Skateboarding

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Every time you go to the doctor, he or she probably asks about your “activity level.” To many people, that’s a fancy way of saying exercise, and that may not sound like a whole lot of fun. But the truth is, activity or exercise, or working out or whatever you want to call it can be a blast. And, yeah, it can also help you manage diabetes.

The most important thing is to find something you like to do or would like to learn.   For some kids – whether they have diabetes or not – that’s skateboarding. You can skate by yourself, or with a bunch of buddies. You can skate in your driveway, in the park, or at a place built just for skateboarding—a skate park. It’s fun to do whether you’re taking your first ride or competing in the X Games.   If that’s not enough, skateboarding can help you burn 100 calories or more in just a half hour.   So both you and your doctor will be happy.

How did it all begin?

Imagine your grandmother or grandfather riding a skateboard. It might sound ridiculous, but people who were young in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s did ride skateboards. They didn’t do the acrobatics that you see skaters doing today, though. With skateboards made out of two-by-fours on roller-skate wheels, their goal was simply to still be on the board at the bottom of the hill.

What's happening today?

Now the decks (the flat standing surfaces) of skateboards are usually made of laminated maple with grip tape on the top to increase the friction between the deck and the skater’s feet. That helps you stay on the board.

Metal roller-skate wheels have been replaced with wheels made of polyurethane. Wheels come in different sizes, hardnesses, and are attached to the board with “trucks.” Trucks are the axle assemblies that allow the board to turn. When skateboards had only roller-skate wheels, riders didn’t do much turning. It was straight down the hill and that was about it.

Who's happening today?

The Los Angeles Times newspaper calls Tony Hawk the “king of skateboarding.” Tony has won more medals than anyone else in the X Games. He has 10 gold medals and 16 total. At the 2003 Summer X Games, Tony took home the gold in the “Best Trick” event by becoming the first person in the sport’s history to nail a 900-degree spin within the time limit.

What's all the talk about skateboarding?

In the late 1970s, Alan Gelfand invented a skateboarding move that allows skaters to hop over obstacles and onto curbs. This trick is called the “ollie” because that was Alan’s nickname. Since the ollie is the basis for many other more complicated tricks, we’ll tell you how to do it in the next section.

An “ollie” is a jump performed by tapping the tail of the board on the ground. If the nose of the board is tapped on the ground instead of the tail, it is a “nollie.” When a rider does a “kickflip” it is a variation on the ollie in which the skater kicks the board into a spin before landing back on it.

When riding a skateboard and all four wheels are off the ground it is called “air,” which is short for aerial.

“Backside” describes when a trick or turn is done with the skater’s back facing the ramp or obstacle. Knowing this, it will be easy for you to figure out what a “frontside” is.

“Regular foot” is riding with the left foot forward. Put the right foot forward and it’s known as “goofyfoot.” Pushing with the front foot while the back foot is still on the board is called “mongo-foot.”

A “fakie” is when the skater is standing in a normal stance (regular foot) but the board is moving backward. When the skater does this but with the opposite footing (goofyfoot), it’s called “switch stance.”

When a rider scrapes one or both axles on something like a curb or railing, it is called “grinding.” Grinding on only the front truck while sliding is known as “crooked grinding.” A “50-50-grind” is grinding both trucks equally. “Nosegrind” is grinding only the front truck and grinding only the back truck is a “5-0 grind.”

No doubt this will surprise you. When skateboarding is done on streets it’s called “street skating.” But street skating also includes skating on curbs, benches, handrails, and other parts of a city landscape. Skating on ramps and other vertical structures specifically designed for skateboards is called “vert skating.”

How To Get Started

You’ve bought or borrowed your first skateboard, you’ve been watching skaters at the park and on TV, and now you’re wondering how to get started. First, remember that skateboarding without taking safety precautions is like riding in a car without a seat belt, or jumping out of an airplane with a hole in your parachute. It’s crazy. Read the safety information at the end of this piece before you get on your board.

Before you try anything crazy, you need to get comfortable with your skateboard. Set the board either in some grass or on carpet and try standing on it or jumping on it. Try balancing only on the front or back wheels. Stand on the board and move your feet into different positions. Get used to the feel and size of your board.

