How Long Does it Take to Learn to Skateboard

If you are reading this, you are probably new to skating and want to know what kind of commitment it is. No one learns everything about skateboarding because there are so many directions you can go. Learning to skateboard is a lifelong process, and there is always something that you can improve on.

Look at this post to determine approximately how much time you need to see progress.

How fast you learn depends on your athletic abilities, time at hand, and commitment. For example, if you only skate one day a week, you will progress slowly, but if you skate at least three times a week, you will be able to track your progress.

It takes years and a lot of practice to fully understand skateboarding, but depending on your athletic abilities and drive, you can learn faster than others.

If you practice every day, you will learn fast. So stick with the basics first, and if you want to learn tricks, then be prepared to have some long sessions with trial and error.

How Long Does it Take to Become Good at Skateboarding

If you have bad coordination and athletic abilities, it will take longer for you to learn skateboarding. If you have good coordination and athletic abilities you will need less time. No matter your current abilities, you will be able to learn skateboarding if you want to.

Averagely it takes about one to 3 years to become good at skateboarding. You can learn a lot of basic tricks in one year, but if you want to learn the more technical tricks, you need to carry on skating for years.

Some people have a knack for skating and how to move; if this sounds like you, then it probably takes a lot less time.

Like all other skills, skateboarding can be learned, and how fast you learn depends on how much you commit. You don't need to be gifted to learn skateboarding; you must practice skateboarding.

In this post, I will assume that you are reasonably athletic and in decent physical shape. If you pick up on a sport, you can at least learn it at an average pace.

Among your group of friends, you might be average in athletic ability. This is the benchmark that this timeline is based on. If you are more athletic or less, you need to consider this.

Let's look at a timeline you can follow as you get better at skateboarding. This timeline is based on a person with zero skating experience.

If you, for example, have used a cruiser board or longboard, your timeline will be shorter than this one since you already know the basics.

Timeline for skateboard progression

This timeline will give you a general idea of how fast you will learn how to skateboard.

Month 0-1

The first month of your skating journey should be about learning the basics of skateboarding, after that, pushing your board, learning to turn, and most importantly, learning how to stop are your priorities.

It is essential to know if you ride goofy or regular; this decides what your front foot is and what is your back foot.

month 2-4

After a month of riding your board, you should be able to do the basics. Now you move on to the fun part, learning how to do basic tricks like a small ollie, kickturn, and riding on skatepark obstacles.

month 5-8

In this period knowing the basics will pay off. Tricks that you ride fakie, shuvit, bigspin, good ollies, and even small boardslides are in your reach.

month 9-12

You have good control of your board and can probably ollie downstairs. Your ollies will be on point, and you can learn to grind rails and curbs. At this point, you can learn tricks like a kickflip or heelflip.

after 1 year

At this point, you probably got all the basics down, and many of the movements will go on muscle memory. Your ollies are nice and poppy; you can land tricks like kickflip often, and learning new tricks feel familiar.

From this point in your skating journey, you can go in which direction you want; many wish to learn old-school tricks, ride halfpipes or bowls, learn advanced tricks or use more time to master the basics. It's all up to you.

If you dare, it is possible that you can learn a tre flip now.

Learning the basics of skateboarding

This list will describe how you can learn the very basics fast. It will show approximately how much time it takes, but remember that you won't master this in such a small amount of time, you need to practice them, and you can constantly improve the basics.

Learn to Balance on Your Board (10Min)

If you are not used to skating, standing on the board can be a real challenge. You should start on a carpet or grass if you are shaky when you try to balance on your board.

Stand on the board and wiggle around; weight shifting is important to get more control over your board.

After you have control on grass or a carpet, try to skate on flat ground. Skating on flat ground is more challenging since your board will move around, but it won't be a problem as long as you are careful. After you have learned this, you can start pushing.

Pushing (20Min)

Learning to push properly is something many new skaters put aside, but being able to push well is a fundamental skill in skateboarding.

You start by placing your front foot on the front bolts, your foot should be pointing in the same direction as your board, and then you push away with your back foot.

When you want to get back on the board with both feet, you need to place your back foot on the board and shift your front foot back to the original position.

New skateboarders might find this challenging but take it at your own pace; if you are learning to skateboard, you need to have patience.

Carving/Turning (15Min)

Carving is how you turn on a skateboard; you need to shift your weight from your toes to your heels, be centered, and shift from your heels to your toes.

Push with your board and lean on your heel side and then your toe side to get the feel. After a short time, you should be able to carve as long as you take it slow.

Stopping/Breaking (5-10Min)

The most important part of skating is knowing how to stop. If you can stop, you can avoid injuries and crashes.

The best way to stop your board is to put your back foot on the ground with light pressure; at first, you will feel how much pressure you need.

Remember to bend your knees and keep your weight on your front foot as you brake.

Total Time of Learning the Basics

Know you have used about 1 hour to learn the basics of skateboarding; was that too hard? Learning the basics is something you will master over time; these 60 minutes won't be enough, but it is enough to have fun on the board.

Learning the basics properly can go much faster if you are dedicated and skate as much as you can; if you don't have time to practice tricks, then maybe you can skate to your next destination instead.

If you practice frequently, you start building your muscle memory. After this is in place, your body will know what to do without thinking about it. Furthermore, it is proven that with frequent repetition, your muscle memory will build faster, which is a massive asset in mastering skating.

Some Extra Tips to Help you Get Started

If you are getting your first skateboard and don't know what to buy, you can go to your local skate shop, and they will happily help you.

You learn much faster if you get help; skating with friends is an excellent way to learn faster, and if you don't have friends that skate, people at skateparks are usually really friendly. It doesn't matter if you are a good skater or not; they will be happy to help.

Learning tricks can be tricky because of fear. An excellent way to remove some fear is by using protection. If you want to learn more about essential protection gear, click here.

Conclusion

If you are motivated, you can learn all the basics in a day. However, knowing the basics isn't the same as mastering them; this will only come with repetition and dedication.

Skateboarding is something you can use your whole life to master, so remember to have patience. Seeing your results is extremely rewarding, and you will quickly fall in love with the sport.