Skateboarding shouldn’t feel like the hardest thing in the world to learn and with these tips, it won’t be.
We’re no strangers to new skaters needing some extra help in learning how to skate. At GOSKATE, we love to see our students and new skaters thrive and for many, it starts with helping them identify and conquer the physical and mental hurdles to get better at skateboarding. Hurdles that for decades have been passed down only at the skatepark.
But we’ve made it our mission to provide you with as many articles, videos, tricktips, and video feedback online, to get you better at skating the best way we know how – through decades of skate experience and positive teaching.
“It’s always rad to have a student who not only loves skateboarding but wants to get really good, ” says Robbie Singleton, one of our skate instructors out of Orlando. “One of my students is so good I think she could make it to the Olympics, she asks me all types of questions about tricks.”
With our students, it’s more than just learning the fundamental mechanics of foot placement and body maneuvers to land tricks. We help hone the spiritual and mental aspects of skateboarding while teaching them how to have fun and be safe.
“One thing I’ve learned from skaters like Paul Rodriguez and Nyjah Houston is that skateboarding is just as mental as it is physical,” says Brayden Muncy, our skate instructor out of Seattle. “You can’t get too frustrated or angry even though you want something so bad. Commitment, control, and composure, these things all help with becoming the best skater you can be.”
We also share with our students the age-old secrets of how to get better at skateboarding while being off your skateboard and the types of studying you can do to get better at skateboarding all while having fun and being safe.
The 16 Best Ways to Get Better at Skateboarding
Here are the 16 Best Ways to get Better at Skateboarding sourced from thousands of GOSKATE instructors across decades of teaching students.
Have Fun:
Whether you’re skating in a contest, filming a trick in the streets or having your first skate lesson, skateboarding should always be about having fun. Because when you or your loved one start to fall in love with skateboarding, there’s a lot of emotions and trials that test us. When we try our best to remember to have fun no matter the situation, our perspective becomes focused on something that is positive and keeps us skating for the right reasons.
Skate with a Friend Who Also Wants to Get Better at Skateboarding
One of the best ways for a skater to get better is to have a skate buddy who also wants to get better at skating. Together you two can push one another in a friendly competition and help keep each other motivated. It is also always safer to skate with someone who has your back in case you fall. There are tons of pro skaters who grew up skating as a duo and some of our best skate classes are with two students, sometimes even siblings!
Skate with Skaters who Are better than you:
You know the saying, you don’t want to be the smartest person in the room? Well, you don’t want to be the best skater at the skate park either. Competition is a natural part of skateboarding and having a skate friend to level up with is a great way to get better at skating. Iron sharpens iron and you’ll be able to teach each other things and offer insights to progress one another. This goes hand in hand with our suggestion above as well but it does make a big difference to skate with people a lot better than you too. Listen to what they have to say and watch how their bodies move when performing tricks. You will eventually start to unlock little secrets and tricks of the trade.
Subscribe to Skate Media:
Riding your skateboarding isn’t the only way to get better at skateboarding. There are dozens of skate outlets, like the one you’re reading now, that offer ways to stay engaged in skateboarding and continue to foster your passion and learn as you go. YouTube channels, Instagram accounts, and online media are a great place to start but consider more tangible items like skate magazines and skate videos. Looking through the pages of a skate magazine is an essential experience as a skater. In understanding the skate media landscape you can map out inspiration and goals to becoming the best skater you can be.
“I’ll never forget the first time I opened a skate magazine,” says Kai Mason, a skate instructor from Dallas. “It was like the world of skateboarding was opened before my very eyes and I began to understand what it meant to be a real skateboarder.”
Skate A Great Skateboard:
Skating a great skateboard is paramount to getting better at skateboarding. But a great skateboard can sometimes be ambiguous for a new skater. A great skateboard is a skateboard bought from a trusted source and is the correct size and dimensions for your size and skill level. A great skateboard also isn’t too worn down, with pressure cracks, broken bearings, flatspot wheels, or nonfunctional griptape. The state of your skateboard is a direct reflection of the state of your skateboarding and skateboard progress.
Make A Goal Trick List:
Making a goals and trick list is something quite common in skateboarding that doesn’t get talked about enough. Skateboarding is such an engaging artform and sport you can be lying in bed before falling asleep and imagining tricks you want to try. Skaters for decades have written out lists of tricks they want to learn, or more importantly want to film, in order to stay motivated and inspired to get better. The list is a testament to just how much time and energy you need to put into becoming a great skater.
Watch Your Favorite Skaters:
Skateboarders don’t need a lot to be inspired or motivated to skate but sometimes watching your favorite skaters is a great way to keep the fire stoked and even learn new tricks. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so if you notice Andrew Reynolds puts his toe more on the left side of his pocket for a frontside flip, maybe you’ll be able to blast one down a 16-stair like him. Maybe you noticed Sky Brown has her own personal skate coach and you might decide to try a lesson for you or your loved one.
