Intro
Knowing what pavement to use and where to learn how to longboard is essential when you're new to longboarding. Whether you want to do freeride or downhill, finding the perfect spot can be tricky! In each of the categories I listed, I'll give some advice on how to find the perfect spot to practice freeride and downhill!
Freeride
I consider freeride to be the best place for beginners to start if they want to be confident going fast down a hill. The best spots I've found to learn freeride are neighborhoods and parks. If you can find a neighborhood with smooth pavement and a slight to moderate downhill, that is the best spot to learn! Generally, there isn't a lot of traffic in those areas, speed limits are lower, and the pavement is wider too.
If you don't know any parks or neighborhoods near you that might have hills, you can use Google Maps tools! I usually use the terrain layer on Google Maps to help me check the elevation of the terrain in my area.
Once I've turned on the terrain layer, I can see where the hills are in my area. Once I've identified a hill that seems to be in a neighborhood, I use Google Street View to see how the pavement looks. It also helps to identify if the street is skatable.
Here is an example of a spot I would consider good for learning freeride:
Here is a spot/pavement I wouldn't recommend skating at all:
Downhill
Finding a downhill spot can be a bit tricky, and I recommend considering a number of factors before going down a faster road. The most important things to consider for going fast downhill are:
- Condition of the pavement
- Smooth is always better, but not as important compared to freeride!
- Blind corners/hidden driveways
- Make sure you have a spotter for blind corners.
- Identifying spots where you need to slide
All of these factors are important, especially when starting out. I would also recommend finding a friend or relative who can shuttle you back up the hill or spot blind corners for you.
Again, Google Maps is your friend here with identifying longer downhill runs to skate. Try to find some hills that are longer, but don't require you to slide at all. This hill for example is a mellow downhill run with lots of turns and runs out enough so you don't have to slide.
With downhill, it's best to work your way up slowly, rather than "bomb" hills. I've seen my fair share of people get in over their heads and get badly injured because they didn't know how to skate bigger hills.
Final thoughts:
Consider connecting with your local downhill skateboarding scene! You can find and meet others here in the meetups and events page. Or try looking around on facebook for groups in your area! Skating with locals, they'll know all of the good spots and can help you learn! Unless you're in asheville then idk, maybe you're on your own...
