When I first started learning to ride a longboard I followed these instructions by Tom Worsley, and they work:

If you wanna race, there is no alternative to footbraking. Period.

If you find that you "need to buy a new helmet every time you try footbraking", then you are probably trying to run before you can walk. Learning to footbrake starts at home, NOT on the hill. Footbraking is not difficult to learn, Luke taught me how to do it in about 20 minutes, here is how:

1. First you need to "think" about your pushing foot, because this will become your braking foot eventually.

Get used to riding your board around town - make a point about skating to places you would normally drive or catch the bus to. Every push you make builds up practice, and you will soon get the feel of dropping your foot on and off the board. Every push you make is different, you will adjust each push to take into account the different terrain coming up ahead, road surface? manholes? kerbs? old ladies?... If you hit a nice smooth section then you will get in a few good hard pushes to build up some speed. If there are obstacles ahead, then you will probably push more gently - whatever you do, just really think about the nature of the contact between your foot and the ground. Footwear is important, wear a skate shoe, not a Luge boot. No fancy rubber either, just the sole of your skate shoe is needed. Leave your leathers a home too, just a piss-pot helmet will do.

At some point, you will inevitably have to slow down and loose some speed to avoid something up ahead. You will have to make the snap decision, get off and run it out, or try to footbrake?

If you have been out practising like I suggested above, you will have the confidence to get that foot on the floor and begin to brake, but most importantly you will know what to expect as you will be quite familiar with the nature of the contact between your foot and the ground. You know that if you stick it down too hard, it will grip like hell and pitch you off, so what do you do? Brake gently!

2. Braking Gently (First start the 20 minute countdown timer). Right then, any patch of flat tarmac will do for this. First push off slowly, and get comfortable on your board - Then, keeping your weight over your "standing" foot, gently lower your braking foot onto the floor. you may find it easier to brace your hands over your "standing" knee. You need to slightly "roll" your braking foot onto the floor, imagine it is you finger doing a "finger print" roll, curl your toes upwards inside your shoe and "roll" the ball of your foot onto the ground, heel-end first.

The most important thing here is DO NOT TRY TO STOP YET, just get used to scrubbing off a bit of speed with your foot, then putting it back onto the board and continue to roll along. (Having been doing all that skating practice around town, you should be well used to putting your foot on and off your board by now). Keep practising this at WALKING PACE until you get used to the "transition" of contact as you roll that foot down. (Remember thinking about that pushing foot earlier?). Do this for 10 minutes solid.

Next, take it a little faster STILL ON FLAT GROUND, and try progressively braking to a stop. Once you have got your braking foot scrubbing on the ground, gently increase the pressure until you stop. You will find that your "Standing" foot will stride ahead a little, as your braking foot drifts back because of the drag. Try to keep our "standing foot" slightly ahead of your braking foot. You will also find that your board will try to steer towards your braking foot as you shift your weight between the two feet, but, just roll your standing foot to the side to correct the steering. Do this for 10 minutes solid.

You can now footbrake! (All be it slowly). The 20-minute countdown timer will now have reached zero. You can footbrake a bit, but you will need a lot more practice about town before you can attack Gurston with it.

3. Now go and find something with a gentle slope, roll down it, but not any faster than you were trying on the flat. Practice braking from a brisk walking pace, you will find that it now takes longer to stop as you have a bit of gravity pushing you own the hill, you will also find that you are able to brake little harder to compensate for this. Keep practising until you can scoot to a halt from jogging speed, gradually start braking from faster speeds, but DONT try anything too ambitious, otherwise you will be shopping for another helmet. Start to set yourself targets like "I'm going to stop before the next lamp-post", this will give you a better indication of your braking distance and ability.

Take this new skill out skating about town. You will be begin to instinctively drop a foot to avoid that granny, or that dog, or that kerb. You will now be able to stop for a kebab, without first demolishing the queue.

Being able to footbrake will really liberate your skating, giving you confidence to skate fast and look cool, without the embarrassment of having to leap off and run like a spakker every time a tramp jumps in front of you trying to sell you last-weeks "Big Issue".

Get the basics right around town first, then get out there and start bombing those hills!

Ride hard, stay safe.

Tom W.

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UKGSA Forum Topic: Jason's new #ahem# stand-up board