Skateboarding is an incredibly fun sport. Its become so popular that is has evolved from something just for teens to a full-blown sport for adults, too. Some people even make a living with skateboarding (think Tony Hawk)! And the great news is it's something anyone can learn. But - it takes years of practice if you want to be a pro skater, so that's some bad news. It will require tons of hard work and sacrifice, but if you have the desire - then you can read some great tips to get you started.

It's smart to use the right skating gear. You may initially feel a bit uncool wearing the protective and safety gear like elbow pads, knee pads, shin guards, and brain box (helmut). However, if you're really new to the sport, very quickly you'll be happy for wearing that gear. But you will discover your travel time will be less than your recovery time. Just like it was when you learned to ride that bike. Properly stopping your board will most likely give you more troubles than you want. After a while, you may want to take off your protective/safety equipment. But the helmut is still advisable to wear. You only have one brain. So it's best to protect it should you ever seriously fall off. It's definitely best to buy your first board at a skaters shop and not a department store. It's just that the people at a skate shop will know what you need to start with. You'll see a lot of new people using an ABEC board, at first. But it's good to try different styles and weights so you can really find one that works best for you. You'll find people in skating shops know more and usually are skaters, so they'll be better able to help you. Pay attention when these experts give you advice and guidance on your board selection. They'll have all the inside scoop for you!

Get an idea of how you want to stand on your skateboard. There are a lot of different stances skateboarders can use either for just cruising along or doing tricks. The easiest thing to do is stand on your board and just be still. Stand on your board and look for the best and most comfortable position for you. Now all you need is to determine how you'll be pushing off to get some speed. Then push-off with your favorite foot, but there's no concern about speed or distance. You can push-off in different ways, but just find a way that doesn't put you on your face.

If you don't practice, though, even the basics can seem tough. No one will ever be a pro the first time out skateboarding. Be patient and learn how to control that board. You control the board, if not - the board controls you, and that's a recipe for getting hurt.