Writer: Doug Quimby

Spring is here, which means it’s time to grab your skateboard that has been collecting dust and bring it out into the world. But before you hop on your board and start skating like you never missed a day, I’ve got some tips that may help your skate season be the best one yet.Before you go skating you should always watch some skate videos and we live in a great time for that. YouTube has almost any skate video you can think of. Whether it’s watching some of your favorite videos from the past or the amazing videos coming out now a days, you’ll be eager to go hop on your board.

One thing I started to do before every skate session is stretch. Although it was something we all hated to do in gym class, I have realized it actually helps that soreness you get after skating all day. The worst thing is waking up the next day for work and being completely sore. I always stretch my legs and back. Some forward lunges help loosen the legs. Twisting your upper body stretches your sides and back. Don’t forget the all time favorites, touching your toes and stretches your calf muscles. Skating will take its toll on the body, so be nice to it and stretch it out.

The beginning of the year is the best time to start learning some new tricks, and perfecting the old ones. The best spot to do that is on flat ground. There’s a good chance you may fall a lot your first few sessions back, so why not try to be as close to the ground as you can for that. Then once you start getting those tricks down consistently, you’ll have a lot more confidence when it comes time to start trying them down some stairs and gaps. You don’t want to try to figure out a new trick while throwing yourself down something. Trust me its not worth it. It can also be a great time to work on style. I know i’ll be working on 360 flip with the front foot catch because they just look so nice.

Doing these at the beginning of last spring really helped my skating for the rest of the year. With the weather warming up, what are some of the first things you want to do when you hop on your board?