Hi, I’m Jess and I’m the resident longboarder here at Twelve Board Store Australia! Now that summer is almost here, it is getting to longboard/skate season! Everyone wants to be a skater and luckily, this means that many more girls are getting into longboarding and skate culture! Woo Hoo!
To be a skater girl, you'll have to develop a certain attitude and adopt the style. Most importantly, you're doing this for yourself and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Getting a good board also helps a LOT! Here are my tips when buying and riding your new board!
- Start off with a good longboard. No cheap ones from Rebel Sport. Although they are $50 dollars and can be tempting, don't buy one there. Get one from a good skate store. ( AHEM! *Cough* Twelve Board Store) We ladies tend to focus on what the board looks like, and how pretty the board looks, but have you considered how it feels under your feet??... Come into store and dont be afraid to say, "Hey, I'm new at this stuff and I was wondering..." and take into consideration the advice given. Step on boards and try it out! Every board is different!
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Get some safety gear. A helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, etc! Especially when you are a beginner. This is your experiment stage. Who cares if you look “silly” with a helmet on! Why risk your own head or road rash for looks when you could suffer major permanent damage or scars.
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Get good skate shoes. Suede and leather are more durable than canvas. Emerica, Etnies, Vans, Globe all make good skate shoes.
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Start off slow. Cruise around until you are comfortable. Also, you might want to figure out your stance. Regular is riding with your left foot forward and pushing with your right foot. Goofy is riding with your right foot forward and pushing with left foot. Pushing Mongo (with your front foot) is a bad habit to get into, because you don't have as much balance, and it takes longer to get into a cruising stance from a pushing stance.
- Get some skate friends. Once you know a thing or two about skating, find some friends who are willing to join you. It's definately more fun to be skating with others! Sunset Skate Sessions is Melbourne’s Longboard Crew and sessions are on every Sunday! Girls Only Sessions are starting up real soon on Saturdays!
So come into store, get your new longboard and come skate with me!
Jesslyn x
Ppssstttt: My personal favourite for cruising! Arbor Axis Premium. Come in store and try it out!
