Have you ever cruising down a long beach road with the wind gently brushing against your face? Have you ever feel free to fly with open arms? If your answer is a NO, you must not yet try riding an electric skateboard.
Electric skateboard riding is a fun and fantastic way to go around. It can be a little difficult to get the swing of things if you are a beginner, but it’s surely not an impossible task if you wish to learn. You must keep a perfect balance and be patient.
Tips To Ride An Electric Skateboard Safely
Basically, electric skateboards are much faster than regular skateboards as they use motors, so the first thing to keep in mind is safety. Below are the major 2 factors to ride an electric skateboard safely.
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Wear Safety Gear
Besides, learning how to balance and operate an electric skateboard, it is always good to wear protective gear for safety. The water proof vest is the best choice. It can absorb any impact these motorized boards may produce.
Besides, you can also wear helmets, gloves, shoulder pads, knee pads, and closed-toed shoes to protect you from hurt.
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Check Truck And Settings
Before you depart, check if your truck is working. If it isn’t, it is best to call the manufacturer for help. Secondly, check the power settings of your board and try adjusting them according to your riding level.
You can also check the overall condition of the electronic parts on your board. Lastly, do not forget to test on-road first before use in public areas.
Simple Steps To Ride An Electric Skateboard
If you are brand new to skating, learning will be more challenging. If you are already familiar with regular skateboards, it can be a big advantage. However, it can require lots of practice and patience before riders can become skilled in the tricks they want, such as learning how to do a kickflip or riding without slipping.
1. Finding Your Front And Back Foot
First, find your front and back foot. You can use a balance checker to help you figure out the balance of your board after you get used to it. Basically, there are 2 types in Skateboard terms to describe your footedness, same as like-handedness – right-handed and left-handed.
- Goofy-stance: You’ll ride with your right foot forward and your left foot back in the goofy stance.
- Regular-stance: You’ll ride with your left foot forward and your right foot back in the regular stance.
- There is also a trick if you can’t find your stance. Let a friend gently push you from behind so that you begin to fall forward. Your dominant foot, which you want to lead with, will be the one you put out to catch yourself.
2. Strong Stance On an electric skateboard
Once you find out your stance, focus on improving your posture and balance. Standing with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees is the smart thought to maintain a sturdy stance and reduce the risk of overbalancing or falling off.
Make sure you keep a stable stance and don’t lean the board too far to one side or the other. Place most of your weight on your front foot when riding and turning on your electric skateboard; this will help you maintain balance and prevent speed bumps.
3. Accelerating
It’s an absolute recommendation for every beginner to start riding with a kick-push to strengthen your balance. Once you are confident enough with this normal pace, you can be able to ride with remote control.
Start the motors on the slowest setting when you’re ready. The remote has all of the controls, giving you rapid access to every activity. Figure out how to use every option on the remote and select a suitable location to practice.
Before you begin to accelerate, remember to relax your body, bend your knees for better balance, and hold your arms out. Switch up your stance if it feels strange now that you’re riding.
4. Braking
Once you move, the next thing is to learn to stop! Slowly pull back on the throttle to activate the breaks when you are ready to stop riding. It’s not a good idea to pull back in an instant, or else you’ll end up flying.
When braking, allow your weight to move forward. So lean backward a little, bend your knees a little, and squat down a little. Gradually decrease your speed with your remote control before braking.
5. Making Turns
Once you’re mastered in accelerating and braking, it’s time to try the best part in electric skateboard riding, TURNING & CARVING!
Turning a skateboard is pretty easy and won’t take long to master, but must need a stable stance. For turning, you just shift your body weight slightly to your toes or heels and drive straight ahead by pushing the throttle.
- Front side or Toeside Turn: Simply move your weight to the front of your feet and grasp with your toes to turn towards your toes.
- Backside Turn: Simply move your weight to the back of your feet to turn in the opposite direction, towards your heels, or to turn heel side.
Another suggestion is to maintain your head looking in the direction you want to go and to lead the turn with your front foot, hip, and shoulder. To help your front foot and push the board in the direction you want to go, utilize your back foot, back leg, and hip.
6. Get Familiar And Practice
Whether as a beginner or a pro rider, you must get familiar with your electric skateboard and its setup. Check out all the traction points, acceleration points, breaking points, and turning radius. Figure out how to use every feature on the remote and practice in an open area.
Simply understand how your skateboard works, handles corners, behaves, and feels in general. When you’re actually riding your e skateboard, you’ll learn all of these things. The more time you spend riding your board in a safe environment, the better.
Additional Tips To Ride Electric Skateboard Safely
- Practice and master braking techniques.
- Learn how to fall correctly to reduce the chances of injuries.
- Regular maintenance and check your electric skateboard.
- Check for batteries and remote control access before going to ride.
- Be careful when crossing animals.
- Stay away from heavy traffic and ride on biking paths.
- Be cautious around people or vehicles and at turning points.
Electric skateboards are fun to ride but being safe is necessary. So, ensure your safety before enjoying the ride to the fullest.