How did a skateboard help an athlete master surfing? Personal story

Skateboarding is one of the extreme sports that has been popular in all countries of the world for decades. Some people ride their boards on roads, while some prefer special tracks with obstacles and slopes where they can perform tricks.

It is believed that skateboarding appeared in California during periods when surfers waited for big waves. Athletes skated on the roads, because they did not want to part with the board neither on the sea nor on land. It follows that sliding on the waves began earlier than on asphalt, and significantly. Someone calls Tahiti the birthplace of surfing, and someone calls the Hawaiian Islands, but all agree that it has existed for many centuries.

Despite this historical arrangement, the widespread popularity of surfing came much later. The name of the sport literally means “sliding on the surface”, it is achieved with the help of special boards made of wood or fiberglass. Now this incredible spectacle with tricks and maneuvers is available in many major cities, even if the ocean is far away.

Catch a wave or make a cool flip on a skateboard: why choose, if you can combine? Our hero Alexander Makhov did just that: he didn’t stop at skateboarding and started surfing, and he will tell you how it went.

skateboarder and surfer, surfing coach at the artificial wave of Freezone Park.

I started skateboarding as a child. One day after school a classmate called me to join his company, and that’s when I tried it for the first time. At first I couldn’t even ride in a straight line. I saw guys trying to master jumps and tricks, and I wanted to do the same. It’s been 20 years since then, and I’m still skateboarding. But who doesn’t want to try something different? I wanted to learn surfing.

How does a skateboarder become a surfer?

It all started when an artificial wave opened near my house. A friend told me they were looking for instructors. I passed the test, and they hired me. I got into the very first set of trainers.

It was not as easy as it looked at first glance. Because of my lack of experience I couldn’t stand up on the board, “sinking my nose” and falling a lot. When I managed to get up, I was able to ride quite quickly. I think my balance, developed over the years of skateboarding, helped me. However, I had problems with technique at the time: I didn’t understand where and which hand to use, everything seemed very awkward.

This was a real challenge for me: I had to understand in a short period of time not only how to skate myself, but also how to teach others.

When you become more confident on the board, you feel your abilities on the wave multiply. You can make sharper, faster turns, try your first tricks. Then you get the maximum pleasure from riding. Some elements were easier, some didn’t work at all and I didn’t understand how everything worked. This only spurred me on and motivated me to try again and again.

Half a year later, the first results appeared – I was doing all the basic elements and rotations. It’s important to note that my skater’s past probably helped me in my rather rapid progress.

First surfing competitions

Later I decided to take part in competitions. I registered in the PRO category because my level had grown over 2.5 years. I didn’t expect any huge results. I just needed to calmly roll out my attempts.

I opened the category, and my first attempt was not even halfway through. Frankly speaking, I was surprised by a rather high score for what seemed to me to be a not very successful experience. The score for my second attempt was even higher, although I didn’t perform what I had prepared in my routine. Then I realized that everything was not so bad and I had every chance to win.

There were a couple of good runs in the final, but I failed two attempts. Despite this, I took first place on the sum of the best rides and won my first surfing competition. Of course, I was happy with this result. A worthy assessment of my efforts!

Does experience in skateboarding help in surfing?

Experience on other boards should help due to similar stance and trying to keep your balance. But it’s worth noting that it may be difficult for someone to switch to surfing because of slight changes in foot placement and weight distribution. In this case, habits from other sports can get in the way. But it depends on the person: some people get used to it quickly, and past experience only helps them.

Do not lose the moment and expand your horizons, look for new hobbies, sports and hobbies that will give unforgettable impressions and emotions. Perhaps you should try skateboarding or surfing? There’s a good chance you too will be drawn into the world of skateboards or waves.