Besides good health, skaters need to be flexible in order to handle different tricks and older skaters can not be as flexible as younger riders. These reasons may slow older skaters down in their learning progress and some even give up it easily.
As long as you have overcome the embarrassing feeling when you pick up a skateboard and go to the skate park for the first time, you will be good to go. To help the old geezers learn to skateboard easily, I would like to show them some useful tips below based on my experience, observation, and what I have learned at SkateAdvisors.
SAFETY GEAR AND PROPER SHOE MATTER
As your body is not flexible as it used to be, you will be more prone to injuries than younger skaters and the injuries often take longer to heal. Hence, it is crucial to wear protective equipment all the time so that your body can handle a big impact or to avoid common damages.
For the majority of skaters, a helmet, wrist guards, knee pads, elbow pads, and padded shorts are all it takes to stay safe while skating. However, middle-aged skaters are advised to wear butt pads to minimize injuries while falling.
At this age, your joints and knees can not be strong so you had better invest in quality shoes for good cushioning. Since your body needs more time to recover, wearing protective gear is totally necessary, see also: https://skateadvisors.com/blog/skateboard-purpose/protective-gear. Also, never waste money on cheap gear unless you want to end up in the hospital when they break due to a normal impact.
DO A PROPER INSPECTION OF YOUR GEAR AND OTHER TOOLS
Before heading for the skating session, you had better check the gear carefully to ensure that they are in the best condition. In common, wheels, bolts, trucks, and the deck are all the parts that need close attention so that any sign of wearing out can be detected.
It is also popular for skaters to choose the right tightness of their skateboard trucks depending on which style they are going to skate. Tighter trucks are harder to control while loose trucks can be turned easily but you will need to sacrifice the balance.
I strongly recommend older skaters to practice somewhere around other people so that there will be an immediate help in case of accidents. If you want to skate by yourself somewhere empty, remember to bring a phone with you. Furthermore, bringing along a skate tool may be extremely useful when the board breaks down in the middle of nowhere.
To learn about different accessories needed for your skating session, why don’t you take a look at the suggestions on SkateAdvisors - a popular skateboarding site for both newcomers and pro skaters.
GET THE RIGHT SKATEBOARD WITH DECENT TRUCKS
Skateboards with the size between 8.25 to 8.5 will be perfect for elderly skaters since bigger boards are more stable but you may need some time to learn how to control one. As reported by many skaters at this age group, skating with a large deck feels pretty strange but the trucks are quite stable to help them keep the balance.
GET STARTED ON GRASS OR A CARPET
Taking the board out for a ride immediately can be dangerous, especially when you have no idea of how to ride a skateboard properly. For instance, some people step on a skateboard and it slips away. Consequently, falling is inevitable and this is not preferred by old skaters.
For this reason, starting on the grass or a carpet with a lot of friction is the best way to get to know your skateboard. Feel free to lean forward or backward or even try to jump off the board to test how it feels. With this method, you can get used to your board even in your room on a rainy day.
RECORD YOUR PERFORMANCE
You can not tell the part of the technique you are doing incorrectly when you are doing it; however, when watching your performance again, it will be much easier to point it out. Newbies often mimic what they learn from pro skaters so this way will enable them to recheck their posture and position.
WARMING UP PROPERLY
All sports require a correct warm-up session to stretch the muscles and get the joints ready for different activities. Don’t skip this part since it helps you a lot in reducing the severity of injuries and it only takes about 5 to 10 minutes.