Riding a longboard has become a casual style, and now different styles for riding it are also available but many people find it difficult to figure out the suitable style for them. There are different types of stances for different types of people, for beginners, there are different stances and for professionals, there are different stances.
If you want to learn how to ride a longboard and are a beginner then first you will need to figure out the riding style which is suitable for you. A stance is the position of your body and feet when you ride a longboard, which is a very important thing.
When longboarding it is the only thing that matters as your balance depends on it. In this guide, you will find multiple types of stances and the way how you can figure a correct positioning style for yourself. how to stand on a longboard.
In this guide we have explained how to stand on a longboard. If you want to learn it in detail, we suggest you read this guide till the end to enhance your knowledge. So, let’s begin!
5 Types of Stances for A Longboard
The stance is the basic part of longboarding, it is a way how to position your body while riding a longboard. Well, after learning what a stance is, the next step is to know the types of stances and see if you find a stance suitable for you.
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1. Carving Stance
The carving stance of longboarding is essential if you like moving back and forth. In the carving longboard stance, your front foot is forward at an angle between 45-90. The carving stance requires the participation of your whole body, so make sure while using the carving stance you use your whole body.
While using the carving stance if you just turn or point your shoulders on the side you want to, your hips follow that position automatically. But the thing you should care about is that your head should be up, your eyes should be focusing on the place you want to go, and you should be confident.
Whenever you want to turn to any side make sure you turn your head first, as the head is the main component while longboarding and provides you a proper stance.
While learning how to ride a longboard using a carving stance make sure you have all the safety gears with you such as helmets, knee pads, etc. Because learning longboarding is not so easy for beginners and while practicing they always fell at least one time but these safety measures can save you from any injury falling.
2. Freestyle Stance
The freestyle stance is the stance with you perform some tricks and stunts on your longboard, the freestyle stance mainly depends on the movement of your feet. When using the freestyle stance the front foot is turned about 45 degrees perpendicular to the board, while the balls of both of your feet should hug the pockets of either side of the longboard.
This position while riding the longboard provides you more stability than the position in which you have only one of your feet turned perpendicular to the longboard. This position not only provides you stability while riding the longboard but also allows you to maintain your balance. And gives you full control when you perform some cool tricks or stunts over your longboard.
When you are practicing the freestyle stance make sure that your back leg is at an angle of 90 degrees concerning the ground, and the front leg should be straight. While balancing your foot on the longboard you should know at which part your foot is resting and on which thing you are trying to balance it.
3. Pushing Stance
A pushing stance is the type of stance in which the foot with more power is required, so your foot which can push with more force should be one pushing. And the other which has less power as compared to the other one should be the one that will be used for balancing and steering the longboard.
But some of the longboard riders like to do it the other way, they like to use the pushing stance oppositely. It means they use their less dominant foot for the pushing and use the dominant foot to balance and steer the longboard. If you like it this way then there is no problem, both of the ways are correct.
4. Cruising Stance
The cruising stance while riding a longboard is the least complex of all other stances. The cruising stance requires your front foot to be at an angle between 45-90 degrees to the longboard, while the front foot should be perpendicular to the longboard.
While performing the cruising stance use your back leg to act as a fulcrum and use your front leg to provide you enough torque so you can turn. This is usually not used for performing any tricks or stunts, it is mostly used when you are just riding the longboard. If you want to improve your cruising stance make sure you use your front foot for carving.
When using the cruising stance make sure your feet are positioned correctly on the longboard at distance wider than your shoulders. The distance between the front and back trucks of the longboard should be equal. And your knees should be a little bend because it helps to maintain your balance on the longboard. You should keep in mind to never lean forward or backward, your body should be in a neutral position to avoid falling.
Moreover, whenever you see a bump or any obstacle then leaning would be beneficial as it helps to maintain your balance on the longboard.
5. Braking Stance
Most people prefer the braking stance over the other stance, in the braking stance the rider keep balance by placing his weight on the plant foot and using the other foot for braking called the pushing or braking foot. If you want to use the braking stance make sure the knee of your plant foot is lowered, and the pushing foot is touching the ground with your heel.
The mistake that most people make while performing braking stance is that they put all of their weight on the braking foot. It will be very wrong to do that because it is basically like stepping off the longboard, and this mistake can also become an accident so stay focused.