Next go out to some pavement or concrete -- maybe a parking lot that no one is using. Get comfortable just like before but this time on a surface where your board can roll. Put the toes of your front foot right on top of the board over the front truck or just a little behind it. Use your back foot to push off. Once you are rolling, put your back foot on the board, too.  When you slow down, use your back foot to push off again.

Once you are rolling you can turn by leaning in the direction you want to turn. A way to turn more quickly is to balance for a split moment on your back wheels, and swing your front wheels the direction you want to go.

Practice, practice, practice to get comfortable doing these things while you’re riding. Don’t get too anxious to do tricks. Spend time learning to skate and then the tricks will come easier.

How do you do that?

Every other air trick that you’ll try is based on this first important skill -- an ollie. You’ve got to perfect this trick so you can move on to others.

1. An ollie is just a leap into the air while keeping the board even or level with your feet. But before you try a full ollie you need to practice your landings. One way to practice landing on your board is to stand beside your skateboard on carpet or grass.   Now, jump onto your board until you land solidly on it every time.
   

2. Another good practice is to try “acid drops” off a curb: Roll off a curb and lift the front wheels a little before you roll off. Always land with your feet directly over the trucks on your skateboard.
   

3. The next step is the jump. Put your back foot just a little over the edge of the tail and your front foot behind the front truck.  Practice bending down and “compressing” the board. Okay, are you ready to get in the air?  In one motion, slam your back foot down on the kicktail and jump into the air. 
   

4. As you jump, slide your front foot up towards the nose. And, just in case you don’t have enough to think about, concentrate on keeping your shoulders in line with the board so you’ll have a good landing and keep going in a straight line.

And that, my friend, is an ollie.

Saftey on a Board

Falling is important. It’s not the falling that’s important but the doing it right. Learning how to fall may keep you from getting hurt badly. You can practice falling on a soft surface or the grass. Here are some hints:

• If you are losing your balance, crouch down on the skateboard so you won’t have as far to fall.
  

• If you fall, try to roll rather than stopping yourself with your arms.
  

• Try to relax your body and not go stiff.

A helmet is a must. It’s common now for skate parks to require helmets and it’s just plain smart.  Make sure your helmet fits snugly but doesn’t block your vision or hearing. And it needs a chin strap.

Pads can help reduce how many injuries you get as well as how bad the injuries are. Knee and elbow pads shouldn’t fit so tightly that they keep you from bending and moving freely. But if they are too loose they might slip off which isn’t good either.

Shoes are important, too. You can buy skate shoes which have large flat bottoms to better grip the board and reinforcements where you’ll likely wear the shoe down. But you can also skate in regular shoes. Find ones with flat bottoms that cover your whole foot. No sandals.

Diabetes Safety on a Board

It may look like you’re just taking a ride but skateboarding can be an intense workout.   So, the same rules that go with diabetes and sports like football, basketball, or soccer are important when you’re skating.

Always check your blood glucose before you start. If it’s too high or low, do what your doctor’s told you to do to take care of it before you head out. Remember, skateboarding takes muscles and burns calories, so don’t be surprised if your bg drops while you’re skating.

Always carry something with you to take care of low blood glucose levels. The glucose tablets you can buy at your drug store or grocery store will fit in your pocket.

Make sure someone you’re skateboarding with knows you have diabetes. You don’t have to tell them your whole life’s history, but take a little time to explain what happens if you go low and how you treat it. And always wear some kind of medical ID necklace or bracelet.

Check, check, and check again. When you stop to catch your breath, grab your meter. Remember that a low bg can feel just like being tired. The only way you can know for sure is to check.

Being thirsty and dry can cause your blood glucose to go high. So drink lots of water before, during, and after skateboarding. (Soda doesn’t count. Sorry.)

Be nice to your feet. You give them quite a workout when you’re skateboarding. Make sure your shoes fit and wear socks.

More Information, Please

You can get more information about skateboarding at libraries, bookstores, or online. Try these websites and have fun learning more about the sport.  

Then go out and have even more fun doing it.

   www.exploratorium.edu/skateboarding

   www.50-50.com

   www.tonyhawk.com

   www.skatelog.com