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Ever seen video clips on the internet, or in movie scenes, where a person is riding skateboards down a steep hill, snaking masterfully along the road curves? Well, hate to break it to you, but those are actually longboards.
Think of longboards as the skateboards of the 21st century. Made popular in the streets and extreme sports arena, longboards have actually made it easier for people to perform tricks on. Of course, the best way to learn easy longboard tricks is to hit the curb and start grinding. So if you are ready to become the ‘Tony Hawk of Longboarding’, let us get you started on the journey!
Can You Do Longboard Tricks?
Everyone can do longboard tricks, but before we move on to the how, let’s do a quick recap on longboards.
Longboards are quite similar to skateboards, but as minor, as the differences may seem, each is partially different on its own. Here are the differences between longboard vs skateboard. Unlike skateboards which have smaller wheels on them, the wheels on longboards are bigger and softer. Longboards are longer and wider, which makes them more flexible than skateboards and is easy to learn for beginners. As a result, these differences are what make longboards very popular today.
Tricks on a longboard are much easier to learn and perform for beginners. Over time, riders and professionals have tried to find new ways of evolving existing skateboarding tricks on a longboard.
Though the scope of tricks is often limited on longboards, you can perform similar tricks like freeriding, grinding, ollie, and pivoting. These may be considered as longboard tricks easy for beginners to start with.
How to Do Longboard Tricks?
Longboard tricks are easy if you follow the basic fundamental science of keeping balance. Like all wheeled vehicles (aside from cars), longboarding is all about balance, a bit of footwork, and not being afraid to get a few scratches here and there (you can always buy protection gear). The basic steps following up to longboarding tricks are as follows;
- For right-footed people, the left foot has to be your standing foot & vice versa. Footwork is very important and always ensures that you keep your legs very relaxed. Being a stiff in this game will get you minor burns. a
- Start off your pavement surfing by simply riding it straight back and forth. Get used to your foot movements on the longboard.
- Relax your mind and body to maintain balance, by bending your knees slightly.
- Once you have the hang of moving around freely, slowly practice turning. Lean your body weight slightly to the side where you are willing to turn and let the board do the rest.
- Footwork movements when it comes to breaking. In other words, while riding, if you use your riding foot to step on the back, you can slowly stop the board during movement.
Once you have mastered the above basic steps, it is time to start practicing the tricks. If you are thinking about how to do tricks on a longboard, the major thing to remember is footwork and balance.
For simple tricks like pivoting or dancing on, learn to keep your shoulders steady and your waist flexible. Balancing is what keeps you from falling off even if you did the footwork right. Tricks like pivoting, grinding require proper balance.
The kick-off trick to longboarding for beginners is the kickturn, which leads into a pivot. Learning to do this will ensure other tricks become easier.
- Buy a longboard with a kicktail. Most longboards have them, but the bigger the kicktail, the better and easier to learn to do tricks.
- Use your back foot on the kicktail. lean back slightly to pick the front wheels up.
- Have your knees slightly bent while in this pose, while relaxing your legs.
- This will make a ‘pivot’ trick easier. Gently rotate your shoulders, followed by your waist, while keeping your foot steady and knees bent.
Mastering this movement will ensure every other trick becomes much easier to learn.
The Best Longboard Tricks
What makes learning tricks on a longboard easier is that the board itself can handle rough roads and small obstacles, curves, due to the large, soft wheels attached. Just as how jeeps can maneuver rough roads with ease, longboards won’t be affected by cracks on turfs.
So, if you are bombarded with a landslide of ‘can you do a trick on a longboard’ from onlookers, friends, and even pros, dish out the following based on your level and show them how it is done.
Longboard Tricks for Beginners
- Pivots are the best beginner trick on longboards. It is essentially making a 180 turn while in motion. Practicing and getting ahold of the pivot will make for a smooth transition into other beginner tricks and help you gain momentum-changing movements. Though there are several variants of the pivots like nose ollie or fakie, this particular is the first phase of many pro longboarding tricks, making it essential to master.
- Shuvit trick movement is similar to that of a pivot. The technique and difference lie in the motion of jumping. This is the first basic aerial trick to master on a longboard. How it works is while in a pivot sliding into motion, instead of shifting the shoulders to turn, you make a jump when the board turns 45 degrees.The purpose of this is to use both feet to hop and while catching on a single footing.
- Ollie is a very good trick in both skateboarding and longboarding. It can take a few days to master but doing so will have you a step closer to pro tricks. To do the Ollie trick, you need to pull off the board with your foot, and while bending the knees to rise and move into pulling off a jump.
Longboard Tricks for Professionals
- Full cab No Comply can be considered the stepping stone into pro longboarding tricks. A lot of footwork and control is required. This entails a pivot trick to match with quick foot shuffling to kick off the board and making a perfect landing.
- Backside Tiger Claw may sound like a karate move, but actually, a lot of hand and footwork is required. While moving into a shuvit trick motion, stand near the edge of the kicktail with the front foot firmly in the middle of the longboard. Pop off the longboard in a 180 turn will put you slightly away and up in the air with the board rotating beneath you. By catching the board while it is spinning, you stick the landing with the front foot and thus executing a rad, longboard trick.
- Downhill Riding may not be considered a trick-per-say, but it is what made longboarding famous and is only done by professionals. Downhill riding is basically riding the board down steep, long hills, with dangerous curves. The toughest part is maintaining balance while maneuvering the curves. This gets harder as knees have to be bent accordingly to control speed while maintaining balance in an almost squatting position.
- This controlled trick is probably the best part of longboarding and is often included in professional sports. But it also takes years to master as this cannot be done on skateboards properly even.
FAQs
What is the easiest longboard trick?
The easiest longboard trick is known as the fakie or a nollie ‘pivot’. It is performed by focusing your weight on the foot on the nose of the longboard & making a 180-degree rotation.
Is it possible to do tricks on a longboard?
Longboards are very similar to skateboards, with only minor differences in size and wheels. Just like skateboards, the same tricks can be done with a longboard. Due to having large, soft wheels, it is possible to do a few tricks exclusive to longboards only.
How do I get better at longboarding fast?
Practice makes perfect. The quickest way to master longboarding is by doing simple tricks like pivot, grinding, and practicing slides. By regularly practicing to slide on a longboard, it will make you very efficient in movement and make it easier for you to grasp trick moves quickly.
Is it possible to do an ollie on a longboard?
It is possible to do an ollie using a longboard. The ‘ollie’ trick move is basic to both longboarding and skateboarding. You need to be at ease with riding a longboard.
Final Words
In the modern world of extreme & street sports, longboarding is as popular as ever. Often touted as skateboards with training wheels, it has become a great substitute for skateboarding tricks. And to be able to learn easy longboard tricks & taking it to a whole new level is how a simple street ride has evolved into what it is today. So if you are hell-bent on learning tricks to either show off to your friends or turn it into a career, longboarding is the way to ride. Because after all, practice makes perfect, and it’s all downhill from there.
