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| Riding Safety (377 Posts)
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Riding Safety |
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I have SEEN the light!
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On 6/8/2005
Greg 'Smitty' Smithwick CLBC
wrote in from
Canada
(154.20.nnn.nnn)
New to road riding (at least in the last twenty years), and have learned some ugly lessons about stopping my board. The absolute WORST thing you can do is step off. I have been injured twice since getting back on, and BOTH times, it was from stepping off the board. If you are going too fast to foot brake, you are going too fast to step off.
The answer is SLIDING. I know it looks and seems terrifying to a new skater (and that is what I consider myself), but it is easier than you think. First, get the right safety gear!! Having bailed out of a few bad slides, the helmet, gloves, and pads saved me much trauma.
Get so you can squat down on the board in motion...practicing while stopped didn't work for me...the board in motion is MUCH more stable. Remember when you first learned to ride a bike? You learned right away that at a slower speed, you had less stability, right? This is like that. I learned this on a nice gentle slope. From that squat position, pull some turns. Reach out and let your GLOVED hand skim the surface. Do this till you feel comfortable with it. Take the same run, repeatedly. Each time, use a little more downward pressure. Eventually, the wheels will break traction, and the rear of the board comes around. I haven't yet reached the point where I can stand back up and keep on riding, but I CAN STOP SAFELY. I can slide in a frontside or heelside turn, though frontside is easier for me.
I spent some time with Cliff Coleman and Patrick Rizzo when they came up for Danger Bay 4 (in British Columbia), and I saw Rizzo ride hills I would never have dreamed of riding! Sliding, as far as I've seen, is the safest way to stop a board at speed...and at the speeds we are going on the road these days, STOPPING RIGHT NOW is what matters!
As an added benefit, if you DO fall, you are much closer to the ground, at impacting at a much lower angle. That is a good thing. Work your way up to bigger hills, and my personal rule is NEVER RIDE IT UNLESS YOU HAVE DONE RECON!! All pilots learn early to always look for a safe place to land, and this is a dangerous sport. Drive it, walk it, check it out before you need to stop in a hurry.
More experienced riders should pipe up if I said anything stupid.
Greg 'Smitty' Smithwick
CLBC Hillbomber Recon Sqn.
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hand brake
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On 6/6/2005 evan
wrote in from
United States
(71.0.nnn.nnn)
Has anyone ever created a handbrake for a longboard. something that uses friction on the ground, not by slowing the wheels because that would cause your wheels to have a flat spot. Im thinking something that could also cure the wobbles.
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Juan: stopping
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On 5/18/2005 Will
wrote in from
United Kingdom
(80.177.nnn.nnn)
Swing by the sliding section of this website if you wanna stop Juan! faltownskateboards.com has some handy videos in the slide skool section too for learning.
See if you can get to a cliff coleman slide clinic for expert advice and tuition too.
Will
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Holy Helmets!
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On 3/6/2005
Dr. Dave
wrote in from
United States
(24.13.nnn.nnn)
While you CAN drill out a helmet, it's not recommended. When you put holes in it, you trash the engineering stats that made it safe in the first place. Buy a vented helmet in the first place if you're hot headed.
Dr. Dave
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On 10/11/2004
ilsk8r
wrote in from
United States
(207.68.nnn.nnn)
the best way to stop on a skate board for u sucky skaters is to just power slide
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On 9/17/2004
Tom M.
wrote in from
United States
(198.26.nnn.nnn)
Juan,
Check out the Stopping and Sliding forums on NCDSA.
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On 9/14/2004
Juan
wrote in from
Venezuela
(200.44.nnn.nnn)
i'd like to know how to brake on a longboard, is there any agressive braking sort of used while going too fast.
I have no idea how to stop except jumping out of the board.
Photos are welcome !!!
Thanks !!!
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On 9/3/2004
brad
wrote in from
United States
(155.229.nnn.nnn)
foot braking and sliding note for mystery bob
timeship racing at http://www.timeshipracing.com/ has excellent instructions for foot braking and they sell gloves
Gravity message board at http://www.gravityboard.com/ has lots of excellent posts on sliding and making sliding gloves use the search function
some cutting board plastic, polyeurethane, shoe goo or automotive goop and a hacksaw and some gloves it's easy
or as is preferred by some put industrial velcro on your gloves and plastic and then you can make adjustments there are also posts on this on the Gravity message board
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On 7/2/2004
Mystery Bob
wrote in from
(166.122.nnn.nnn)
My condolences to friends and family of Brian Rogers. The World Cup Windsurfing competitor, Craig Stroetzel, also lost his life in a skateboard sailing accident some years ago. Does anyone know about the circumstances?
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On 7/2/2004
mystery bob
wrote in from
(166.122.nnn.nnn)
I have a narrow longboard. Is using my rear foot on the rear wheel an acceptable braking method? Although recommended to me, foot braking while leaving only one foot on the board is scary. Also, I want to learn to brake by sliding but can't find full fingered gloves with a wrist guard; do you know of a source? Where do you press to get the board to "break loose" instead of carving? Has anyone ever drilled air holes in a skate helmet for temperature control? T'anks eh?!
