04:48
Faizan
Unlike a half-pipe, where you skate in skateboarding from one side to the other, a bowl has a continuous surface that allows you to carve around in a steady flow. Unlike skating a linear line, when you carve you shift your weight in a way that creates an "S" pattern. This allows you to have control over your speed. Before you tackle carving a bowl, watch experienced skaters at your skate park ride a bowl to give you a visual reference of the basic principles.
Practice Pumping
To maintain speed, skaters do what's called pumping, which is when you use your legs to apply downward force to generate enough speed to pump in and out of transitions. To practice pumping, start in the middle of a bowl or a regular ramp and push toward one of the walls. As you go up the wall, bend your knees and push downward in a pumping motion. This will create the speed needed to get back down the wall. Spend some time pumping back and forth on ramps. If you normally ride with tight trucks, it's a good idea to loosen your trucks, as it makes bowl riding easier.
Practice Carving
Before you conquer a bowl, learn to carve on a small hill. What you're going to do is alternate shifting your weight to your heel, then to your toe edge, which makes the board go in a wavy pattern. In surfing, this is what riders do to slice through waves. In the same respect, you're slicing on the ground. Think of it as ground surfing. When you're ready, push off to pick up some speed going down a slight incline. From a regular stance bend your knees slightly and lean back on your heels to guide the board to the left followed by shifting your weight and leaning toward your toe edge to guide the board to the right. Continue shifting your weight as if you're carving an "S" pattern in the ground. Avoid leaning too far to either side or the board will slide out from underneath you. Spend several days practicing carving down a small hill.
Learn to Drop into a Bowl
Once you're confident in your carving abilities, you're ready to learn how to drop into a bowl. This differs from dropping into a regular ramp because the transition is typically steeper and you carve instead of going in a linear line. Position your board on the coping so that the wheels are on the ramp and place your back foot on the tail. Put your front foot on the board behind the nose and tip your board downward as you shift your weight forward and press down while bending your knees to drop in. As you get to the bottom of the transition begin shifting your body weight to carve in the direction you wish to go in. It's a good idea to visualize the lines and map out your carving path beforehand.
Learn to Backside Carve
Once you learn to carve a bowl, you're able to have plenty of fun ripping around without doing any tricks. However, if you're ready to learn a trick, the backside carve is the easiest to pick up. The backside carve is when your back is toward the wall as you carve. To start, pick a long arc along the wall, drop in and pump into the transition as you approach the wall at a wide arcing angle. As you approach the corner of the arc backside, bend your knees slightly and use your front shoulder to guide you into a nice long arcing carve. You need a good amount of speed to keep you on the wall through the arc.
Practice Pumping
To maintain speed, skaters do what's called pumping, which is when you use your legs to apply downward force to generate enough speed to pump in and out of transitions. To practice pumping, start in the middle of a bowl or a regular ramp and push toward one of the walls. As you go up the wall, bend your knees and push downward in a pumping motion. This will create the speed needed to get back down the wall. Spend some time pumping back and forth on ramps. If you normally ride with tight trucks, it's a good idea to loosen your trucks, as it makes bowl riding easier.
Practice Carving
Before you conquer a bowl, learn to carve on a small hill. What you're going to do is alternate shifting your weight to your heel, then to your toe edge, which makes the board go in a wavy pattern. In surfing, this is what riders do to slice through waves. In the same respect, you're slicing on the ground. Think of it as ground surfing. When you're ready, push off to pick up some speed going down a slight incline. From a regular stance bend your knees slightly and lean back on your heels to guide the board to the left followed by shifting your weight and leaning toward your toe edge to guide the board to the right. Continue shifting your weight as if you're carving an "S" pattern in the ground. Avoid leaning too far to either side or the board will slide out from underneath you. Spend several days practicing carving down a small hill.
Learn to Drop into a Bowl
Once you're confident in your carving abilities, you're ready to learn how to drop into a bowl. This differs from dropping into a regular ramp because the transition is typically steeper and you carve instead of going in a linear line. Position your board on the coping so that the wheels are on the ramp and place your back foot on the tail. Put your front foot on the board behind the nose and tip your board downward as you shift your weight forward and press down while bending your knees to drop in. As you get to the bottom of the transition begin shifting your body weight to carve in the direction you wish to go in. It's a good idea to visualize the lines and map out your carving path beforehand.
Learn to Backside Carve
Once you learn to carve a bowl, you're able to have plenty of fun ripping around without doing any tricks. However, if you're ready to learn a trick, the backside carve is the easiest to pick up. The backside carve is when your back is toward the wall as you carve. To start, pick a long arc along the wall, drop in and pump into the transition as you approach the wall at a wide arcing angle. As you approach the corner of the arc backside, bend your knees slightly and use your front shoulder to guide you into a nice long arcing carve. You need a good amount of speed to keep you on the wall through the arc.
Posted in: skateboarding
