Can I Learn Skateboarding In A Day? [Or Does It Take Longer?]

Have you ever heard the saying "It takes 10,000 Hours to master a new skill"? Skateboarding is one of the many activities that fall under that category. However, picking it up isn't the worst thing in the world.

It's within most of our grasps to learn how to skate fairly quickly, but it will depend on a number of factors. Today we'll go over those factors and different skill sets to get a grasp of exactly how long it may take to pick up skateboarding.

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10 Best Beginner Skateboards

1. Stoked Ride Shop Complete Skateboard

This complete board is perfect for learning skateboarding on. We made it specifically with the highest quality components, and it will withstand anything you can throw at it.

The trucks will feel solid, the board is maple, and it comes fully assembled. While we may be a bit biased, we think this is a perfect choice for any beginner out there.

2. Jaoul Cruiser Skateboard For Beginners

This beginner board from Jaoul is highly rated, and comes in at a very reasonable price point. If you really take to skating and find yourself going through boards, you may want to upgrade from this - but for most people it's perfect.

You can skate on the sidewalk, in a skate park, or even on a vert ramp with this one. If you are looking for an affordable way to start skateboarding, this is an absolutely perfect pick.

3. Pwigs Pro Complete Skateboard

This eye-catching board is another affordable way to start skating. Kids are likely to love it, though it understandably may not be a good fit for a professional-level skater.

It's made from Canadian maple, and it's also very well-reviewed. While you can certainly spend more, this is another very solid pick for beginners everywhere.

4. Geelife Pro Complete Skateboard

This board not only has a great design - it's backed by a ton of great reviews. It also comes in at a very low price point - making it easy for truly anyone to start skating.

We like the graffito design the best, but to each their own. If you want a fun and easy way to start skating, this is another excellent selection.

5. Tony Hawk 31" Complete Cruiser Skateboard

This awesome looking board with Tony Hawk's name emblazoned on it is great for any beginner. It's also backed by a ton of great reviews.

We love the color, as well as the design, and the performance is also great. Perfect for a beginner of any age, but especially with kids.

6. Swell Complete Skateboard

This beginner board is another great way to get started. It has a sweet design, and it's a surefire way for your child to have more fun.

Adults can also ride this board, and the reviews are stellar. However, keep in mind that this is a plastic board, so it's obviously going to ride a little differently than a traditional skateboard.

7. Metroller Complete Skateboard

Another affordable selection, this black and white board is another easy way to get out there and get moving. It has a metric ton of five-star reviews, and rides very smoothly.

As you progress up the ranks, of course you can improve your board. However, for most people, this is a perfect beginner's choice.

8. Hiboy Alpha Skateboard

This stylish board is yet another winner. We really love the look of it, and it makes picking up skateboarding a breeze for anyone.

You don't have to be a kid, teen, or child to enjoy this board. Made from maple, it's also very sturdy - but the price is still exceedingly low - which we definitely liked.

9. WiiSham Complete Skateboard

This cool board has another slick design, but it also has lots of great reviews. It's made from 7 layer maple wood, and is perfect for beginners.

While experts will surely scoff at this board, it's important to remember that we all started out somewhere. If you don't want to spend an arm and a leg, but you wanted to get started with skateboarding - this is a great choice.

10. Ko-On Complete Skateboard

This extremely affordable board is great for kids. While it may not work for adults, the many positive reviews make it obvious that it is ideal for children.

The best news? It barely costs more than a happy meal. Highly recommend for beginners, who aren't yet teenagers.

How Hard Is It to Learn How to Skateboard?

This is a bit of a tricky one. Learning to skate is not the hardest thing in the world, but it's not the easiest either.

You will fall. A lot. Just get used to it. This is why it's crucial to wear safety gear, but more on that later. Some people may pick up skating faster than others, but the truth is you'll fall no matter what your skill level is.

Just like surfing or snowboarding, the hardest part is the beginning - where you are constantly falling off your board. Things will definitely go smoother if you have friends who also skate - a personal hype team will always help you improve your skills.

One neat thing about skateboarding though, is that you'll never stop learning. No matter how good you get - there will still be more to learn. Its all about pushing your boundaries to become a better skater.

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Balance Is Crucial

Like any sport - balance is of utmost important in skateboarding. You won't be any good at skateboarding until you are great with balance.

You can even practice on a balance board in your free time, to help make the transition to actual skateboarding easier. If you don't have a balance board, you can put your board on a piece of carpet or grass.

Leaning backward and forward while on the board (even if it is stationary) will help you learn how to ride comfortably. It's also very much a sport where your motor memory will kick in after a while, and you'll start to do things more naturally.

Don't Go Too Fast

While you are learning how to skateboard, it's crucially important to not go too fast. If you go bomb down a hill at 100MPH, you won't be able to stop safely, and you're very likely to get seriously injured.

While it may be somewhat humiliating (especially if you're older), there's no shame in going slow and moving around carefully. It's far better to learn in an empty parking lot, then crash and burn at a skate park - and be on the shelf for 6-9 months.

Always Wear A Helmet And Pads

This one seems obvious, but you'd be shocked at how many skaters don't actually wear the proper pads and helmets. You always want to protect your dome, as well as your elbows, knees, wrists, and possibly a mouthgaurd (braces and concrete dont mix well).

If you don't have pads on, you will run the risk of getting seriously hurt.

