Surfing is an exciting sport as it allows you to catch different kinds of waves in different places. Back in the 1940s, surfing was a popular sport whereas skateboarding was considered a piece of equipment to warm up when there were no waves.
The more people began to skateboard, the more traction it gained and today, it is one of the most popular sports in the world. Today, this street surfing activity has evolved into skateboards, surf skates, and longboards, each with its own culture, techniques, and challenges.
If you are looking to improve your surfing skills on the streets, a surf skateboard is the best option. It allows you to feel the flow of surfing and glide through the streets similar to waves. Ombe’s guide will help you choose the best surf skateboard in the market today that will enhance your surfing experience.
Since the tricks and maneuvers in these two sports are quite similar due to their origin. That’s why skateboarding is said to improve your surfing skills. Try these tricks before you head over to the beach!
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Stopping or Stalling
When skateboarding, while going fast and turning on shape corners is fun, knowing how to stop your board is important. The easiest way to stop your board is by pressing the tail of your skateboard so that it causes friction against the pavement. While slowing yourself down, skateboarders often lose their balance as you need to shift your body weight to the back of the board. Similarly, in surfing, the way you adjust your weight will allow you to stay longer on the board without falling off. It also helps you stall on the water longer while you barrel waves. There are several ways you can learn to stall or stop your skateboard, make sure you practice them multiple times.
Carving or Turning
Carving and turning is an important trick or maneuver that allows skateboarders, surfers, and even snowboarders to make essential turns when needed. When surfing or skateboarding you ride at high speeds and while learning to build momentum is good, you should be able to make quick turns at sharp corners. When skateboarding in a bowl, the two types of carving you should learn are frontside and backside. You can also practice this on flat surfaces that have obstacles to improve your skateboarding skills. When you perfect this trick, you will be able to use it on the water when surfing. The bottom turn is one of the important surfing tricks that every surfer should know so carving and turning will influence your surfing experience.
The Ollie
Whenever a newbie learns to skateboard, one of the first tricks he or she wants to try is the ollie. While the ollie sounds extremely simple, it is one of the toughest tricks in the book. Once you perfect this trick, it will open doors to more techniques and maneuvers when skateboarding. In the simplest works, it is a jumping technique where you can hop over obstacles or curbs with your skateboard. Likewise, the ollie can improve your surfing as it allows surfers to perform aerial moves on the water. As a beginner, you may want to start slow and perfect your surfing skills. But as time goes by, aerial moves on the waves will make you want to do it more and more.
Kickturning
Kickturning is a beginner skateboarding trick that allows newbies to move smoothly and in a fluid motion. The two back wheels of your skateboard are vital in pumping kickturns as it helps in transitioning different skateboarding tricks. When kickturning on a skateboard, you can rotate it 90, 180, or 360 degrees in any direction. The best place to practice this technique is on a slope or ramp. When you learn this technique on the ground, you will be able to implement it when you are riding waves. It allows you to maneuver waves easily and perform moves before the end of the waves.
BoardSlide
Surfing and skateboarding are all about balance and control. And if you want to improve your balance on the sea, you should practice board sliding on the streets. Boardslide is where a skater glides along a rail with the middle portion of the skateboard. It is one of the easiest rail tricks for beginners if you learn how to balance your body weight well. However, you must learn the ollie to jump on the rails. If there is any kind of imbalance during your boardslide, the chances of you falling are higher. Once you have your balance and control on the street, you will be able to surf the waves better and displace your weight according to the type of tricks you want to try on your wave.
Bottom Line
Surfing and skateboarding are very similar and each has its own set of rules and challenges. However, learning skateboarding will improve your surfing skill. It is never too late to surf so use these beginner tips that will help you surf better.
If you are still unsure, consider taking lessons or coaching from experienced surfers or skaters as they can guide you in the right direction.