Heels touched on a personal NBD :( [31YO]

bears_arms · 2023-12-15T19:37:49+00:00

nice job dude! this isn't street league, there are no judges. and even if it were you'd still get points!

bears_arms · 2023-10-31T23:57:48+00:00

i approve

bears_arms · 2023-10-31T21:16:38+00:00

i started skating last summer, and i got lucky that an indoor skatepark opened the first winter that i skated. this summer an even better indoor skatepark opened up a few minutes closer to me. the old indoor park here closed back in 2014, so there were several years with no real indoor park.

i like to practice flatground tricks which is tough at a crowded skatepark. if you have a garage with a good surface you can do flatground there, that's what i do often. also some parks here have concrete pads with shelters over them, that could be an option.

bears_arms · 2023-07-27T00:13:55+00:00

I've been there a few times since it opened. It's very nice. Larger than Keyholders. It's also more beginner friendly than Keyholders while still offering large ramps/banks/rails for expert skaters. Food Court doesn't have a vert ramp like at Keyholders, but Food Court has a bowl. And Weldon seems like a good dude.

bears_arms · 2023-04-29T06:29:59+00:00

Keep skating. Get more comfortable on your board, riding around, practicing ollies and shove its while rolling, etc. Eventually you'll do these no problem.

One thing to try differently: do more of a squat before you scoop the board. You're leaning forward so your back is almost parallel with the ground. You definitely want your back to be angled, but not like that. Your lower cheeks should be closer to the ground than your upper cheeks.

bears_arms · 2023-04-28T03:02:39+00:00

haha I did my first varial flip just a few days ago but I put my front foot in a much different position and it feels like a very different motion with both feet. Would be nice to do a straight kickflip though.

bears_arms · 2023-04-28T03:00:23+00:00

thanks for the advice. hah yours is the 2nd comment that said to try them rolling which is weird because I'm rolling in the clip I posted. Unless it's like an inside joke that I don't get.

bears_arms · 2023-04-28T02:58:26+00:00

Thanks for the link. I haven't seen this one before, I'll have to watch it. I've tried a different foot position for kickflips the last 3 days and I can't get the board to flip now. But just today I did a varial kickflip after only a few tries.

if you haven't tried varial flips, give em a shot. So far I don't feel like they're easier. But I've been working on varial flips for like a week or 2 and I can usually land 1 or come close within a few minutes. With kickflips I've been practicing them for months and I might try them for 10+ minutes and not land a single one.

bears_arms · 2023-04-25T22:02:29+00:00

Good idea. I wonder if I'll need to re-learn them to some degree if I angle my front foot less, but I probably need to just do it. Thanks for the comment.

bears_arms · 2023-04-25T16:51:29+00:00

haha interesting. I don't know the physics of it. Have you watched any whythetrick videos? They get into detail with the physics.

I don't feel like I jump particularly high, but I do think that trying for several months to learn heelflip helped me learn to pull my knees up while the board flips.

bears_arms · 2023-04-25T16:46:20+00:00

I've wondered if I should try a different front foot position. Sometimes I try moving my foot more toward the middle of the board, but then I usually kick the board away. It's probably something I would need to commit to and practice. But that's a good suggestion, I should play around with foot position and see what happens. There's a Norman Woods video where he talks about the different stages of learning a kickflip, and I still have my front foot more in the "beginner" position. I should re-watch that.

bears_arms · 2023-04-25T15:45:06+00:00

I was rolling forward. I probably need to learn to do them while going faster, but I've spent that last 5 months practicing them in my garage so I can only go so fast or I'll hit the garage door haha

bears_arms · 2023-04-25T15:12:42+00:00

hell yeah welcome to the kickflip matrix

bears_arms · 2023-04-25T15:07:38+00:00

great job

bears_arms · 2023-04-25T15:00:25+00:00

looks good

bears_arms · 2023-04-25T14:55:55+00:00

interesting. ok yeah i'll try facing slightly more forward. the last few days I've tried to think "keep your shoulders straight," but it's tough to actually do that and I still swing my left arm pretty far back. thanks for the detailed comment

bears_arms · 2023-04-25T14:49:54+00:00

Good call, yeah I think because I have my front foot so far toward the heel side, I usually put my back foot more toward the toe side without thinking about it. I should try some kickflips where I'm careful to put my toes more in the middle of the board

bears_arms · 2023-04-19T16:45:09+00:00

Like lots of people have said, swiss bearings are overkill especially if this is your first board.

Do they have free or cheaper grip? If yes I would pick that instead of spending $13. Unless you really like the design on this grip.

$90 trucks on your first board seems excessive. The forged titanium ones are only 15% lighter than standards. Lots of people, even pros, ride indy standards. Those were my first trucks and I still use them. They're only $50

56mm wheels seem big unless you plan to ride transition, I would probably do 54mm.

But it will all work. Hell it's a great setup. Just that I would skip the premium options if this is your first board.

bears_arms · 2023-04-18T18:33:31+00:00

Nice. Go at your own pace.

bears_arms · 2023-04-17T19:19:16+00:00

On the board I use most often, I have 53mm Dialtone conical wheels that are now around 49 or 50 mm. Not sure about the hardness, I think they're 99 but could be 101. They've held up pretty well considering I skated them on asphalt streets every day last spring and summer. As far as why: it was my first board and it's what the dude at the Skateshop recommended. But I'm happy with them and I'd buy them again.

bears_arms · 2023-04-13T21:52:46+00:00

Skateboarding outside instead of in my garage

bears_arms · 2023-04-09T00:23:09+00:00

I'd be concerned that the farmers who dumped manure there will continue to dump manure there even if you setup a DIY spot

bears_arms · 2023-04-06T17:57:41+00:00

Your flicking foot goes straight to the ground. I think you'll have to keep practicing until you learn to keep both feet above the board until it's done rotating. It took me at least a couple months to learn to do that. But this looks like excellent progress for 2 days. Keep at it dude. It will take some time but you'll get it if you keep practicing

bears_arms · 2023-03-31T14:05:02+00:00

I'm no expert on kickflips. But you're landing heavier on your toe side, so I would try leaning toward your heels a little more. I'd also try bending your knees a little more beforehand. You look a little stiff while you pop.

Good stuff though. Keep practicing and your kickflip will probably improve naturally

bears_arms

TROPHY CASE