The heelside stand-up slide is a fundamental skill for any longboarder looking to progress, and this guide will break it down for you. This technique, which includes both the 180 slide and the controlled check, is essential for controlling your speed and opening up new possibilities on your board. This skill is a crucial part of your downhill skill progression, so let’s dive in and get you sliding.
Understanding the Heelside Stand-Up Slide
The heelside stand-up slide, often referred to as a frontside slide, involves initiating a slide while facing uphill with your back, then rotating your board. There are two key variations: the 180, where you rotate your board 180 degrees and end up riding in switch, and the heelside check, which is a controlled slide used to manage speed without a full rotation.
Before attempting either, you should be comfortable with carving, foot braking, and ideally, a toeside pendulum slide. Knowing how to setup carve is also very important, as this crucial element will help you break traction and initiate the slide.
Essential Gear for Slide Practice
Safety is paramount, so always wear a helmet and slide gloves. We also recommend knee, hip, and elbow pads, as you are likely to fall during your learning process. Also, using appropriate wheels for freeriding and sliding is key. If you chose a board using our beginners downhill skateboards guide, then you should be all set.
The Heelside 180 Stand-Up Slide
Let’s start with the heelside 180. This is your foundation for all other heelside slides. There are two main methods to learn this: one leading with your shoulders and one using a more holistic body approach. The latter, while initially harder, will set you up for more advanced slides, so that’s what we’ll focus on.
Step 0.1: Foot Positioning
Your front foot should be near the front truck at a 45 to 90-degree angle. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Your back foot can be in front of or on top of the back truck. Avoid placing it behind the truck unless necessary.
Longboard foot positioning for heelside slides
Step 0.2: Weight Distribution
Put about 60% of your weight on your front leg and 40% on your back leg, with most of the weight on your heels.
Heelside foot weight distribution
Step 1: Speed
You need to be going faster than a jogging pace. A mellow hill is perfect for learning, but ensure you have sufficient speed. Steeper hills will make breaking traction easier.
Step 2: The Crucial Setup Carve
The setup carve is essential. It brings your wheels to the edge of traction, making it easier to initiate a slide. Make sure you check out our setup carve guide for more details.
Longboard setup carve example
Step 3: Compression
Compress by bending your knees in anticipation of kicking the board into the slide.
Longboard compression technique
How to compress for slides
Step 4: Decompression and Kick Out
As you reach the peak of your setup carve, decompress by extending upwards, lean back slightly, and swing your body out as you kick the board out.
Decompress and kick out for 180 slides
Step 4.1: The Decompression
Decompressing involves coming out of your bent position and extending upwards. Lightly throw your arms up to aid this motion.
Decompressing technique for stand up slides
Step 4.2: Full-Body Rotation
Rotate by swinging your arms, shoulders, chest, and hips into the direction of the slide. This should happen simultaneously with the kick out.
Rotating body for stand up slide
Step 4.3: The Lean Back
Leaning back is essential for leveraging the board, counteracting the wheels’ resistance. Lean off the middle of the board, or slightly more off the front foot.
How to lean during a heelside 180 slide
Step 4.4: The Kick Out
The kick out involves pushing your board out firmly with your back foot, while keeping your front foot stiff and with your weight pressing down. Imagine pivoting around your front foot. Push outwards and downwards to prevent your back foot from slipping.
Pushing the board during heelside 180
Step 5: Maintain the Slide
Relax, maintain pressure, and let your board glide.
Step 6: Compression on Hook Up
As the board rotates into 180 degrees, compress (bend your knees) to absorb the momentum and achieve a cleaner hook up.
Recompression during stand up slide
Step 7: Ride Switch
You should now be riding in switch. To transition back, you can either use the same method or, as many do, just cheat and swing back by leading with your shoulders.
The Heelside Stand-Up Check
Also known as a frontside stand-up slide, this version is a controlled slide, where you maintain the board’s slide under 90 degrees. The 180 is the foundation for this check.
Steps 0.1 to 4.1:
Follow the same steps from the heelside 180 up to Step 4.1. Everything, from the setup carve to the decompression, remains the same.
Step 4.2: Shoulder Positioning
Point your shoulders in the direction you intend to travel. Hold this position throughout the slide. Avoid using your shoulders as the source of rotation, as any movement could cause the board to rotate beyond 90 degrees. Focus on a fixed point, like the inside of a corner.
Shoulder position for heelside stand up slide
Step 4.3: Lean Back
As with the 180, lean back to counteract the wheel’s resistance. The degree of lean depends on various factors like the board, wheels, and the hill’s incline. Lean off your front foot more than your back foot, while keeping your knees slightly bent.
Leaning off board for stand up slides
Step 4.4: Kick Out
Unlike the 180, you will only push the board out to a shallow angle. Maintain pressure on your front foot. Push both out and down with both feet.
Shallow kick out for speed checks
Key Factors
The setup carve, compression, and decompression will significantly improve your slide. Maintaining pressure on your front foot is what makes or breaks the slide.
Step 5: Maintain the Slide
Relax and let the board keep sliding forward.
Step 6: Hook-Up and Compression
To regain traction, release pressure from your back foot while maintaining it on the front. As the board regains traction, bend your knees to recompress and absorb the hook up’s momentum.
Recompression during heelside stand up slide
Tips
If you can do the 180 as described in this guide, the stand-up check will be much easier to master. Practicing in the rain can also help you learn faster.
The Secret to Easy Standies
The cycle of compression before kick-out, decompression at kick-out, and re-compression on hook-up (CDC) is key for consistent stand-up slides. Many professional riders utilize this method for clean slides at varying speeds.
CDC technique for longboard slides
Final Thoughts
We hope this comprehensive guide has made the heelside stand-up slide less daunting. Practicing consistently and refining these techniques will greatly improve your longboarding skills. Let us know if this guide has been helpful, and thanks for the support.
