Almost all professional skateboarders who heavily depend on various skateboard parts and accessories say that kick-turning is the most basic skateboarding skill.
According to the stats, out of 10 professional skateboarders, 8 of them have successfully done it on their skateboard once. Kick-turning might appear a little confusing in the beginning, but with constant practice one can definitely master this art.
There aren’t really many pre-requisites for kick-turning except the fact that one needs to have the right equipment and confidence. Following is a step-wise procedure to help you achieve excellence.
1. Try balancing yourself on two wheels. You can do this anywhere where your skateboard won’t roll much like in your living room, on the grass etc. Now try to stand on the skateboard by placing your back foot across the board’s tail and your front foot just behind the bolts that are present for the front trucks. This is known as the basic Ollie stance.
Try shifting your weight on the board’s tail. It can feel scary, but do not freak out!
2. This next step is a wise trick which generally only those people know that sell skateboard parts and accessories. Stand on the skateboard and place your back foot across the board’s tail. Place your front foot on the board’s nose in the similar way. Now, try to walk with this posture of yours. You can do so by simply shifting your weight on one foot and then swinging your other foot forward while still keeping it on the skateboard.
3. Now you are actually ready to make it happen. So, simply stand on your board and place your back foot across your board’s tail and your place your front foot on or just behind the board’s front trucks. Try shifting your weight little-by-little on the skateboard’s tail so that you can bring the boards’ nose up and off the ground. With the boards’ nose is in air, you would also have to push the board’s nose little behind you with your toes.
4. Practising the above step will make you perfect in front-side kick-turns. Although you will be able to push your board only a little in the beginning, but gradually you might see a 90 degree turning of your board. If you feel like doing the back-side turn, then the principle of doing that remains almost the same. In this case, however, the skateboard is pushed with the heel. Doing so will ultimately make the skateboard do a back-side kick-turn.
The above steps thus instil a basic knowledge about kick-turning. However, one actually learns when he/she is out on the streets and doing it. So, practice as much as you can and try to stay confident. Don’t lose faith. You may fall a couple of times and you may even feel as if you are not getting anywhere, but just don’t give up.