Riding an electric skateboard isn’t as easy as it looks. It takes some practice and breaking in before you can really ride like a pro. If you’ve never ridden a skateboard before, take it slow. Find a nice wide, smooth area to learn on.
Balance and Momentum
Once you gain momentum it will get easier to balance, just like riding a bike.
Make sure you are familiar with your skateboard and its controls
Before riding, it’s important to familiarise yourself with your skateboard.
If you just purchased a skateboard, it’s best to take it to a protected outside area, like a parking lot, and make sure you have a sense of how the throttle feels. How quickly does it pick up and stop?
If you want to be really cautious, you can test out your electric skateboard without even powering it on by using it as a standard skateboard. This can give you a good sense of the balance and brake feel.
Remember it takes time to learn something new, so be patient and have fun!
Don’t forget to wear a helmet!
Wear protective gear appropriate for your trip and riding style before you hop on your skateboard, you need to be wearing appropriate gear like a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and clothes which do not hinder movement but also offer protection.
No matter how short the trip or how fast you are riding, make sure you are wearing a helmet. A certified bike helmet is the minimum, but you may want something more protective for higher speeds. Your gear and clothing should be in line with the speeds and type of trip you are on.
More speed means more gear.
What checks do you need to make before you hop on?
The first time and every time you ride, do a pre-flight check to make sure your skateboard is good to go on roads.
- Tyres are in good condition and inflated to correct pressure
- Brakes properly adjusted
- Skateboard looks and sounds good (no weird noises, obvious damage, anything changed or unusual)
- Battery charged enough for your ride distance
- Gear bag for longer rides (tyre slime, pump, multi-tool)
- Mobile phone for emergencies
How to begin the acceleration?
Launching your skateboard and starting to ride is as simple as putting one foot on the deck, kicking off and pushing down on the accelerator.
If it’s your first time on the skateboard, you may want to adopt a conventional stance which is having one foot — typically the non-dominant — in front of the other. If you do it with your dominant in front, this is called a goofy stance.
Some people prefer to ride with their feet side-by-side, and it does work, however, you’ll be a bit less stable and unable to shift your weight appropriately to balance. If you have an emergency, you won’t be able to react as quickly when riding like this.
Go slow at first then learn how to steer at high speeds
When riding your skateboard, use your hands to balance. But make sure your feet and legs are doing most of the work. If you notice that you’re pushing or pulling really hard on the board, this is not a good sign and means you need to work on your balance.
You will also have to engage your core and adjust your weight to maintain balance. You should keep the board mostly straight and rely on weight shift and leaning to manoeuvre and turn.
