Skateboarding is surprisingly difficult and certainly not something that you'll learn overnight. While it started as something for surfers to do when there weren't waves and while it was underground for a long time, skateboarding is fairly popular and mainstream now, making it very accessible to anybody who wants to learn.
For those wanting to get started with skateboarding, here are the best places and ways to learn.
Skateparks
As a dedicated space for skateboarding and skating, skateparks are where you'll find experienced skateboarders and members of the skateboarding community.
Skateparks are particularly useful for beginners as they have the right terrain for skateboards, obstacles to practice tricks, and, in some cases, staff members who can provide guidance to newer skateboarders.
For public skateparks, you'll still find local skaters who can help you get started. However, even though the skateboarding community is generally helpful and welcoming, it's not another skater's job to teach you how to skateboard so don't just show up and start demanding that they help you.
It's a good idea to find local skateboarding communities online or offline first, asking if they'd welcome an absolute beginner, and then arranging to hang out with them rather than just going to the skatepark.
You can find skateparks by searching online or using dedicated websites. There are skatepark directories, skatepark finders, and skateboarding communities and forums online that can point you in the right direction of appropriate locations for beginners.
Empty Parking Lots, Business Plazas, and Popular Skateboarding Locations
Skateboarding, especially street skateboarding, can be done in and around urban areas so there are naturally lots of places in cities where skateboarders can practice.
Empty parking lots are great places to practice skateboarding as there are often very few obstacles and a large open space of asphalt to practice on.
The same is true of the plazas and open urban spaces you tend to find in front of skyscrapers in bigger urban areas. Be sure to check whether or not these are public or private spaces first and whether or not skateboarding is permitted. For obvious reasons, we can't recommend that you do anything illegal.
The skateboarding community will have already found the best spots for skateboarding in your town so if you see skateboarders, it's probably a good place to skate. Don't forget that you can find skateboarding communities online and ask them if you're not sure where to go.
Don't forget that longboarding is different from skateboarding and longboarders prefer downhill roads, long tracks, and areas
Local Skateboarding Stores and Skate Shops
Skate shops are usually easier to find than good skateboarding locations since they'll be a listed business and much easier to search for online.
When you buy your first board and safety equipment (which we highly recommend), you can ask staff members where the most popular skateboarding spots are and which ones are best suited to absolute beginners.
It's also a good place to ask around for coaching, lessons, or even just resources to start skateboarding.
Except for skateboarders shopping online, every local skateboarder will have to go to their local skate shop for gear, making these places another hub for the community (outside of skateparks and other popular spots) and one that you can use for more useful information, advice, etc.
Online Tutorials, Videos, Apps, and Games
You can still learn about skateboarding at home and while this is no replacement for actual practice, for more complicated tricks and techniques, it can help to see them broken down with tutorials, videos, and even video games before you try them in real life.
You can also watch video tutorials on a smartphone before trying it yourself while at a skatepark and there are plenty of useful videos on sites like YouTube where you can learn how to do tricks, see them in slow-motion, and break down the component parts of every trick.
While video games mightn't seem like an obvious choice for learning how to skateboard since many of them allow you to do tricks that would be physically impossible in the real world, some can be used for inspiration when it comes to choosing which tricks you'd like to learn next.
Thanks to the high quality of the animations in modern games, you can look closely at certain tricks from almost any angle to see how they're done.
When you combine this with video tutorials, video games can actually become quite a useful tool for some skateboarders. There are also skateboarding apps to find local skateparks and even learn the basics.
Private Skateboarding Lessons and Coaching
Like any other skill, you can be taught to skateboard. While not the most common approach to skateboarding, private skateboarding coaching or tutoring can shortcut a lot of the trial-and-error most aspiring skateboarders have to go through.
A private skateboarding coach can show you techniques, correct errors, and ensure that you're learning skills and techniques appropriate to your level.
Having a coach or skateboarding teacher with you makes it less daunting than skateboarding on your own, especially if your coach or teacher regularly hangs out there to skate. If you're shy or worried about just showing up somewhere to skateboard, your coach can provide moral support as well as tuition.
There are skateboarding coaches and tutors for all levels and you'll generally pay less for beginners or coaches with less experience making them an affordable option for many aspiring skateboarders.
If you've decided that coaching is right for you, you can always search for skateboarding instructors and coaches on Superprof where you can compare different instructors, see how much they charge, and read what their other clients had to say about them.
A lot of the skateboarding instructors on the site also offer their first lesson for free so you can try a few different ones out before choosing which one is right for you, how you like to learn, and what you want to learn to do on your skateboard.
Skateboarding Camps
For younger skateboarders, there are skateboarding camps they can attend. These are great because they can provide structured instruction to kids while also giving them something to do during the summer.
Generally, skateboarding camps also teach kids how to skateboard while emphasizing the importance of safety more than they'd likely get from random skateboarders in the local community.
Skateboarding camps are also a good option as attendees will have access to equipment, safety gear, and even boards for kids who don't own their own skateboard yet.
Under the guidance of professional skateboard coaches and instructors, they'll also have opportunities to learn skills and techniques appropriate to their level rather than just having to attempt something until they realise it's too difficult for them. This can also help young kids with a fear of skateboarding get over it and progress.
Skateboarding camps also provide kids with an opportunity to learn how to skateboard with children their own age, which you can't guarantee if they go to your local skatepark or popular skateboarding spot.
The Skateboarding Community
One of the very best ways to learn is by asking other skateboarders and you can do this in-person or online.
Online, you can look to websites, social media, forums, and other online communities to find where skateboarders hang out, discover new resources, get advice on the right gear and equipment, and even discuss techniques.
You'll find that the skateboarding community is very welcoming and happy to share their passion for skateboarding with newcomers.
While the broader online community can provide advice and talk skateboarding with you, you'll want to try and find your local skateboarding community.
Again, you can find local skateboarders at skateparks, skateboarding stores, and online communities.
Those who already know how to skateboard should be your go-to resource for more information on where to go, what to do, and how you can get better at skateboarding.
Teaching Yourself and Regular Practice
Skateboarders can teach themselves and to some degree, most skateboarders are self-taught. After all, skateboarding involves lots of practice and even when skateboarders are hanging out, they're also just practising new tricks and techniques.
The most important thing to know when practising skateboarding and teaching yourself is that you'll have to put a lot of effort into trying and failing.
Getting good at skateboarding takes a long time and you must keep this in mind when you start. You won't become an expert in a short amount of time and you'll need to get used to falling off your board, making mistakes, and struggling.
That isn't to say that skateboarding isn't enjoyable but to learn how to do it, you need to be resilient both physically and mentally and while you can do it on your own, it helps to have support from the community or an instructor.
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