Have you ever gazed enviously at the effortless glide of skateboarders cruising down the street on their sleek and compact penny boards? Perhaps you’ve just acquired your own and are eager to know how to ride a penny board. Fear not, because in this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential steps to help you confidently ride a penny board like a pro.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or transitioning from a traditional skateboard, our comprehensive tips and tricks will have you cruising in no time. From finding the right stance to perfecting your balance and mastering basic maneuvers, this guide is your passport to unlocking the joy of penny-boarding. Let’s dive into the world of penny boards and discover the exhilarating ride that awaits you. Get ready to roll!
How to Ride a Penny Board?
Penny boards have less space for foot positioning. Therefore, it seems to be a little hard. However, not impossible. To learn a penny board, you need to practice a lot. don’t be afraid. Just keep pushing yourself. Be that your school, grocery store, or neighborhood, don’t be shy. Push yourself wherever you are. That is the only way of learning a penny board.
I have brought you an interesting article, which highlights all the required skill sets for riding a penny board. From learning to stand on a penny board, to pushing and handling the moves, you will be introduced will all the healthy steps one by one. So don’t lose momentum and stay with me.
How to Stand on a Penny Board
If you are used to riding a cruiser, or a skateboard, you will find it easy to balance on a penny board. However, standing on a penny board can be a bit challenging. Be it a skateboarder, or an initiator, I will tell you what’s the proper way of footing onto a penny board.
- Set up for skating
Get yourself some really good shoes before riding a penny board. Recommended are the flat, thin sole and the toes covered. You can twist your toes badly if they are exposed. Converse are the shoes made for it. Flat soles can help you grip the board well. Grab the safety kit too.
- Place the board on the ground
Jumping and riding a penny board may not be a good idea for a new rider. Therefore, you should put the board on a flat surface and then push yourself to ride. Two additional considerations can make it even easier.
- Initially, a rough surface or even a ground can be suitable. This allows more friction and the penny board won’t slip away.
- You can grab something to hold yourself. It can be anything, a wall, a rod or a friend can also work.
- Foot placement
There is no hard and fast rule for placing the foot on the board. Conventional riders use the left foot as a dominant foot, whereas goofy riders use the right one. Whatever you feel comfortable in, you can place that foot such that the toes are behind the first two screws of the front trucks.
- Some also find it convenient to use the dominant foot for pushing. Try every style and find out what is the most suitable style for you. Just so you can be confident while riding the board.
- The foot on the board should be such that you can control all the movements of the board. the pressure of your body must be in the center of the board.
- The farther the foot is from the front, the more manageable is the board. However, less space will be left for the other foot.
- Balance on the board
It is time to balance yourself on the board. Life the heels of the foot on the ground, such that you are about to push the board. You will automatically be adjusting yourself on the board. This way, you will learn to balance your foot.
- When you are in a position of pushing, you can feel how much the board wobbles. That means you can manage the tightness of the trucks. Too loose trucks can be good for turning. However, the maneuverability of the board is strong with tightened trucks. As a start, I would suggest you keep the trucks tight.
- Move the foot on the board back and forth to adjust your body weight according to it.
- Stand on the board
Now you have to practice stability with both feet on. A suggested way to do that is to move the front foot 45 degrees and the rear foot perpendicular to the board. The rear foot will balance the body while the front will direct the movements. Do good practice to keep yourself balanced on the board.
All done with your standing practice on the penny board. Now it’s time to learn to push and maneuver the board. Don’t lose track.
How to Push on the Penny Board
The only challenging thing while riding a penny board is the right placement of feet. Because the penny board offers a little space to stand on, it gets hard to balance yourself. Follow these useful steps to master this move.
- Get sufficient space to practice
Before the actual ride, try practicing in some open empty parking areas, or grounds.
Additionally, avoid areas with too many bumps and cracks. You may get unbalanced and lose control. The area should be wide enough so you can push yourself three to four times in a row.
Stay balanced and don’t be hard on yourself. Try not to be very fast initially.
- Pushing and balancing
Push yourself with your foot on the ground. Try to apply force through the balls of the rear foot. Do at least three to four pushes and then try to balance yourself with both feet on the board. Ensure that you are facing forward while pushing yourself straight. The position of the front foot should also be straight. Remember that a moving skateboard has energy that you can increase by pushing it to go faster.
- Start riding
Keep your knee bent a little while you push yourself. Once you gain enough speed to ride the skateboard, you have to place the second foot on the board. Then you have to rotate the front foot slightly to 45 degrees and the rear foot around 90 degrees. This type of placement is not mandatory. You can choose another position if you are comfortable with that. The point is to adjust both feet on the board, which is difficult with a penny board. Therefore, this is the most optimal position for riding a penny board.
Try to adjust the feet such that you are confident to ride smoothly. You have to keep practicing before finally trying in a rushy area.
Maneuvering the Penny Board
There are a few tips to take turns on the penny board.
- Try to curve in big arches if you are learning to balance.
- For a better turning experience, loosen the trucks a little.
- To take sharp turns, you will have to lift the board. Press the tail of the board and direct the board with the front foot to whatever side you want it to turn.
- Don’t lose trucks so much that it becomes hard to balance.
- While taking sharp turns, bend your knees and shift your weight to a lower position as much as possible.
FAQs
Is riding a penny board easy?
Penny boards are convenient to carry anywhere and cover short distances. However, they are a bit challenging since balancing is hard. Penny boards are cheaper than skateboards.
What is the point of a penny board?
Penny boards are used to cover short rushed areas. The boards are easy to stop and maneuverable. Penny boards are built for short and lightweight people. Especially helpful for kids.
How to stop a penny board?
There are various ways to stop a penny board. you can carve in an S-shape to slow it down. You can use foot braking by dragging one foot on the ground while the other is on the board keeping it balanced. You can also pump the braking like you pump the brake in the cars. In addition, bailing is the most famous way of stopping a penny board.
Final Words
Ridding a penny board is quite an amazing experience. Once you learn it, you are never going to forget the thrill it adds to your life. Easy, convenient, and super comfortable to ride short distances.
We learned some useful tips to understand how to ride a penny board. I hope this is useful to you. I provided you with a combination of how I do it and how people do it. Balancing is tough and you will learn with time. Keep going and never lose hope. We are with you! Happy skating.