Do YOU remember that moment? The moment when you started landing that first complicated trick (most likely the kick flip), after practicing for days, weeks, years…
I want to share my experience, as I recently went through THAT moment. I think this post will be very valuable to all fingerboarders on FBHQ who are struggling with consistency in their riding and are losing faith in the activity as a whole.
Too many people are disappearing from the forums for wrong reasons (as I have in the past). 1 month ago, I visited the Blackriver Ramps Store in Berlin and purchased a 33,3 mm complete. I'm 26 and gave up on fingerboarding after university (4 years ago) as I had lost faith and thought it was impossible to be consistent and "
good" (good according to myself, not Mike Shneider or Elias Assmuth). I had never owned a top of the line fingerboard (I was using a Homewood back then, not bad, but not the best) and figured that because I was there (visiting from Canada), I might as well bring one back with me.
Fast forward to 2 weeks ago. I was fingerboarding and started to lose faith yet again because I was struggling with consistency. I was desperate and eventually ended up watching a kick flip tutorial by Sasho Dotchev on Youtube. WATCH THIS VIDEO.
The video helped me see my fingerboard and my finger actions in a different way. I then noticed a few things I was doing wrong and compiled the following list, which I now believe is
crucial to becoming better at fingerboarding:
1. Learn and master the kick flip. A big tip most tutorial videos do wrong is tell you to visualize the board rotating in the air. THIS IS WRONG. Instead,
visualize yourself curling your index finger down, as explained by Sasho. Find out where you are most comfortable doing so in terms of where you are popping the board on the desk/table you are using (best to practice sitting down as well).
2.
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP: When learning new tricks, make sure you are popping your board and landing it directly in front of your chest/stomach, within the box of your shoulders. Doing so will ensure you are popping your board straight. My kick flips went varial almost every single time back in the day. This is because I was popping the board to the right of my stomach/chest outside my shoulder box with my arm extended (the board was always landing to my right, if that helps you visualize). This one simple modification changed everything for me.
3. Don't start a session with the hardest tricks. Do a round of tricks you know a few times non-stop (even if it's just an ollie or backside 180). Build confidence before becoming frustrated with a new trick.
4. I might get a lot of hate for this, but get a good quality board. My Blackriver set up was really good and I was landing 6 out of 10 kick flips. I then switched to a Flatface G15 and now land 8 out of 10. I think that in fingerboarding, this is very consistent.
A big part of THAT moment for me was landing the kick flip consistently. Once you get there, think about what your fingers are doing. You'll feel the board in a different way. Also, when progressing past the kick flip and learning a new trick, go with what the next step "
should" be (don't go straight to a nollie double flip BS krooked to nollie double flip out on a rail for instance; go to a hardflip or varial kickflip).
You're not Mike Shneider and you never will be. Accept that. I know lots of people give up because they feel they aren't getting anywhere. KEEP GOING. My joy for fingerboarding has grown more in the past month than it has for the past 8 years. Learning new tricks is much easier once you've passed THAT moment. Chase it!
- Bobby (I'm hoping to have the time to be more active on FBHQ from now on)
