As a professional longboarder, I am very aware of many longboarding techniques, and power sliding is one of the most important. From the beginning, power sliding has been a very immediate aim of my game. It seems to be very much scary for any beginner, I admit.
how to power slide on a longboard?
Sliding on a longboard, known as power sliding, is an impressive skill that combines speed, balance, and style. It’s not only a fantastic way to stop quickly but also adds flair to your longboarding. This skill is accessible to riders of all levels, from those just starting to experienced enthusiasts looking to refine their technique. Here, we’ll guide you through four straightforward tricks to get you power sliding on your longboard in no time.
In addition to looking cool, it is one of the most fundamental tricks for stopping and slowing down your longboard. You can do a power slide on a longboard by getting a bit of speed on a small slope and releasing the pressure on your back foot.
What is Power Sliding
Power sliding on a longboard can be defined as pushing a board 90 degrees across the road so that the wheels of the longboard no longer start skidding and spinning. The friction produced in this way makes you lose speed, as it is an effective way to stop and slow down.
How to Do a Power Slide on a Longboard
Power sliding seems intimidating at the very initial stage, specifically if you are not a fearless teenager or a beginner. However, it is a technical trick that needs patience and practice.
So let’s learn how to power slide on a longboard.
Getting Ready to Slide
Before attempting any slides, ensure your longboard and gear are suitable. A longboard with a sturdy deck and good grip tape, along with quality wheels, makes learning much easier. Don’t forget protective gear, including a helmet, knee pads, and gloves, to keep you safe.
2. The Coleman Slide
One of the first slides many riders learn is the Coleman Slide. It involves placing one hand on the ground to stabilize and guide your slide. Begin with a moderate speed, crouch down, and place your back hand on the ground behind you, using it to guide your turn. As you lean into the slide, allow your board to drift sideways. This move is excellent for slowing down quickly and can be performed at higher speeds once you’re comfortable.
3. The Push-Up Slide
Similar to the Coleman but with both hands on the ground, the Push-Up Slide offers more stability and is ideal for beginners. Start by gaining a bit of speed, then crouch and extend both hands towards the ground, pushing your board outwards with your feet. This slide gives you a safe way to practice sliding without committing fully to one side.
4. The Pendulum Slide
The Pendulum Slide is all about swinging your board back and forth in a fluid motion. Begin at a comfortable speed, initiate a toe-side slide, and then quickly shift your weight to perform a heel-side slide in the opposite direction. This trick requires a bit of practice to master the timing and weight distribution but is incredibly satisfying once achieved.
5. The Stand-Up Slide
For those who want to slide without the aid of their hands, the Stand-Up Slide demands good balance and control. Start by picking up speed, then shift your weight to the front foot while slightly bending your knees. Initiate the slide by pushing out your back foot, controlling the slide’s angle and duration with your body weight and foot pressure.
Practice Makes Perfect
Mastering these slides takes practice, patience, and a bit of courage. Start slowly, focusing on the technique rather than speed, and gradually increase your pace as you become more confident. Remember, safety is paramount, so wear your protective gear and practice in a safe, traffic-free area. With time and practice, you’ll find yourself power sliding like a pro, adding a new level of excitement and control to your longboarding experience.
Get some speed
Let’s move on to the preparation of power sliding!
At a very initial step, you have to go for some decent speed as sliding is the name of the much more leisurely and more pace you opt for; the wheels of your longboard will lose traction and break out in this process. So wheels options play an important role in it so you have to be careful in choosing a brand.
Therefore, beginning on a steep enough hill will be an ideal option. So on wet terrains and surfaces, you should go on for a lesser speed.
Toe side pre- carve
When you are getting speed by starting, press up your toes and lean your whole body forward to initiate the fas toeside turn. A pre-carve is critical to breaking up the traction during the next turn.
So if you go for a regular footer, doing the toe side of turn means you are moving forward. While if you are goofy, you should go to the right side of the road.
Moreover, doing the carve turn, start setting up your upcoming slide. Place your front foot an equal distance on the longboard trucks in a symmetrical position at a slight angle. You can enjoy a stable ride when you keep your foot closer to each other.
Heelside carve
When you are close to the side of the road, turn again to carve on the side. Put your heels over the edge slightly on your board to have leverage by bending your knees to get low speed on your longboard.
Lowering your center of gravity is essential as sliding needs compression and depression moves to get a smooth and even ride.
Ending the slide
Sliding after a few seconds, you must balance yourself by facing down the hill backwards. Now you must return to the normal stance and attain sliding.
Moreover, always remember that at this stage, you will drift across the road and push your body evenly on both legs with your whole body weight.
Tips and Common Mistakes That Riders Do While Powersliding
Learning how to do a power slide on a longboard is not easy because it needs practice and patience.
So most riders make the following mistakes more or more often.
- Pivoting your front truck with the back of longboard wheels coming off the ground is the most common mistake, instead of sliding out the board.
So it is better not to put so much weight on the front of the longboard.
- Before kicking out, you do good heelside carve or kick out your board with your back foot when riding straight.
- Once you start sliding and kick out, if you are leaning back enough, it is not right to do so. Leaning back is problematic as it needs commitment and trust.
Equipment Needed for Power Sliding
Although you can do power sliding with any longboard, some longboards, wheels, and trucks make the task easy.
Flexy deck
Learning to power slide can be easy with the flexible deck in the longboard. With the help of this feature, you can learn how to ride at low speed even when you have a stiffer board if you start to longboard at a higher rate.
Symmetrical top mounts
The best option for power sliding on a longboard can be entertaining with the higher center of gravity and pigtails because it is easy to slide as it offers more torque over the wheels.
Smaller sides wheels
Small sides and set wheels in the longboard make the powerslide technique very easy to deal with and initiate.
A side set means the wheel’s core is placed on the edge closer to the ground.
So harder wheels with a durometer of 78 A are the best option for power sliding.
Turny trucks
Power sliding can be learned with any truck, but turn trucks like Gullwing Sidewinder are ideal for this trick.
FAQs
Can you power slide on a longboard?
You can quickly move on the power slide on the longboard with smaller side wheels. The smaller compact tach makes learning easy on power sliding on the longboard.
How do you wheel slide on a longboard?
The key to wheel slide on the longboard is to keep your weight forward, dont back away from the sliding, and keep balance on the front trucks of the longboard.
Is it has to power slide?
Yes, power sliding is brutal to learn, especially for beginners; starting with foot braking on the longboard is recommended.
Final Words
So learning to power slide, especially for beginners, is a game of skill building and patience. You might think it’s all about sheer guts as it’s a highly tricky skill that needs expertise, transitions fluidly, and mastering the consequences of balanced positions.