Even though you had a break from school on MLK Day, our skate classes were definitely in session! To recap, keep up the great work arriving on time in your pads and ready to roll. Also, do not forget to rock your Champ Skate Camp shirts!

For our Trick Tip this week we learned all about the manual—also known as the wheelie. Just as in life, the manual is all about keeping our balance. It might seem simple at first, but can actually be very challenging. To perform the manual, we first need to be confident riding forwards. Once we have some momentum, we shift our weight back, causing the front truck to come off the ground. At this point, we are riding on our back two wheels. The secret is to not allow our front two wheels, or the tail of our board, to touch the ground.

Holding a fence or a friend’s hands is the best way to become more comfortable with the manual. We can set small goals for ourselves; first we can try to balance on two wheels for ten seconds, then thirty, and then sixty. When our balance improves, we can try to take our hands off the fence. After we can do a stationary manual, then we can try one while in motion. This is when the fun begins because we can try to go farther and farther with each attempt! The most important thing to remember about manuals is that they will become easier with time. The more we practice, the better control we will have on our boards.

In our closing message, we learned a little bit more about the different genres of skateboarding. We reviewed the differences between street skating, skatepark skating, vert skating, and cruising. The best thing about skateboarding is that we can experiment with different styles to become more well-rounded as a skateboarder. Happy skating!

-Coach Elliott

Balance In Skateboarding And Life