The Basics: Sliding

Winter is slowly (I hope) going away here in Houston and a lot of longboarders should be ready for summer. This summer will be one to remember for sure. However there may also be quite a few new people to the longboarding scene so I thought I would spend today to find the best 'basics' post across the internet and share it with you. Today's lesson is on sliding.

Why not start with longboarddirectory.com? It's all longboarding, so here is their post (which I actually used when I started boarding myself).

A Slide is when a rider pulls his board out and gets it so the wheels are not gripping the pavement and can be moved freely. There are severl ways it can be done.

1. Toeside: When you put your hand(s) on the pavement in the direction your toes are headed and spin the board in a clockwise motion (It goes clockwise because with the friction in front of you you are forced in that direction.

2. Heelside: When you put your arm(s) out behind you spinnign in a counter clockwise motion.

Slides can be used for many reasons.

1. To stop very quickly: Often you will be bombing a hill when a kid walks out into the road or a car pulls out and you dont have enough room to footbrake. When you slide your speed will decrease rapidly depending on the hills grade.

2. For tricks: Sliding is also very fun to do. There are many different slides like there are different tricks on a shortboard. Some include Pendulum, Boneless, Colemen etc.

3. To show off: As your flying down a road you see some chick walking her dog. Figure the extreme speeds and sense of uncontrole will make her totaly dig you? Well it will. Just dont hit her.

To do a slide you should start with a 180 degree coleman. To do slides you must be VERY committed.

*First get a moderate speed.

*Next bend down and get ready to grab the side of the board that is infront of you.

*You will want too lean as far back as you can without flipping over and put your other hand on the pavement (You will have gloves. I will explain later) and put most of your weight on your hand. You will be whipped around.

*As soon as you do the 180 pull your hand off and stand back up.

* YOU DID A SLIDE DOOD!!!

This will take lots of practice to get perfectly but once you get it, it will stick.

About the Gloves: Gloves are there to decrease friction as well and protect your hand. A glove is basicly a durable working glove with plastic attached to the palm. These can be homemade or bought.

*WHEELS* To do a slide you will want to use a higher duro wheels (85-99). Duro stands for Durometer which is the wheels hardness. To start off if you have a complete shortboard that would work perfect. Gravity often makes well made sliding wheels.

Also a decks wheel-base comes into play. The longer the wheelbase the harder it is to break loose the wheels but it will be a more predictable and controlled slide.

Vocabulary:

Flatspot: (n)(V) A worn away area in the area that rotates on the ground in a wheel. It will be flat patch that will bump as you ride. V: To flatspot a wheel.

Author: Tuskan L3m0n