Skateboarding, especially longboarding, is an exhilarating sport, but fear is a natural companion. The key to overcoming this fear and progressing is commitment, coupled with a realistic assessment of your readiness. Attempting tricks beyond your current skill level can lead to injury. Therefore, it’s vital to evaluate your abilities honestly before you attempt a trick. If you’re prepared, go for it; if not, focus on building your skills progressively.
Fear in longboarding is a normal and protective response. However, it can sometimes be a barrier to improvement. While acknowledging fear is important, sometimes you need to push past it. True commitment comes from the confidence in your capability to land the trick. If you’re not there yet, focus on mastering the basics and gradually work your way up to more challenging maneuvers.
- Master the foundational skills of longboarding.
- Progress gradually, building skill upon skill.
- Acknowledge fear as a normal reaction, but don’t let it dictate your limits.
- Learn effective falling techniques.
- Commit to your attempts and avoid overthinking.
- Be confident, but avoid overconfidence that might lead to recklessness.
A longboarder about to drop in on a ramp, showing the moment of decision and commitment.
Gradually Develop Your Skills
Many longboard tricks involve multiple stages and movements. If you’re working on a new trick like a cross-step, begin by mastering individual parts, such as foot placement, balance, and movement. Practice the rotation of your board on the ground until it feels natural.
If you’re struggling with a particular trick, identify easier, related tricks and master those first. After that, revisit the difficult trick. Avoid dwelling too long if you’re not making progress. Shift your focus to another aspect of your longboarding and come back to it later. Longboarding is about progression, and it’s normal to have ups and downs.
It’s perfectly okay if you have days where you seem to struggle, followed by days where everything clicks. This is a normal learning curve. Be patient with your brain’s process of absorbing new information.
Practice on Soft Surfaces
Practicing on grass can be very beneficial, especially when you’re tackling new tricks. If you fear a new maneuver like a boneless on your longboard, grass allows you to commit with less fear of a hard fall. Take a few practice falls on the grass to understand what to expect on a harder surface like concrete.
Remember that performing stationary is different from while moving. You might master a move standing still, but it will feel completely different when you start moving. Don’t be discouraged, this is a normal part of learning, and you will improve with time and practice.
Master the Fundamentals
Many longboarders are quick to jump into advanced tricks without a solid foundation. This can hinder your progression and make it more likely you’ll hurt yourself. It also makes you more fearful because you aren’t in tune with how your board reacts.
Mastering the basics will help you progress much faster. If you want to learn to ollie, there are ways to get comfortable with the motion while moving. You can use resistance bands to practice the motion of lifting the board while moving forward or even try practicing lifting the board while going up very small curbs. There are many creative ways to get the feel for the move before moving to something more challenging. Also consider exploring beginner-friendly tricks that look impressive as a way to build up confidence and enjoyment.
Cultivate Self-Belief
You have to trust in your abilities and the experience you’ve gained so far. Remind yourself that you’ve already accomplished harder tricks, and that falling is rarely as bad as it seems in your mind. Try the new trick a few times without the intention of landing it. This can help build your confidence and reduce the fear. Believe in your capability, and go for it.
Validate Your Fear
Your fear may be trying to tell you something. Listen to that inner voice and evaluate if you’re truly ready for the trick you are about to try. Some tricks are more difficult and risky than others, especially if you are not prepared. It is important to listen to your fear, use it as a guide, and make a good decision about what to do next. If you have doubts about your skill level, that’s a sign you should work more on the foundational skills.
Never let someone push you to do something you are genuinely scared of. Although friendly encouragement can be good, it should not come at the expense of your safety and comfort.
Assess Your Readiness
Sometimes, that gut feeling is right. If you don’t feel ready, it’s okay. Ensure that you have the necessary skills and confidence before moving forward. If you are comfortable on your board and have good balance, you are more likely to succeed. If you can barely ollie, it’s a bad idea to attempt more complex tricks as you risk injury.
Acknowledge Your Fear
Fear is a natural and necessary emotion. It keeps you safe, and understanding its function can help you make smarter decisions. Younger longboarders often have an advantage because they are less aware of the risks. As you get older, awareness of risk might make you more careful, but you can still progress by balancing awareness with pushing your limits.
A longboarder practicing a trick on a rail, highlighting the risk and skill involved in advanced longboarding.
