Downhill longboarding for beginners

Introduction One of the coolest things you can do with a longboard is the longboard discipline. There are also longboard downhill races you can participate in to test your skills against other longboarders. Great prizes can be won here. The only disadvantage of downhill longboarding is the steep learning curve. It will take some time to fully master this discipline. However if you mastered the downhill longboarding, your overall skillset as longboarder will greatly improve. Other disciplines like slalom or cruising will automatically become easier for you. The purpose of this article therefore is to give you an introduction to downhill longboarding.First step: Selecting the right boardThe first thing you must do is buying a specialized longboard for downhill races. You can also try to go downhill with a regular board, but you have more chance of falling and the speeds you attain will be less. Mainly because specialized longboards are firmer and designed to gain great speeds.ProtectionDon’t skimp on protection measures. You will need this. You will get serious injury if you go down great slopes without some sort of protection. You will need the following:• Gloves• Knee pads• HelmetThese items are crucial. You will fall a lot in the begin.LaunchGet the board positioned at the top of the hill. Be sure the hill is safe. Always scout the area first for obstacles that could make you fall hard. Also be sure that there is no form of traffic in the area you want to go downhill. StancePut one foot in front of the other, about two feet apart on the longboard. Best is If both your feet are pointing forwards. Squat a bit and keep your arms on your back. Avoid crashing.Learning to slideThe most crucial skill to learn before you hit the big slopes is sliding. You cannot just simply jump off your board if you have speeds of 40 km/hour. This will be a very dangerous endeavor. Therefore be sure to have learned the skill of sliding before you hit too tight slopes. You can also use your foot to slow down, but I would not recommend this for the following reason: Your soles of your shoe will get severe damage. Also you have the risk of falling. This is all you will need to properly learn the skill of longboarding. I wish you much success in practice!

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