How to ride an electric skateboard for beginners?

Electric skateboarding can be a fear for many newbies, so this article was written to allay any fear. Reading this article is how you can safely get started with your board. The following information is ordered in basics, advanced things and some things to keep in mind when you start learning how to ride an electric skateboard.

Is it hard to ride an electric skateboard?

How hard electric skateboarding is depends on how good and experienced you are. For those who’ve been on regular skateboards or surfing they’ll have an easy start with electric skateboards as they know how to stand and balance on board.

For the newbies, let’s start practicing with a cheap electric skateboard because of their ease of use.

For some people, even though they have experience with other board sports, they still look at eboards with some level of trepidation. When standing on the electric skateboard for the first time, tell yourself that these are just normal skateboards. The more nervous you are, the more you will fall.

The following information will show you that riding eboards is not that difficult. With a little practice, you can control it right away.

How to ride an electric skateboard?

1. Wearing safety gear

Are electric skateboards safe? Yes and No. Why? Yes, when you wear protective gear to protect yourself when you fall. When you know you are protected, you will become more comfortable and flexible when riding. Try to wear a full set of protective gear including a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist pads. These can be removed, except the helmet, once you get used to your electric skateboard.

If you are hesitant to wear it then imagine falls that occur when the e-skateboard is running at over 20mph.

Protective gear is the only thing that would at the time increase the line between serious and mild injuries, or even the line between life and death when you fall off the board.

2. Find your stance

If you play other board sports, you can skip this step. But for beginners, this is the very first thing they need to establish. There are two main stances which are Goofy stance and Regular stance. Goofy stance means your right foot is put in front, and Regular stance means your right leg leads.

You can find out your stance by trying it out. Ride two rounds with different leading foot in each time, try to find out which foot you feel is more natural and comfortable. And that’s it!

If the above tip doesn’t work, you have another option. Have someone push you from behind, the leg you use to catch yourself is your dominant foot, and that one is the leading foot on your electric skateboard.

Your feet position depends on the size of the board and your comfort. Keep in mind that always ride with your knees bent. That helps your balance and to avoid joint pains. While advanced riders may like loose trucks because of their flexibility, beginners should opt for tighter trucks, because loose trucks can cause speed wobbles and make it hard for you to balance on an e-board.

3. Learn how to use the remote

The remote control is the one that will transmit your commands to the skateboard. Where you want to turn, riding fast or slow depends on your hand and the remote.

Take the time to get acquainted and learn how to use each part of the remote such as switches, toggle, and trigger. Getting used to the remote control before riding will keep you from getting confused on the electric skateboard.

4. Check your setting

You need to know how to set the mode for your board. There are several modes to choose from such as forward and reverse, slow, medium and fast. Board setting is very important and it should be done before you start. Always make sure your remote control is connected.

5. Practice

You cannot master your electric skateboard in one session, especially for people who have never played board sports before. To learn how to ride an electric skateboard for beginners, you need to incorporate a variety of factors like technique, confidence, muscle memory, and you only develop those things when you practice.

The more you practice, the quicker you will master your electric skateboard. Find a secluded, low-pass, and low-obstacle place to familiarize yourself with the feel of the board, experiment with foot positions and stance, and familiarize yourself with the riding modes,too.

Once you feel like you’ve been able to ride an e-board with comfort and confidence, start with some more advanced techniques.

See also: how long does it take to get good at skateboarding

How to accelerate and brake an electric skateboard?

Basically, to ride e-boards you will need to learn how to accelerate, how to brake, and how to turn. Control the movement of the board and make it run slowly at the beginning. In your chosen stance, your back knee bends and firmly grips the deck. This is the leg that will keep you steady when accelerating, so make sure you get it right. The front knee also bends slightly for balance.

Start your electric skateboard at the slowest speed. You shouldn’t be generous on your first ride. E-skateboards run faster than we think, and that’s why many people are surprised at its speed. Remember, apply the accelerator gently at first. A good start will bring a beautiful outcome!

Before braking, stand prepared with your front knee bend and rigid; your back leg will hold all your weight. Then you can apply the brakes. When braking, crouching slightly to reduce the force exerted on your body, helping you maintain your balance and not fall off the board.

How to turn an electric skateboard?

To turn your e-board, you shift the weight to the heel or toe. This makes the board turn on the trucks and so turn. Toe turns are toeside, and heel turns called heelside. In goofy stance, toeside means turning left, and heelside means turning right. In Regular stance, it is done reversely. You can practice turning your board with some basic electric skateboard tricks for beginners.

Heelside and toeside turns are done in the same way in both Goofy and Regular stance. To turn heelside, you bend both knees and push your backside out a littles bit until you really feel you are turning. When you imagine what I said above, it is very difficult to do, but if you grab your e-boards and practice following this description, everything becomes a lot easier.

Toeside turns are pretty similar to heelside turns, but slightly different in effect. You bend your knees and lean forwards slightly to move all the weight to your toes. If you feel a little out of balance, bend your knees and lean into the turn more.

Start with small turns. When you have more confidence you can try larger turns. If possible, learn how to stop your electric skateboard with your feet in case brakes fail.

I guarantee the above information will help you boost your confidence as you begin to ride e-skateboard. Take the time to carefully read the instructions above and make sure to practice right after. With a little practice, you’ll feel more confident and comfortable on the board and ready to ride at real speed.

Alright, now you can take your electric skateboard on a plane and enjoy the scenery with your new set of wheels.