You're not alone – everyone sucks at skateboarding the first time they try it. There will always be some who master the basic techniques in a very short amount of time. And others need to have more time to get comfortable with the feel of it, the balance, and motions. Every new skateboarder is taught tips and tricks to help make the learning process easier. Next, we'll go over some helpful hints you can use when you shop for that first board and then head-out on your own. There is more to pushing off than meets the eye. It's a fluid, smooth motion with strength in it. Remember that you don't want to pushoff too rapidly with a lot of short strokes. Each single stroke should be strong and deep, and it should be one that you can recover from if your balance is lost. You should be able pick-up speed pretty fast. How you push off will depend quite a bit on your stance. When you're learning, always use a strong board and stay on level surfaces. It'll just help if you can plant your foot firmly on the ground without feeling unsteady from an uneven surface. In time, as you continue to improve this will be less important. So when you want to turn, just shift your weight the right way and maintian your balance. Don't lean with all your weight in the front direction or back. What you want to do is shift from flat-footed to either your heels or the ball of your feet. You don't want to be swaying, stay upright on the board. You just might take a fall if you lean/sway too much. Just practice on an even and flat surface that is not crowded. Don't practice sharp turns yet, start out with wide and gentle turns to help you get a feel for how to shift your weight on your feet. When you're feeling good, then you can attempt lifting the front and making sharper turns. Learn the skateboardes language, and learn the various kinds of boards. You'll find a wide variety of skateboards on the market. You'll want to find out why there are so many different designs. You'll find it'll help to be able to talk about skating in skater's terms. That way you can get help about something if you ever need it. Skating doesn't need to be terribly hard, but it will require some time from you. Just have patience and never worry about it. You'll get there. It's important to learn the basics before trying the fancy tricks. Too much, too fast will get you hurt. So keep with it and who knows? You could be the next Tony Hawk! author: yingwenseo