The first and last time I stepped on a skateboard I was eight years old. I tried to go down our driveway (it was sloped), I hit a crack, the board flew out from under me, I fell, and I vividly remember lying on the ground for a good hour because the fall hurt that bad. If you're wondering, no, I never learned how to skateboard, but it's still a skill I wish I had.
If you have a traumatizing skateboarding story like me or you're just ready to learn the basics, Briana King [1] — model, actress, skateboarder, and activist — shared some great tips for beginners on TikTok. I definitely could have used them back in the day, and I'm feeling more confident about pursuing my dream of learning how to skateboard after watching these videos. Check them out ahead, grab your board, and start practicing!
How to Choose Your First Skateboard
Step one to learning how to skateboard is to get your hands on a board! If you have no idea how to choose a board, King breaks down how to choose the right size for your deck, wheels, trucks, and bearings.
How to Push
If you're trying to learn how to push, this video is for you. The foot that is on the board is for balance ("Be a flamingo when pushing"), King says, and the foot that you push with is just for that — pushing, "so don't balance on your pushing foot," she says in the video.
How to Start Running
Once you've got your push down, try to run. To get a running start, King says to implement the flamingo tip from her pushing tutorial and then take it up a notch, becoming a "jedi flamingo." Additionally, when your front foot is on the board, your back foot should still be on the ground to keep you low and stable during the start of the run, she says.
How to Stop
At some point you're going to have to stop, so it's important to learn how to stop without hurting yourself. Step one: King said to use your heel as not to mess up the bottom of your shoes. You can practice this with one leg on the board (yup, remember the flamingo concept) and then keep the other leg straight with only the heel touching the board. If you can't slow yourself down with one leg hanging off the board, she recommends dragging your toe to slow down, but only if it's an emergency!
How to Tic Tac
Tic tacing is all about your shoulders and moving them forward and backward. Lean back on your tail and "smack" your front foot down.
How to Ride Over a Crack
To prevent falling whenever you encounter a crack, King says not to go at it straight on. She also recommends doing a tic tac to get over it. If you're more skilled, you can also do a mini hop over the crack.
How to Fall
Falling is inevitable so it's best you learn how to fall properly. If you fall, King says to make sure that you bend your limbs and roll instead of locking out your arms and staying in one spot. It also can't hurt to wear protection such as a helmet.
How to Get Up a Curb
If you're trying to get up a curb or ledge and feel scared, King says she gained confidence to ollie up curbs by pressing down on the tail to pick up the nose and then pressing down on the nose to pick up the tail (like a "human teeter totter"). She also suggests ollieing into the middle of the board (not too close to your tail or nose) to get up new, high obstacles.
How to Ride Off a Curb
King says riding off a curb is the same concept as tic tacing (so go practice that!). The key is to lift up the front truck by pushing down on the tail (the back of the board) to avoid your board getting stuck.
How to Skate a Bank
If skating banks make you nervous, and it's your first time at the skate park, King says to roll around and do some frontside kick turns to get a better feel for the steepness of the banks your skating.
How to Drop In
King says dropping in is "really simple" and that you don't have to focus on a lot. She suggests having your back truck touching the coping, lock it in, have your front foot on your bolts, lean forward, and go when you feel ready!