Beginners notoriously like to try and avoid wearing the proper gear because they think its "cool", but most serious skaters know better. Once you've eaten it hard on a ramp, you'll think twice about not wearing protective gear next time.

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Don't Let Your Fear Win

Most of us are scared of things - that's natural. But when it comes to trying a new activity, it's important to get over your fears.

It can seem terrifying for some people, to start skateboarding. This is especially true of going off of jumps, ramps, or grinding on rails.

However, there's nothing to be scared of. Millions of people skateboard every day, and they are just fine.

Just like many people have a fear of heights, it's not abnormal to be scared of getting hurt. But usually these things are much worse in our minds, than in reality. The best thing you can do for yourself is to commit and then send it. Its called practice.

 

Keep At It

As the saying goes - 'practice makes perfect'. You usually need thousands of hours to master skateboarding.

However, picking it up usually happens within about a week or two. This, of course, depends on how athletic you are to begin with, your age, etc.

No matter what level you are starting at, keep at it, as things will get easier. The more you skate, the better you will get - it just happens naturally.

Watch YouTube Tutorials

Back when we were kids, there was no real way to quickly learn tricks. It was a whole lot of trial and error, especially when you lived in a rural or suburban area.

But nowadays, you can learn how to do a kickflip from simply watching a YouTube video. There is so much instructional, free content out there - that it's staggering.

Unfortunately, as you age, it does become harder to learn new things. The same is true with skateboarding.

However, YouTube makes learning much easier, and it also makes it much more fun. Whether you're just learning to ollie, or are tentative about your first drop-in on a vert ramp, there is a video out there to help you, no doubt.

Learning To Fall

Ooh, this is a tricky one. One of the easiest ways to learn to fall, is to do so on grass (or a padded pit).

If you wear knee and wrist protection, you can slide, but you may be best off rolling. It's also important not to land on your face, and to brace your abdominal muscles, to help lessen the impact.

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Learning Tricks

If you've already progressed to the point where you've mastered the fundementals of skating - it's now time to learn how to do tricks. Learning tricks is definitely more complex, but it's also more rewarding.

When it comes to learning tricks, it's crucial to either have someone demonstrate them in person, or to at least watch an instructional video.

You'll save yourself a lot of time (and grief) via this method. Back when we were young, you had to learn to ollie the hard way - by falling, a lot.

Now, you can pop over to YouTube, and learn the proper technique for an ollie in just 10 minutes. The more complex the trick, the longer you'll need to spend studying and practicing it, in order to pull it off.

What Is The Easiest Trick To Learn On A Skateboard?

There are many easy tricks to learn on a board but you can't do 90% of them without the ollie.

This simple maneuver is crucial for the rest of your skating arsenal - if you don't master it, it becomes much more difficult to pull off other tricks. Besides the ollie, you can learn manuals, a 180 ollie, a boardslide, switch riding, and kick turns.

These are all pretty basic tricks. However, they will still be challenging for a complete beginner to learn, so be sure to keep that in mind.

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How Do You Skate A Vert For Beginners?

Dropping in on a vert for your first time is definitely nerve-racking. However, it is important to remember that it's not the end of the world.

Go slow, remember to keep your balance, and don't be shy about pushing your foot down hard when you need to. You will mostly struggle with balance - so the more balance you have before going on a ramp, the easier the process will be. Most important, Fully commit to it and send it down.

 

Is Vert Skating Hard?

Yes, most definitely. It takes a ton of practice, and lots of falls.

However, it's not impossible, as you can see from the professionals on TV. It is important to also always wear protective gear, and not progress too fast for your skill level.

 

How To Grind A Rail On A Skateboard

This one is tricky. First, you'll need to be great with ollies and balancing.

After that, you'll need to feel very confident about falling. Because you're going to fall - a lot.

Once you do that, practice somewhere soft and safe, if you can. This will make the progression to a street rail much easier.

Staying balanced on the rail is obviously the hardest part here, so try to learn from other skaters if you can. There are also plenty of great YouTube videos on the topic, so study up.

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Other Factors To Consider

If you want to learn how to skateboard quickly, make sure you wear knee pads, elbow pads, and a solid helmet. Skateboarding tricks can be dangerous, and advanced tricks are even more dangerous.

Make sure you go with the best skateboard you can afford, whether it’s from us, Amazon, or a local skate shop. Even experienced skaters spend a good amount of time falling off their board, so your first skateboard should be pretty sturdy.

Even easy skateboard tricks can make you fall off your board, so try to always skate on a flat surface, free of any obstacles. Longboards are more for cruising, so new tricks are not usually learned on them.

Whether you want to skate fakie, do a frontside nosegrind, or try a heelflip - always wear pads and a helmet. New skateboarders don’t have the muscle memory, and skate shoes will help - as will grip tape.

The basics of skateboarding might be able to be learned in a day, but the skateboarding progression into an expert level rider takes years. Your local skate park is a great place to start, just don’t fall off the front of the board, or slip off with your back foot.

Always remember to commit to it. A half commitment will result in you falling.

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The Bottom Line On Learning Skateboarding In A Day

There you have it - all the info about how to learn to skateboard in a day (the reality is it may take more like 2 weeks, however). Be sure to follow all of these tips and tricks, and not cut any corners.

Always wear proper safety gear too - no matter what level you are skating at. Remember, even the professionals in the X Games wear protective gear.