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On 5/17/2004
Airin
wrote in from
(142.33.nnn.nnn)
Humm, obviously not a very popular forum....
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On 4/29/2004
Airin
wrote in from
(142.33.nnn.nnn)
There are lots of references to Brian Rogers passing away and these are usually coupled with urgent messages for skateboarders to wear a helmets while skating. But no mention of what actually happended that cost Brian his life. It seems it was due to a skateboarding related accident. He may have sustained a head injury....?
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On 4/11/2004
Rich in Miami
wrote in from
(192.92.nnn.nnn)
You could jump off or drag your foot. Lots of fun huh.
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On 4/3/2004
Pim
wrote in from
(204.113.nnn.nnn)
I don't know where I have to post my question so I will do it here:
When you're going downhill very fast is there an other way to brake than do the powerslide??
I hope someone will answer my question.
Thanks in advance.
Pim.
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On 3/18/2004
hugh regalado
wrote in from
(24.48.nnn.nnn)
I too extend my condolances to the family of Brian Rogers.
Rene, If there are needs in the family that some of here can help to meet... please post them up... HR
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On 3/18/2004 rene
wrote in from
(216.101.nnn.nnn)
Longskate would like to send out our deepest Condolences to Mrs. Rogers and her 3
childred, for the passing of Brian Rogers father/husband, and great inventor of
Flux/Khiro. A very Kool person that died after having a skateboarding accident. May
you be surfing the Great Asphalt in Heaven, you will be missed greatly! Thanx for
lighting the path for so many people when they ride, we Love your product!
Ps. He was not wearing a Helmet, so like the post say's below, at least wear a helmet as this might have been avoided if he had....
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On 2/20/2004 Ybot
wrote in from
(142.173.nnn.nnn)
hey guys all that s#@! talk about ooo not possible hafta set my soul free and soar
whatever you gotta make really good pads
I have made tons of sliding gloves and now I have hip protectors and a butt skid plate I also put a sliding pad on my right (toe edge) back foots knee( regular foot) so you can crouch super low and slide while cornering
you gotta have the good gear to take the big risks
I can slide and carve down the steepest s#@!...
any f#@!in grade~! huge slides riding fakie and doing it on a DH landyachtz
just f#@!in get over the hangup on pads
I wreck my skate constantly cause I'm pushing the limit
you pussys without gear can't do s#@!
You would never see a mountain biker riding agressive downhill without a full face or at least a freakin skull cap and lots of guys have full body armor
YOU WIPE IF YOU ARE f#@!IN RIDIN~!
seeing your friend doing the funky chicken is not what skatin is about~!
t
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On 12/29/2003 brian_damage
wrote in from
(62.64.nnn.nnn)
i got a full face helmet for my atb riding, im shure its saved my teeth a few times. but i dont wear it long boarding as i dont like the lack of vision. i usualy get a loaner at the park.
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On 11/23/2003
Pat Chewning
wrote in from
(12.224.nnn.nnn)
A full-face helmet might have helped prevent this type of injury to a skate brother here in Portland Oregon. He will have several painful nose reconstruction surgeries to look forward to. He got them nasty speed wobbles on his longboard and couldn't save it.
-- Pat
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On 10/31/2003 __“Hot” 3Ghz Dell Inspiron 5150 laptops for $500 bucks
wrote in from
(210.187.nnn.nnn)
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On 8/27/2003
Jono
wrote in from
(66.75.nnn.nnn)
For people who dont know this bend ya knees and crouch a bit while ridin a steep hill.
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On 8/18/2003 johnjohn
wrote in from
(4.43.nnn.nnn)
i head it was optional to don a sheath
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On 7/27/2003 MOTORBREATH
wrote in from
(4.43.nnn.nnn)
...dont stop for nothing
its fullspeed or nothing
i wouldnt take it
any otherway...
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On 7/19/2003 why bother?
wrote in from
(216.165.nnn.nnn)
...like try to be 'careful' and hold yourself back?...not let your spirit FREE to fly with the wind of your soul....what is the point? to me it's like pretending...like fidgeting and fooling yourself.....what to train?......why not just RIDE THE TRAIN.....RELEASE all the pent up frustration and irritation..GRIND that CONCRETE edge....DEFY ALL that tries to hold you down!
To Me, it's just a NOT POSSIBLE.
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On 5/21/2003
Judi
wrote in from
(63.249.nnn.nnn)
Was just reading some of the bike helmet comments. Not sure if you've checked out bike helmets of late. But they aren't all pointed in the back. The midrange and lowend styles are pointed. The point takes impact and crushes when you slam. It's there for looks and for absorbing a hit. I used a Xen for the first time yesterday. It was the hottest day of the year here in Santa Cruz, had a photographer out shooting photo's for a slalom article and I was glad I could feel the wind coming through the vents. It has no points! Problem is they are super hard to come by. I had to give this one back so it could be sent to a journalist for a review. I've mentioned on the safety equipment section models that seem to be most requested for skateboarding by the Pro's. Weights, vent counts and which one has built in roll cages.
FYI Michael Dong wears a Pneumo same as Lance A. Doesn't slow either of them down one bit.
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