Now that you know how to stand on a skateboard, it’s time to learn how to push.
Pushing is the very first thing you will do to set your skateboard in motion.
It is the impetus that drives a skateboard forward. At least, when you are first starting out.
How to Start a Skateboard
To start a skateboard moving –
- Place your front foot in proper position on the deck, directly over the truck at a slight angle so it points between the front and the side.
- Center your weight over your front foot as if you are standing on one foot. Because you are!
- Lower your back foot to the ground near the front of the board and push toward the rear. This will start the skateboard rolling forward.
- Bring your back foot (the one you used to push) up to the deck behind your front foot, placing it over the back truck.
When you push off on a skateboard for the first time, pay close attention to the way your balance changes.
The goal is to stay balanced on your front foot as you push with your back foot and then shift your balance to both feet once you bring your back foot up to the deck.
This can be hard to master when first learning to push.
How to Push on a Skateboard in Motion
The basic principles of pushing a skateboard are the same whether the skateboard is sitting still or already in motion.
- Center your weight over your front foot.
- Push off with your back foot.
- Return your back foot to the deck.
But it’s easier explained than accomplished.
Once you start to move, the motion of the skateboard and terrain add additional challenges to maintaining your center of balance.
The key is to find that center of balance and know how to get back to it when you start to shift.
In a proper skateboard push, your leg performs one seamless motion.
Your foot presses against the ground at the front of the board and continues in one long push toward the back of the board until it can no longer reach before it returns to the deck.
You may also do several pushes in a row to increase your speed.
In a multi-push movement, your foot still makes a seamless movement, but instead of returning to the deck, it returns to the ground at the front of the board and pushes again.
Unless you’re in a pipe, bowl or headed downhill, pushing is the main way you make your skateboard move.
Mongo Push
A Mongo Push on a skateboard is when a rider pushes with the front foot instead of the back foot.
Depending on one’s sense of balance, this can feel more natural when first learning to ride.
Despite how it feels, pushing with the front foot on a skateboard makes it harder to maintain balance.
Pushing with the front foot also makes it more difficult, or even impossible, to perform certain tricks.
If you notice yourself pushing with your front foot, stop immediately and correct your push.
Learning to push with the proper foot (the back one) will save you a lot of time and effort later on when you are trying to advance your riding or learn tricks.
It’s important to learn how to push a skateboard properly if you want to learn to ride a skateboard well.
Mongo pushing is not considered a proper skateboard technique.
It’s also an offensive term, so be aware of the fact before you go throwing it around at a skate park.
