Downhill skateboarding is an exhilarating sport, but it requires a structured approach to learning. This roadmap outlines the key skills and gear you’ll need to progress from a beginner to an advanced rider. Think of it as a guide, not a rigid rulebook; your journey might have its own unique twists and turns. This in-depth guide will help you understand where you are and what steps to take next. We’ll also be linking to more detailed articles and videos at each stage to further help you develop your skills.
Downhill Skateboarding Progression: A Step-by-Step Guide
Remember, finding suitable and safe locations to practice is crucial. This roadmap will guide your skill development, but it’s your responsibility to choose the right environment for learning.
Step 1: Mastering the Basics
Before attempting downhill speeds, you need to be comfortable on your board. This involves several fundamental skills:
- Carving and Cruising: Learn to navigate smoothly and maintain balance.
- Footbraking: A critical skill for controlling your speed and stopping.
- Board Comfort: Simply spending time on your board to develop familiarity and confidence.
Resources
Landyachtz offers an excellent introductory video covering these basics. You’ll learn about stance, carving, cruising, and footbraking. We also have a comprehensive guide on learning to push, balance, and footbrake, including detailed videos. For a broader overview, check out basics for downhill skateboarding along with its accompanying video.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll be ready to move on to sliding!
Gear and Progression
Gear: At this stage, most standard longboards will work fine.
Moving On: You’re ready to advance when you can confidently turn in both directions, footbrake effectively, carve hard, and perform a 180-degree turn without feeling unsteady. Essentially, you want to feel like you’re in control of the board.
Step 1.1: Pre-Sliding Checklist
This step isn’t mandatory, but it’s incredibly helpful for preparing to slide. It includes:
- Squatting Position: Practicing the low “box” position crucial for heelside slides. Identify any flexibility limitations you might need to address.
- Foot Positioning: Understanding proper foot placements for both heelside and toeside slides.
- Hand Drag Carving: Getting used to using your hand to maintain balance while carving.
- Getting Low: Learning to lower your center of gravity and grab the board’s rail with both knees forward (avoiding the “stinkbug” position).
Resources
For a detailed breakdown, check out this section of our slide guide.
Gear and Progression
Gear: A helmet and slide gloves are essential. Knee, elbow, and hip pads are highly recommended for added protection.
Moving On: Move forward when you feel comfortable and confident with these preparatory steps. Expect to revisit these steps as you refine your sliding skills.
Step 1.2: Learning How to Fall
Falling is part of the process. Learning to fall correctly is key to minimizing injury. This step emphasizes using your protective gear effectively.
skateboarder falling, downhill skateboarding progression roadmap
Practicing techniques, like using your slide gloves to manage speed, is crucial.
Here’s what you should learn:
- Falling Techniques: How to properly use your safety gear to reduce impact.
- Practice: Focus on using your gloves and shoes to slide out falls, keeping your chest lifted. You should also practice falling onto your slide gloves, shoes and knee pads. If you’re going too fast, falling on your rear is a good option.
Resources
For a complete guide on falling techniques, see how to fall properly downhill skateboarding. We also have a video guide on this essential skill.
Gear and Progression
Gear: A helmet, slide gloves, and knee, elbow, and hip pads are essential for practicing these techniques safely.
Moving On: Once you grasp the core techniques, you’re ready to move forward. You will have plenty of opportunities to refine these skills as you start to slide.
Step 2: Mastering the Shutdown Slide
The shutdown slide is a fundamental skill for downhill skateboarding, enabling you to come to a complete stop when needed.
Here’s what you need to focus on:
- Shutdown Slides: Learning to perform a two-handed push-up slide. Some riders might be more comfortable using the Coleman or toeside position.
- Importance: This skill, along with footbraking, is crucial for safely stopping when descending steeper hills. Without them, your ability to learn slides will be severely limited.
Todd DeGroff emphasizes that riders should never tackle hills until they can consistently footbrake to a stop and execute a shutdown slide.
Resources
Check out our how-to video on the push-up slide, and our in-depth guide here.
Gear and Progression
Gear: You need a helmet and slide gloves.
Moving On: You can advance once you understand the technique, even if it’s not perfect. You’ll have lots of chances to practice this skill as you work on sliding.
Step 2.1: How to Set Up Carve
While not strictly required, setting up your carve is essential for initiating slides. We have a separate article to refer to when teaching this technique. It serves as a valuable resource to help with slide initiation.
Resources
Watch our video guide on how to set up carve, and read our in-depth guide here.
Step 3: Learning Pendulum and 180 Slides
This step introduces you to the foundational slides needed to effectively control your speed and direction:
- Pendulum Slides: Mastering the basic pendulum slide.
- 180 Stand-Up Slides: While not mandatory, learning 180 stand-up slides is a natural progression at this stage and helps develop board control.
