Photo by Oleg Ivanov from Unsplash
One of the most mentally challenging parts about skateboarding is forcing your body into doing something that it naturally tries to get away from. You have to overcome the instinct to lean a certain way, throw yourself into a move, and commit if you’re going to be successful! And nowhere else in skating will you have to overcome the natural inclination to bail than in dropping in on a skateboard.
Learning how to drop in on a skateboard is challenging, but oh so worth it in the end! You gain access to new areas of the skatepark, which will open up more opportunities for you to add in additional tricks and strengthen your skateboarding skills. But how do you do it? That’s the million-dollar question.
In short, you drop in on a skateboard by overcoming the internal voice that tells you that “you can’t do it” and you commit. That has to be a fundamental part of your learning progression. But if you need more guidance, we got you! Keep reading to learn the details of how to complete your first drop in on a skateboard.
Skills to Master Prior to the Dropping in on a Skateboard
Before you taxi up to the edge of a half pipe or a bowl, let’s be sure that you have the basics down first. If you’re brand new to skateboarding, it may be a better idea to make sure that you feel comfortable with the following before attempting to drop in:
- Balancing: Being comfortable on your skateboard is a must. Ensure that your balance is dialed and that you feel at home on your board.
- Turning: Once you’ve gotten into the bowl or half pipe, it’s important that you are able to turn your skateboard to avoid other riders and maneuver around obstacles.
- Pumping: A really good skill to learn prior to dropping in is to pump. Find a section of rollers where the pavement gently rises and falls in succession. You can gain more speed without pushing your board by lowering your weight on the downhill part of the roller and rising it back up on the uphill part. By transferring your weight up and down in sync with the roller, you’ll gain more speed as well as an awareness of how your body weight affects the movement of your skateboard, with is imperative when learning to drop in.
- Stopping: Please be sure that you know how to stop! Stopping is key to maintaining a safe environment when learning how to drop in. If you’re lucky enough to have a private area, bowl, or half pipe to learn in, you won’t have to worry about running into other skaters as much. However, if you’re learning in a public place, be responsible and know how to stop your skateboard safely.
Find a Suitable Practice Location
Dropping in on a skateboard requires that you find a spot that has an incline to it with a lip at the top. The best place to learn the basic body movements is at a skatepark, but if you’re not able to get to one all the time, you can easily practice in a driveway. As long as there is some sort of incline, you’ll be able to practice the movements so that when it’s time to drop in on steeper features, your body will be comfortable with the motions.
Make sure that wherever you’re riding is clear of obstacles. Ensure that you have plenty of space to drop in as well as bail! And never drop in when there is a potential for a collision, whether that be with another person or a moving car.
Photo by Lucie Delavay from Unsplash
How to Drop in on a Skateboard Practice Progression
Now that we’ve gotten some of the fundamental information out of the way, let’s get started learning how to drop in on a skateboard! Follow these steps and master each one before moving onto the next as they are meant to build on one another.
- Flat ground step on: Start on flat ground. Place your board on the ground and step on the tail to pick the front wheels up off the ground. When you’re ready, step on the front bolts of your skateboard and lean forward to push the front wheels down to the ground. Repeat until you feel comfortable doing that!
- Add in some incline: Once you’ve mastered the step on in a flat environment, let’s move onto a slight incline. This can be a driveway or a small ramp at a skatepark. In either case, you want to have an incline that isn’t too steep so that your body can get used to the sensation of moving after you step on the deck. Position yourself at the top of the incline and go through the same motions as mentioned in the first step. Roll to the bottom of the incline and then repeat until you feel comfortable stepping on and immediately rolling away.
- Quarter pipe: After you’ve nailed dropping in on a small incline, it’s time to attempt dropping in on a quarter pipe. This time will be much more mentally challenging as you’ll be higher up and there will be a much steeper descent than you’re used to. Just remember to stay balanced on the board and to relax! Being tense will only result in you wanting to bail once the board gets moving, which will throw off your balance.
Go through the same motions as mentioned in step one. The only difference here is that you’ll place the tail of your board and your back wheels on the lip of the quarter pipe, and you’ll let the deck of your board hang out over the quarter pipe. When you’re ready, step on like you’ve practiced. Transfer your weight from your back foot to the front and let the board speed you away down the quarter pipe!
Final Thoughts
Dropping in on a skateboard is one of the best feelings in the world. It’s a rush to gain so much speed in such a short amount of time. Plus, you’ll be able to add in so many more tricks and areas to skate to your sessions, which will help you progress even more in your skating journey.
Go out and practice! Get your reps in and with time and patience, you’ll be able to drop in on your skateboard in no time. Let us know how it goes by dropping a comment below!