Learn Proper Falling Techniques
Knowing how to fall can significantly reduce your fear of trying new tricks. Practice falling on grass to get a feel for how your body reacts. When you fall, try to slide on your protective gear (knee pads and wrist guards) if you’re wearing them. If you don’t have gear, try to roll. Never put your arms behind your back.
Start with a “Chickenfoot” Landing
If you are scared to land with both feet, try landing with just one foot. Get used to landing first with your front foot, followed by your back foot, to get the feel for the motion. This can help you build confidence in committing to the trick.
Use Music for Motivation
Music can be a great motivator. Put on your favorite playlist to get yourself pumped before you attempt a trick. Music can help boost your confidence, which can be more powerful than your fear. However, some may find music distracting when actually trying the trick.
Visualize Your Tricks
When you’re about to perform a trick, clear your mind and focus only on that trick. Visualize each movement in detail and shut out everything else. Focus on your breathing and your body. Relax your muscles.
Visualizing helps you focus, release tension, and prepare to commit. When your muscles are tense, you’re more likely to lose control.
Avoid Self-Criticism
It’s natural to feel frustrated when fear holds you back, but avoid dwelling on those feelings. Use any frustration or anger as fuel to push forward. Use that emotion to propel you.
Get Back Up After a Fall
Falls are part of longboarding, so don’t let them stop you. Get back on your board and try again. If you stop every time you fall, it will make it harder to come back. It’s all part of learning.
Use Protective Gear
Protective gear can give you confidence, but avoid the trap of overconfidence. Although it reduces the impact of falls, it cannot completely protect you. Always ensure you are ready for the trick you’re attempting regardless of the gear you wear.
Stop Overthinking
Before attempting a trick, many people might have thoughts like “You’ll fall”. If you have these thoughts, it might be better to bail rather than attempt the trick. When you overthink, your body tenses up. Overthinking can hold you back. Find a way to let go.
It’s Not the End of the World
Fear is part of skateboarding. A minor injury isn’t the end of the world. You might be a little sore, but you should be able to move on quickly. You will only feel regret if you don’t try.
Practice Something You Have Mastered
When you are working up the courage to try something new, take a break and do something you are good at. Go do some shuvits, manuals, or any other trick you have already mastered. Doing something you are good at will make you forget about the fear, and build confidence for the next trick you attempt. If you fall, try again, otherwise it might create a mental block.
Commit or Walk Away
Commitment is key. When you have second thoughts in the last moment, you can end up falling, so try to make sure that there is a point of no return. At this point you will commit, and either land the trick, or fall trying your best.
Failure is Part of Learning
You won’t land tricks on the first try. You’ll likely fail many times. This is part of the process, so don’t be discouraged. Move on to something else if you get frustrated. Frustration can stop you from focusing and progressing.
Watch Videos for Inspiration
Videos are a great way to see techniques for landing tricks. They won’t replace practice, but they help you visualize foot placement and balance. This can be inspiring and motivating.
Practice With a Friend
Ask friends for tips. Many longboarders enjoy helping others learn because they know how frustrating learning can be. Even if you’re both beginners, you can give each other feedback. It is also more fun, and seeing your friend land a trick is encouraging.
You Don’t Have to Be a Pro
Longboarding should be about fun, and personal growth. Don’t be discouraged if you are not progressing at the same pace as others. Keep working at your level, and don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone had to start somewhere.
Focus on Yourself
It’s common to feel discouraged when you see someone progress quickly, but you shouldn’t compare your journey to others. Everyone progresses differently. If you focus on others, you might try tricks you are not ready for. This can lead to injury and increase your fear.
Don’t Fear Skateboarding in Public
Many beginners fear skateboarding in public, but it is important to get over that fear. No experienced skater will make fun of you because they all know what it’s like to start out. If someone does, just ignore them. You are skating for yourself. If you are more comfortable, you can find a spot where there are less people to practice.
Final Thoughts
Commitment is the key to progressing in longboarding. You will fall. It is an inevitable part of the sport. Many give up because they try tricks they are not ready for. Make sure you have mastered the basics before moving on to more difficult challenges.
Skate for yourself, and try not to worry about what others think. Fear is a normal part of the sport. If you are not sure if you’re ready, try something else first. Now go out and give it a try, enjoy those small victories, and keep progressing.
Ruben Vee, the author of the article, showcasing his expertise and experience in skateboarding.
By: Ruben Vee
