As the Earth turns gently on its axis, winter ebbs away and spring emerges from the bitter cold. The rain washes the last bits of snow away, and the first hints vibrant life begin poking through the frosted ground.

Unfortunately, this is also when long-board season begins.

The animosity pedestrians feel for long-boarders is often legitimate.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen or experienced the irresponsibility of a long-boarder disturbing the tranquility of the spring-time sidewalk commute.  That’s why when I’m begin long-boarding this season, I’ll be sure to consider the wellbeing of pedestrians when deciding where and how to ride.  They are called sideWALKS, after all, and us long-boarders are essentially guests on the pavement.

My efforts to be a courteous guest led me to observe five things every long-boarder can do to avoid pedestrian hatred and ride safely. I also found one thing that pedestrians really need to stop doing. Enjoy y’all =P

 

For the Long-boarder:

Work around the traffic as it is. Don’t ever yell “Look out!” or “Hey, can you move?” Even if this means you have to stop mid-cruse to walk around someone, be a grown-up about it and work around them. Why? Because asking pedestrians to move implies that you think you are more important than them, or that you are a runaway train incapable of stopping. Either way, the message it sends isn’t exactly a good one.

Don’t scare pedestrians. You should be at least two feet away from whomever you’re passing at all times. This buffer of space will make your riding safer for everyone, and will ensure that you don’t scare pedestrians, like, REAL bad. You still may scare them a little, but hey, such is life. By the way, if you’re that miscreant who likes to carve as close to pedestrians as possible, please stop. You’re giving us a bad name.

Look like you’re in control. If you look like you know what you’re doing, pedestrians will feel more safe around you. That being said, if you’re the guy who tries to slide outside of Hyland – move your shenanigans to a less public place until you’re good at it. Seeing your board skittering across the concrete isn’t exactly a pedestrian confidence booster. Also, if you have trouble controlling your speed (or have trouble with speed wobbles) see the point on drag-stopping.

Assume the pedestrian is oblivious. Not because they are, but because relying on a pedestrian to be aware of you, and to react in a logical fashion, is hardly ever realistic. ALWAYS take extra steps to error on the side of caution. This way you run-off less, dive-roll less, and pedestrians won’t get clobbered.

Learn to drag stop, and here’s why:

  • Stutter-stopping (or stomping) will wreck your heel if you board every day. The repeated impacts will eventually make walking a painful experience, not to mention riding.
  • It’s not that hard, and learning to do so will change your life forever. Also, this method can be used at much higher velocities than stutter-stopping can.
  • It will enable you to easily control your speed, and you will have a way of stopping at high speeds. This skill will give you better control over your boarding, and pedestrians will be more confident in your ability to ride safely around them as a result. Furthermore, you will be able to ride safely on routes that previously caused speed-wobble issues (like the hill by the cemetery). For more information on how to drag-stop (or foot-breaking), see the step by step instructions below.

 

For the Pedestrian:

Don’t make any sudden moves. It’s dangerous for everyone involved, and there’s a 50/50 chance that you will either get nailed (if you move too late or too quick), or ruin the route we had planned to take around you. So don’t worry about moving! Remember, you own the sidewalks and it’s OUR responsibility to work around YOU.

That being said, if you know there’s no way for a boarder to get thought a crowd, and you make a hole in a timely, safe, and logical fashion – we will <3 you forever. It also really helps if you acknowledge us somehow to let us know you did this intentionally. Otherwise we get worried that you may have moved without thinking, and will return to your original position as we are trying to ride through the gap.

I believe these pointers will help us keep the sidewalks as enjoyable as the weather this spring. Please remember them next time you’re out walking or riding, and BE SMART about how you interact with those around you.

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How To “Drag Stop”:

  1. Place your front foot in the middle of the board and pointing directly ahead. This is probably how your feet look when you take a stroke (or push-off) so this should come pretty natural to most long-boarders.
  2. Take a stroke. Don’t actually use the stroke to push-off (because your trying to slow down), but rather use this familiar motion to “find the ground” and to get a feel for exactly how fast you’re going. This is an important step because at high speeds it will reduce the chance of you applying too much pressure initially, and will also reduce the chance of you losing your balance.
  3. During the follow through of your stroke, return your stroking foot to the ground GENTLY without returning it to the board. You should only be placing 5-10% of your weight on your stroking foot at this point, and your heel should BARELY and CONSISTENTLY be contacting the ground in a smooth dragging motion.
  4. Gradually apply your weight to the foot that is contacting the ground. You should never be applying more than 50% of your weight to your stroking foot because this will yield disastrous (and hilarious) results. As you apply your weight to your stroking foot, your foot will act as a “brake pad”, and you will be able to slow yourself to a reasonable speed or to a complete stop. It is very important to only contact the ground with your heel, by the way. If there’s an irregularity in the pavement, and your toe catches it, you probably won’t make it to class…like for a while . . .

It should be noted that I’ve seen people use the tip of their toe to slow themselves, but I’ve always felt that using your heal provides more balance, more breaking power, and just feels more natural.

If you’re worried about this wrecking your shoes, don’t be. It will wear them down, but at a much slower pace than you would expect. I’ve never had a pair wear through and I board quite a bit.