Learn to surfskate: The four basic maneuvers.

You just bought a surfskate and want to learn how to generate speed, make turns, cut backs and drifts?

Previously we have taught you how to choose a surfskate board. And in this article we are going to explain how to perform the first basic maneuvers to learn to surfskate.

The most important of these 4 basic maneuvers to start with the surfskate is undoubtedly pumping, since without speed none of the following maneuvers can be generated. Then we will tell you how to make a cut back and finally to make radical turns or snaps and burn the asphalt with a good skid.

1. How to pump or build speed with a surfskate:

Pumping is the first basic movement that we must learn to be able to ride a surfskate. The big difference with traditional skateboarding is that to generate speed you don’t do the mythical kick on the ground.

Pumping will begin once we are mounted and well positioned like on a surfboard, and it will ALWAYS start from top to bottom, moving arms and shoulders first, followed by hips, knees, feet and lastly the board. The shoulders are used from above to generate inertia in the movement coordinating this movement in a chain downwards until the board begins to move, and always keep repeating it so that the surfskate begins to move and generate speed.

It is important to perform flexion and followed extension in each of the pumping movements. In this way we will arrive with more strength and inertia to make the surfskate pick up speed. Basically like when you get on a swing that you shrink your body and stretch it so that it moves more and more.

 

2. How to cut back with a surfskate board:

The cut back is a very old maneuver and used in surfing that consists of returning to the strong section of the wave by going back on the wall and facing it again to continue in the wave. Everyone should do it if they want to learn to surf well, as it is a basic maneuver but it requires time and a good line to achieve it with style and efficiency.

To perform a cut back in surfskate we are going to perform practically the same technique as in surfing.

We start pumping the skate to generate speed and once we reach the point where we are going to do it, start with a bottom to mark the turn in the opposite direction, the “foam of the wave”. And we will make that prolonged turn backwards, marking with our eyes the place to go, followed by shoulders and arms, chest and ending with knees and feet pressing the edge and stretching the body.

For once we have completed it, retrace our steps and continue pumping on the wall of the wave or the ground in our case.

3. How to perform a turn or snap with a surfskate:

The snap consists of making a more or less radical turn on the crest of the wave, or in our case now, on a skate ramp or directly on the ground.

We can make a good Snap once we have enough speed thanks to having made a good pump. It is done facing the ramp (wall of the wave) or if we do it on the level, flexing before entering and initiating an important and strong rotation of the shoulders followed by hips, knees and feet once we reach the point where we want to do it.

Once we start with the turn by pressing the table, and accompanying all the weight with the turn. To finish the turn and return to the starting position, we must take the body where it was before, recovering stability and balance.

It is always very important to look where we want to go.

4. How to perform a 180º drift with a surfskate:

The last of the maneuvers will be the most radical of the four, but completely within your reach once you have passed and controlled the first 3 maneuvers.

This maneuver is the only one that has a greater focus on surfskate and not so much on sufing, as you cannot drift in the way we seek with a surfboard due to the fins.

We will start this maneuver like all the previous ones, pumping enough to get the speed we need, which in this case will be a higher speed than on other occasions.

Once we have enough speed, we will reach the chosen point compressed and with a sudden change in weight from the rear foot to the front. We will begin to rotate the whole body 180º starting as always from the gaze, passing through the shoulders, arms, hips, knees and feet, letting the skate skid with a 180º ending. Once we finish the turn, we will stabilize again on the skate and continue with the carving! This maneuver like all of them, can be practiced in the same way on a plane as in a bowl or ramp.

So far our best explanation of how to start pumping up your surfskate with the initial pumping and the different maneuvers transferred from the base of surfing to the asphalt with the skate.

Any maneuver that you practice with the surfskate is on the ground is perfectly valid to transfer it to your surfing to continue learning and evolving. And remember that technique is very important both in and out of the water to be able to perform and complete any maneuver successfully.

And like surfing, surfskate also requires time, dedication, perseverance and above all falls to be able to control and enjoy them.

So grab your surfskate and hit the road to rip!