Buying a longboard and learning how to ride can be the first steps in a hobby to which you devote countless enjoyable hours. As a beginner, you can expect that you'll have the occasional fall. Provided that you take the right approach to falling, you'll be able to get back up, dust yourself off, and resume riding. The more you fall, the more you'll get comfortable with it — and this can help you to ride without a high degree of fear about wiping out. While you should always keep your speed and approach to tricks under control as a novice, here are some tips to keep in mind about falling.

Rely On Your Gear

You should never ride your longboard without the proper safety gear. These items are integral for protecting scrapes, cuts, and bruises when you take a tumble. Invest in high-quality safety gear that you can depend on when you slip off your longboard. For example, when you have knee pads and hand protectors and fall off your board, you can try to position yourself to land on your knees and also put your hands down. The cushioned nature of your knee pads will help to absorb the impact of the fall, while placing your protected hands down will allow you to control your body.

Be Aware Of Obstacles

It's ideal to ride your longboard only in areas where there's no traffic. If you're riding on a quiet stretch of the road, for example, you should always identify potential obstacles in advance of taking a run. Knowing where obstacles are will allow you to adjust yourself when you fall. For example, if you're riding close to a curb on an empty stretch of road, you can plan to tumble away from the curb when you slip and fall. Doing so will prevent you from making a hard impact with the curb, which could be painful.

Be Ready To Roll

While you can put your arms out in the event of a low-speed tumble, this may be a bad idea when you're riding at a higher speed. When you fall while moving quickly, you should get into the habit of tucking your arms against your body and rolling in the direction of your fall. Doing so will prevent an arm from getting trapped under your body and twisted. This is a skill that can take some time to master, but you'll be impressed at how quickly you can get back up without any discomfort after a fall.

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