sk8 101 : Lessons with Brandon DesJarlais

1. foot positioning

   1. front (left) foot with toeline right just beneath truck bolts (2 front truckbolts barely showing)
   2. left knee ahead of toe (bent leg) (pistol squat)
   3. right foot ahead of board, flat on ground
   4. push off
   5. maintain knee forward / knee bend
   6. keep torso vertical / straight posture

2. first basic: smooth push

   1. push with the right foot and barely have it leave the ground
   2. MAINTAIN left knee bend,
   3. AND left knee position (forward of toe line)
   4. smooth, push again with right foot.
   5. keep kick-pushing smoothly with right foot hovering mere inch above ground,
   6. until motion is smooth and fluid
   7. AND maintaining solid one leg balance with left leg

3. ONCE you are moving

   1. back foot toes slightly angled forward, right atop truck bolts
   2. left foot smooth pivots until it is also toes rotated slightly forward
   3. now you can cruise and steer
   4. before the next kick/push:
   5. pivot the left foot so it is facing forward, toes at front truckbolts again
   6. then remove back foot, smooth kickpush

4. SO the rhythm / sequence is:

   1. start (front foot forward, rear foot on ground)
   2. kick push
   3. place rear foot on board above rear trucks
   4. smooth pivot front foot to side facing, toes only slightly forward
   5. cruise & steer
   6. pivot front foot back to forward facing
   7. return to step 2

5. exiting the board while in motion

   1. take rear foot and step far ahead of board
   2. like you are stepping off a moving escalator or moving sidewalk
   3. smooth step front foot onto pavement next
   4. board should end up stopped right behind you

6. STEERING

   1. all steering starts from the hips
   2. hips stay centered & balanced above board
   3. extend forward front arm as if being pulled by a wakeboard
   4. hand goes slightly below plane
   5. twist firmly at hips
   6. lean strong onto toes if turning right
   7. lean back to heels if turning left
   8. PRACTICE:
      1. how fast, and
      2. how TIGHT can you make a turn?

7. trick: running “throw down” start

   1. hold board in left hand
   2. with back wheels rolling on ground
   3. left foot step
   4. right foot step
   5. drop board to ground while simultaneously:
      1. placing left foot in exact right position (toes on front truckbolts)
   6. lift rear foot and place on board
      1. (no kickpush necessary; you are already moving)

8. trick: fancy pop stop

   1. standing with board in front of you
   2. extend left arm, thumb back, fingers forward
   3. smack inside of right (rear) foot down on far rear lip of board
   4. keep sole of foot at 45° angle (rear/right sole hits pavement, front/inner/left sole stays elevated)
      1. …which allows board to freely leap/levitate without being trapped
   5. board hits, pops, rotates to vertical and flies up into the air
      1. left hand smoothly catches tip of board
      2. BOOM
   6. ADVANCED:
      1. do this while hopping off the board at speed

SK8 WISDOM

“with Pushing: Push Less, but Better.”

(less quantity, better quality)

“for the throw down start: Slow is Fast.”

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