If you are a beginner and want to learn the braking stance make sure you maintain your balance correctly with the front foot on the longboard. And use your back foot to slide to the ground. First, start with maintaining your balance while riding the longboard skateboards, and then start trying the braking system.
How to Choose A Position for Longboarding
Many people face many difficulties to figure out a perfect stance for themselves, which will be more comfortable for them. If you want to learn how to properly stand on a longboard, you need to know about the right position to stand on the longboard and follow up the steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Find the Dominant foot
For choosing a stance for the longboard first you will need to find which of your foot should be front or back. To find this find your dominant foot of yours, if your dominant foot is the right foot then it will be the front foot otherwise left foot will be the front foot. And the less dominant foot will be used for pushing, it is because the dominant foot works well to balance.
But if you don’t know which of your foot is the dominant one then you can test yourself. Keep both of your feet together and slowly start leaning yourself towards a plant, keep leaning until you feel an urge that you might fall and you have to save yourself.
When you save yourself from falling notice which foot down first to save yourself, that foot is your dominant foot and should be the front foot while longboarding.
Step 2: Placement of feet
The foot which should serve as the front foot should be the one that contains less force, it should be placed at the front side of the longboard at an angle of 45 degrees. While your foot that contains more force than the other one is the back foot, it should be placed at the back of the longboard. The back foot must be positioned in such a way that it is perpendicular to the deck of the longboard.
Step 3: Distance between the feet
The distance between the feet is really important. While riding a longboard make sure that your feet are farther away than the width of the shoulder. The distance between the feet is essential because it helps the rider to balance the longboard well. If the feet are not apart then you may not be able to balance it well making it hard for you to turn the longboard to your desired side.
Step 4: How to Balance
Most people find it very difficult to maintain their balance on the longboard. Well, it is fine if it is your first time. If you practice regularly then it will be a lot easy for you to learn how to maintain your balance on the longboard.
While practicing to balance yourself on the longboard make sure you stay fully focused, and whenever you feel you are losing your balance start bending your knees a little. At first, you will be worried when losing balance and would start to think about what to do, but once you start regular practice then whenever you feel an urge to achieve balance you knew would bend automatically.
Step 5: Positioning your Hips and Shoulders
The position of your hips and shoulder are as important as the position of the head. When riding a longboard make sure the direction of the hips and shoulder is not different, it should be the same at any cost. The direction of the hips and shoulders is important because if they are in the same direction it makes it easy for the rider to push, cruise, or carve the longboard.
Importance of Arms while standing on A Longboard
When riding a longboard the usage of arms is also very important, it is because it provides great stability and strength. If you are good at longboarding at performing tricks like jumping then using your arms would be great.
If you bend and stretch your arms whenever you jump, this adds more power to your jump. If you hold your arms in the direction of the rotation then it would assist to reinforce the action. Whenever you bend down or balance your weight over the longboard make sure you utilize your arms.
If you are using any stance, the correct posture of your arms would improve the overall result of the stance.
FAQs
Is it easy to balance a longboard?
Yes, it is very easy to balance a longboard because it consists of a much wider and longer standing platform.
How to balance a longboard properly?
It is very easy to balance if you stay confident and do not tighten your muscles because they can affect your stance.
How can we stand downhill on a longboard?
When standing downhill on a longboard the distance between your legs should be shoulder-width apart. Your back knee should rest against the calf of the front foot. The chest should be as close to the thigh as it can. Hold this position correctly as long as possible to stand downhill on a longboard.
Which thing affects the balance?
The sense of balance relies on your brain, as long as your mind is comfortable you will not lose your balance.
Can your balance be affected by the eyes?
You’re balancing while longboarding can be affected by the eyes. The eyes play a significant role in balancing the longboard. It is because about twenty percent of the nerve fibers of the eyes interact with the vestibular system.
Conclusion
How to stand on a longboard is an easy task but balancing your body with that stance is a little complex. In this guide, some basics about many positions are explained, such as how you can stand on a longboard, and even how you can choose a stance.
You can find a stance that is comfortable for you and make you feel confident. But whenever you practice one of the stances make sure you have someone with you to coach you that can help you with your posture, foot distances, etc.
I hope you have gained some information from this guide that can help you with longboarding.
