Recently on a long ride I took, and many slides later I come home to a lot of pain. This pain was from the falls I took doing different tricks and slides that I have yet to perfect, and some others were burns from sliding down a grass hill. The pain was almost unbearable that night but many baths and much pain gel later, I was better and inspired to write about how not to get hurt.
Many longboarders can hop on their boards, give a good kick and just roll, making is look easy. This however is not the case. There is more than just pushing off and maintaining your balance that goes into riding that many people don't fully understand at first and can lead to a few wipe outs early on. It takes practice and acquired skill to learn to ride and do tricks that you see others do. How quickly you learn however depends on you and how willing you are to take a few chances and try things out.
To start, there is only one thing between you and the pavement when you are on your longboard - your protective gear. Without this you will have many more injuries that you normally would even with your gear on. Note that your gear will not protect you from everything, but it will help you out a lot (and protect the important parts of your body) when you absolutely need it to. You can start out with a helmet, elbow and knee pads, sliding gloves, and some wear shin guards. Many of these will feel really awkward on you at first but they all serve a very important role when it comes to protecting your body from harm in the long run.
For beginners, many might notice that they will fall more than they will ride, and this is expected a lot of times too, but with the said protective gear above, they will lose fear of the ground and it will help them to being a better rider in the long run. Trust of your self and of your gear is a huge part of longboarding and getting better faster. Many people will want to take off their gear because it feels awkward or they are falling less and that is ok, however it is recommended that all riders leave their helmet on at all times because the head is the most important part of the body.
Longboard more and get comfortable on your board and with your gear, it's the best way to get better, especially in the beginning. Knowing your board is how you can ultimately start really riding faster. Knowing also the longboarding terms/lingo will help a lot too. There are many different styles of riding and different kinds of boards, and they are all made for a different reason. Your longboard IQ will make your experiance a lot greater in the long run. Remember, there is a lot more to it than riding a flat piece of wood, and there will always be more to learn.
Ride On. Ride Strong. Ride Long. Endless Longboards.
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