- After Learning: After learning pendulum slides, you’ll be able to navigate most hills. Learning to ride switch helps you confidently perform 180 slides.
longboarding pendulum slide, downhill skateboarding progression
Pendulum Slide Resources
Learn how to perform the Coleman slide here, along with its corresponding video. Also, see our guide on how to perform a Toeside pendy.
180 Stand-Up Slide Resources
See our in-depth guide to learning how to heelside stand-up 180 slide and its video guide. Also, learn how to toeside stand-up 180 slide with the video guide.
Gear and Progression
Speed: You will likely be hitting speeds of 15-30mph.
Gear: Essential gear includes slide gloves and a helmet. Specialized downhill boards with round-lipped wheels are recommended for easier sliding. Protective gear like knee, hip, and elbow pads are also a great idea.
Moving On: Move on when you can confidently perform these slides.
Step 4: Gripping Corners and Tucking
This step focuses on managing speed and control when navigating curves and straightaways.
downhill skateboarding gripping a corner
- Gripping Corners: Learn to navigate curves effectively. Understanding the outside-inside-outside principle and the concept of a late apex is essential.
- Tucking: Mastering the tuck position will significantly increase your speed downhill. This is something to start working on once you can consistently stop safely.
- After Learning: You’ll be able to tackle most hills, control your speed, and navigate corners safely.
longboarder tucking
alt: A longboarder demonstrating the tuck position, maximizing speed while maintaining a streamlined profile for a downhill skateboarding run.
Resources
See our detailed guide on gripping corners.
Also, check out our in-depth guide to tucking and its video guide.
Gear and Progression
Speed: You’ll likely be hitting 20-30mph.
Gear: Use the same gear as before. Experiment with 45-degree cast trucks and bushings if you like.
Moving On: You’re ready to move on once you can consistently perform a late apex and judge your speed for corners. Keep in mind, your tuck form will continue to improve with practice.
You could attend your first event at this point.
Step 5: Pre-Drifts
This step introduces pre-drifting, an advanced slide technique:
- Toeside and Heelside Pre-Drifts: Learn both toeside and heelside pre-drifts.
- After Learning: You can now handle most hills, but remember to use spotters on more dangerous roads. Once you’ve mastered pre-drifts, you’re officially a full-fledged downhill skater!
longboard predrift slide
alt: A longboarder executes a pre-drift slide, demonstrating advanced control during a downhill skateboarding session.
Predrift Resources
See our detailed guide on how to toeside pre-drift, with the summary here and a video guide. Also, check out our guide on how to heelside pre-drift, with the summary here and a video guide.
Stand Up Slide Resources
Check out our in-depth guide to learning how to toeside standup slide along with its video guide, and our guide to how to heelside stand-up slide with the video guide.
Gear and Progression
Speed: You’ll be skating at speeds of 25-40mph.
Gear: Make sure your bushings are well suited to your weight. Keep using the protective gear you’ve been using, and experiment further with gear as you like.
landyachtz freedive longboarding deck
Moving On: Move on when you can consistently pre-drift without flat spotting your wheels.
You could attend your first event where slides are needed at this point.
Step 6: Post-Pre-Drift Refinement
This stage focuses on polishing your technique and control:
- Perfecting Slides: Work on improving form and consistency of all of your slides.
- After Learning: You’ll be able to skate open roads safely, maintain your lane, and demonstrate confident control.
Resources
Refer to the pre-drift section in our slide guide.
Gear and Progression
Time: Expect to stay at this stage for months, or even years.
Speed: You’ll likely be skating at speeds of 25-50mph.
Gear: Continue with similar gear, experimenting with wheel types to improve grip and slide. A full-face helmet becomes a good idea at this point.
precision longboard trucks
alt: A close-up of precision longboard trucks, highlighting the high-quality engineering that is favored by advanced downhill skateboarders.
Moving On: Progress when things start to feel too easy, and you’re ready for advanced techniques.
Step 7: Advanced Downhill Skateboarding
At this stage, you begin focusing on the style of riding you enjoy most. You may:
- Specialize: Focus on either stand-up slides, hands-down riding, or big hill riding.
- Advanced Skills: Work on more finesse and control in slides, faster speeds, and steeper hills.
- Social Media: Some may even start a social media account and gain recognition in the sport.
You’ll be riding at higher speeds, 40-60, or even 70mph.
Step 8: Pro-Level Downhill
You’ve reached a professional level:
- Racing: You’re proficient at racing and are comfortable with very high speeds.
- Sponsorship: You might have sponsors and be a recognizable figure in the downhill skateboarding world.
Conclusion
This roadmap isn’t a perfect representation of every rider’s journey, but it provides a good reference for your downhill skateboarding progression. Remember to practice safely, find the right places to learn, and, most importantly, have fun along the way!
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