learn on. I recommend Powell Peralta snakes as slide wheels at the very least.
You can also ride and slide without wearing a helmet. This style of riding, however, is risky and puts you at risk of injury. One nasty high side (where you are flung forward off your board), low side (where you fall backward), or wobble might put you at danger of getting wounded. While a scratched knee or elbow can be repaired, brain damage is typically irreparable:
- Purchase some safety equipment.
- Get used to slicing hard and side to side.
- Carving by hand drag…
- Become accustomed to squatting on the board.
- Make sure your feet are in the appropriate place.
- Foot placements on the heelside
- Foot placement on the toeside
How to slide on your longboard
A Coleman slide, invented by Cliff Coleman in the 1970s, is one of the most reliable ways to slow down on your longboard. It can be summarized as follows:
You prepare to carve by making a large toeside turn and then turning heelside once you’ve carved as hard as possible.
Squat with your legs/feet shoulder-width apart in a squat position. Look at the image below to see what a common squat position looks like.
When you reach the crescent of your toeside carve and are about to commence the heelside carve, swing your shoulders and arms out to break traction.
**You rotate and swing your body until no more traction is available. Or to the point when traction is braking. The board isn’t truly forced into the slide. You “encourage” it by rotating/swinging it until it loses traction. This is how a buddy described it: “You turn so fast that you lose traction on the board.” This can be regulated if your body is in the appropriate position.”
Swinging your shoulders back will assist your board in turning back in the direction of travel, allowing you to regain traction and roll away.
Additionally, gently pressing and exerting extra pressure on your front foot can urge the board to return in the opposite direction.
The following are some essential points:
Your shoulders are in charge of the slide. Your entire body and what happens in the slide are affected by whatever movement your shoulders make.
The majority of your weight should be supported by your heels. By actively applying pressure to the heels and middles of your feet, you can achieve this.
You want to put roughly 40-50 percent of your weight on your front foot, 30 percent on your back foot, and 20 percent on your hands.
Always retain your gaze down the slope, keep your head as straight as possible, and let your body do the turning and pendying.
A few Coleman hints:
- If you’re having trouble breaking traction, throwing/rotating your body aggressively can help. If you aren’t careful, you may fall off your board.
- Breaking traction will feel easier and smoother with a large setup carve.
- You can also use your free hand to help you stay on the board. Grasp behind your back knee rather than in between your legs. The illustration below shows how to grab a rail. Stink bug is a term for grabbing between your legs, and it is not recommended.
- You should also be moving fairly quickly. You won’t be able to pendy well if you don’t have a lot of speed. You may be able to swing the board 180 degrees, but you won’t be able to return it since you’ll be moving too slowly to maintain traction.
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Conclusion
Every slide variation must be learned in order to get the most out of longboarding. Investing in a pair of sliding gloves helps you to take advantage of all that freeriding has to offer. Soon, you’ll be able to fully express yourself on your longboard, converting thought into movement in an instant. Every action will take deliberate effort at first, and many slide variations will appear unduly intricate. They become easier as you get used to making inputs without thinking about it.
It’s not about being technically excellent when it comes to sliding. It’s the physical embodiment of everything that drew us to riding in the first place. Slides that are scribbled but cool allow us to put ourselves on the verge of losing control for a little period. They’re a little risky, but that’s part of the fun.
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