Ask Other Skaters for Help:
This is something that sounds like a no-brainer but it is quite counterintuitive for some skaters to ask for help when doing something so interpersonal like skating. But if you’re at the skatepark or even scanning online chat boards there is a wealth of knowledge all around you to help you become a better skater. Not every skater can become a master but every skater was a beginner at one point. If you see a skater who’s popping their ollies super high or flicking their heelflips right to their feet, compliment them and ask them for a tip. You would be surprised how many skaters love to help other skaters get better at skating.
Always Try New Tricks:
“Learning the new and perfecting the old” is a saying you should tell yourself when you get to the skatepark and are not sure what to do or maybe you’re feeling a bit stale or just want to try something new. The truth of the matter is, every trick was once a new trick and you never really know what you might have evolved an inclination to do. Skaters can sometimes get into grooves and fall into patterns where they plateau. The best skaters always have their trick list handy and try new tricks even if you’re not even close, it’s good to keep the gears of learning new tricks moving.
“I always try to teach my students new tricks,” says Ryan Farnam, our skateboard coach from Florida. “There’s nothing more exciting in skating than landing a new trick for the first time.”
Commit to Getting Better:
This might seem like another no-brainer but the truth of the matter is you have to be honest with yourself or your child when it comes to getting better at skating. It takes a deep commitment mentally and physically to become a better skater. Skating to have fun is the best reason to skate and it will always be the best motivator to hop on your board and become a better skater. But to truly have a commitment to getting better is what is going to set you apart and potentially get you sponsored. Take these things seriously without losing sight of having fun and being safe and the sky is truly the limit.
Positive Skatepark Habitat:
This might be the most underrated way to get better at skateboarding on this list. Skateparks often feel like you have to play the cards you’re dealt but in reality much like a high school, there are several positive skatepark features key to becoming a great skater. Some skateparks might have a lot more to offer than others. Most skateparks will be great for your kid but some skateparks are better than others. We’ve compiled a list of the most kid-friendly skateparks in your area where your child or loved one can find a skate buddy or skate instructor to ensure your child’s skatepark is a positive skatepark habitat.
Film Your Skating:
We cannot stress this enough how important filming your skating is for becoming a better skater. Not only does it allow you to watch and critique your skating when off your board, it allows other people to watch and critique your skating. We have our own “get video feedback” section on our page for this reason. It is also a great way to track your progress and have fun with an art form intrinsic with skating – videography. This will also be great for when you start filming with friends and you can make projects around filming your skating. All ways that push your skating forward.
Skate the Streets:
Skating the streets is the clearest marker for when someone becomes a true skateboarder, Yes, you read that right. Many parents will have a hard time understanding this but let’s put it in this perspective. Rock climbing is great when you’re in an air-conditioned gym but nothing compares to the feeling of being on the mountain. It’s the same in skateboarding. Street spots and the aura of street skating are such a magnetic force for getting better, the best in the world all skate the streets and the skate world’s barometer at large is determined by what pro skaters do in the streets. This is the way.
Skate Unique Obstacles:
There’s a saying here at GOSKATE that we always put in our articles, unique skateparks breed unique skaters. There’s an epidemic going on in the world right now of a lot of the skateparks being so similar, tons of kids are growing up skating the same. While this is great for some reasons if you really want to get good at skating, challenge yourself and skate as many unique obstacles as you can.
Form a Skate Group:
Many of our instructors talk about the good old days of being at the skatepark with their best buds and forming their first skate group. It’s a great way to get everyone on the same page filming for a video, creating a skate brand, and pushing each other’s skating to new heights. It’s also a great way to find out who has a knack for filming, being a photographer, and those who are into fashion, design, and other things that go into forming a skate group.
Getting Sponsored:
For many skaters, getting sponsored will be the greatest gold medal standard for validating they are a good skaters. In many ways, that is true, especially for a local skate shop team that features all the best of the local skaters. Sometimes a skater can become sponsored prematurely but the fact of the matter is every pro skater made a sponsor me video and got sponsored at some point. Making a “sponsor me,” a 2-3 minute video of your skating that operates like an audition tape, and sending it to brands and skate shops can only be made possible by getting good at skating by filming in the streets. It is truly a testament to your commitment to becoming a good skater and everything prior on this list.
Safety First:
This is a friendly reminder to always keep safety in mind. Even the gnarliest skaters in the world don’t want to get injured and go through weeks and months of rehab. Always maintaining a safety-first attitude will help deter injury and keep you on your board which keeps your mental and physical health strong.
Book a Free One-On-One Skate Lesson with a GO SKATE Instructor
There is no better way to get better at skateboarding than to book a one-on-one skater lesson with a GOSKATE instructor. Having a skate instructor present gives you or your loved one the confidence to try new tricks and provides a well of knowledge accessible in real time. A skate instructor has seen it all before and can anticipate the physical and mental challenges past, present, and future for your skating journey.
Check out what skate instructors are available in your area today and claim your free one-on-one skate lesson while supplies last.
