On Mastering Longboard Dancing

What is Longboard Dancing?

Longboard dancing is fundamentally dancing on the board. The emphasis is on smoothly flowing through tricks/moves while carving gracefully and in harmony with those moves. The focus is mostly on footwork: stepping, shuffling, crossing, hopping and even pirouettes. 

Mastery is not learning all the steps/moves/tricks there are - which is nearly impossible - but rather: mastery is being able to freely express yourself through dance on a longboard. You learn more and more moves, whichever you want, in order to unlock more ways to express yourself; to move more freely on the platform. The platform is a longboard instead of a dance floor. 

The Board

The longboard is a dynamic platform; the board is in motion straight, carving and sometimes turning. The position of the steps on the board and the amount of weight applied determines whether the board moves straight, turns or carves and how much it does so. Another factor affecting carving is the width of the board and the wheel base - the wider they are, the easier it is to apply weight heel-side or toe-side to carve deeper. Another factor is the flex and spring of the deck. Decks with more flex are more comfortable for dancing. However, the more flex a deck has, the less responsive it is when attempting to carve. Hence riders who ride hybrid - dance moves and technical freestyle tricks - usually prefer stiffer decks that are also more springy as opposed to saggy. 

Although longboard dancing is typically done on flat ground, the board itself is an uneven platform. The rockers are mostly unnecessary, except for incorporating freestyle skate tricks into one's dancing, usually as finishers in one's combos. Dancing mostly involves stepping on top or within the space between the trucks' bolts. Stepping beyond that safe-zone may result in the rider falling.

The degree of concaveness and flatness of the deck's width affects the feel of carving and makes some tricks easier than others - so there's a bit of a trade-off between very flat, U-shaped concave or W-concave decks. For instance, pirouettes and ghost-ride moves are easier the flatter the deck is. Most stepping and crossing is arguably easier on concave decks because one feels more nested and less likely to slip off while moving fast and carving deep. Ideally you should eventually try out as many decks and wheel setups as possible in their dancing career to find the right board for their style and arsenal of tricks.

Learning Tricks

• When first learning a trick, make sure that you have memorised the steps. Go through the charts here, tutorials and videos if necessary.

• A significant advantage of longboard dancing is its lower risk of injury, compared to most other forms of skating that involve learning tricks. One of the reasons is that almost all moves can be learned stationary, and then moving slowly, and gradually faster.

• It helps to practice on the board stationary. It's a way to more easily memorise the steps of a move practically. Grass or a thick carpet helps to keep the board in place. This shouldn't take more than a few minutes, then you start practicing with the board moving at least at fast-walking speed.

• Don't be concerned with carving stylishly at the beginning, but it's good to apply some carving as soon as possible to avoid somewhat learning the trick twice.

• Gradually practice with the board moving at jogging speeds. The ideal dancing run is something like jogging speeds on a smooth road with a mellow decline that helps maintain the board's speed despite the rider carving. So search for sports like this, otherwise just flat ground will suffice. It's just that you'll have to push the board more often between tricks. You'd also have to push at higher intervals when/if you have to go back up the mellow incline, but at least you had the opportunity to just work on your sequence or focus on getting a move right by repeating it without being interrupted by the board slowing down..

• Legs slightly bent and hands raised increases balance. This is useful for beginners as well as when learning a step that's still difficult to balance for the rider. More experienced riders naturally bend knees and raise hands sparingly; usually when they feel that they're losing balance during a sequence, but it seldom looks noob-ish: flailing arms and bend knees looking like one is walking a tight-rope. 

• Looking down at the board to execute the steps properly helps. One just have to make sure that the area is obstacle free and not crowded. Then gradually develop a quick eye that shifts from looking at the board only when necessary. With experience, where to correctly gaze while dancing becomes instinctual. 

• Loose trucks and soft bushings make the board carve more acutely. However, looser trucks make the board dip to the side your carving quicker, which can be uncomfortable and destabilising. It's best to find the right balance between how loose or tight trucks are and the softness of the trucks' bushings. When learning a trick, tightening the trucks can significantly make improve your balance because it reduces the amount of carving and dipping.

• Wearing protective gear reduces injury and fear thereof. It also increases confidence or a feeling of assurance that you can be less careful, more daring and learn the trick quicker. 

• Use a board setup meant for dancing. Otherwise, use a similar deck that is very long, wide and a bit heavy/hefty. More length affords more space for stepping forward and backwards, which is very useful especially for a beginner. More width provides more area for carving heel-side and toe-side without as much of the feet hanging off the rails of the board. 

Mathematical Symmetry

There's a symmetry to longboard dancing moves that is similar to that found in street skateboarding. Most moves/tricks can be mirrored in stance; footwork can be reversed; and footwork can lean on the heel-side rail or the toe-side rail of the board. This results in most moves having 2, 4, 8, 16 or more variations. 

Every article on this blog will chart out all the variations of the specific trick/move.  Below are illustrations of these elemental modes.

Longboard dancing is a relatively young skating discipline, and so there are many things yet to be discovered and invented. With passion, diligence and a patience you can master any technique and be a pioneer yourself. 

All the best on your journey!