Beginner Skateboarding Tips for Girls and Women
Being new to skating can be very exciting but also a bit daunting. While all of our tips are equally applicable to anyone, we know it can be extra intimidating if you don’t see a lot of people who look like you at the skatepark or spot. The good news is, you are a skater first and foremost and we promise other skaters will be stoked to skate with you.
This cannot be overstated; Be yourself. Skate the terrain you want to skate. Wear the clothes you want to wear. Ride the board you want. Do the tricks you want. You will be respected regardless of what you wear or your skill level when you are authentic and wanting to have fun. Be true to yourself and you can’t go wrong.
If you’re feeling outgoing, go ahead and talk with other skaters. This can go down at the spot or a skateshop. Ask questions about tricks, videos, products, or other good places to skate. Skaters love to talk about skating.
Inversely, if you just want to skate quietly by yourself or with a small group of people you already know, that’s cool too. Skating can be a rowdy party, but it can also be a calm meditation.
Have patience with yourself. Some lucky individuals are blessed with the ability to learn certain tricks very quickly. For the rest of us (which is most of us), it can take a long time to learn how to skate. In fact, the learning never ends. Just rolling around and turning can take a while to be comfortable with. And ollies and flip tricks, those can take years to master. Jumping up and landing on a rolling platform is not natural. Your brain and instincts will tell you not to do it. Your muscles will have no natural memory for it. The key is to enjoy the journey and celebrate every step. You will get better, and new terrain will open up. And the best thing is that all skaters, no matter how advanced they are, will share in your stoke as you advance.
A word of warning, you will eventually encounter something that’ll bum you out. Be it a rough slam or unexpected regression in learning a new trick or a jerk trying to intimidate newcomers. These things can suck and even be a temporary setback. Don’t let it get you down for long. If you stick with it, the next session is almost guaranteed to be awesome.
Wanting to dig deeper and maybe catch some inspiration from other women in skateboarding? Here are a few additional things to check out:
