All skaters universally accept cruising and downhill riding styles, but some commuting enthusiasts come across uphill, and it becomes a little hard to go uphill on a longboard. Those unfamiliar with longboarding uphill usually pick the board upon the shoulder and cover that distance by foot. We are here to explain all the methods that could be helpful for skaters to go uphill on a longboard. Some of the common methods used for this purpose are pushing, pumping, and carving.
Deciding which of these methods is more convenient depends on the type of hill you have to go up. Moreover, the longboard you are using and your aim of riding also define how efficient it will be to go uphill on a longboard. Besides these factors, the stamina of the skaters and their skogging skill levels also define how easy it will be for the riders to cover the aimed hill.
Purpose of Uphill Longboarding
Here are the top reasons why a skater has to choose uphill longboarding.
- Most commuting tracks include flat surfaces, uphills, and downhills, respectively. As commuting means covering longer distances, you can face any type of track on your path. You may come across a flat surface or an uphill followed by a downhill. For commuting, you should have a complete grip on how to cruise on a straight road, go uphill, and safely come downhill.
- If you have been into freeriding lately, you will be aware of downhill tracks nearby your house. Coming down the hill while showcasing your freeride skills is undoubtedly an adventurous task, but once you reach the bottom, you’ll have to go up again to enjoy the same pleasure of freeriding. This is another reason you need to learn how to do uphill longboarding.
- Most skaters increase their pushing abilities by riding on inclining paths. Opting for these types of rides helps skaters groom their pushing abilities and strengthen their muscles. This is a special type of fitness program originated from two different sports, i.e., skating and jogging, collectively called skogging.
Uphill Longboarding by Pushing
The most realistic technique anyone can use to reach the top of the hill is pushing. For commuters, uphill comes in between two flat surfaces or two downhills most of the time. In this case, you just need to kick push your longboards just like you have been doing on flat ground cruising.
The problem comes when the incline comes undefined. A longer uphill demands more and more effort. To start the process, keep both hands at your back, lean forward towards your moving direction, and start pushing with your favorite leg until you reach the top of the hill. If your leg gets tired and you want to change the stance by placing the other leg on the ground for pushing purposes, you need to achieve some speed first to not stop during the uphill ride. Once your longboard has a little speed, quickly change the stance, and start pushing with the other leg.
Skating + Jogging Uphill – Skogging
Changing feet for pushing purposes generates a new term in skating called skogging. Keeping the front foot on the deck and pushing with the rear one is the simplest approach to pushing. Alternatively, when you start pushing with the front foot, and the rear one stays at the front of the deck, this procedure collectively defines skogging.
This technique helps you in dispersing the overall burden of going uphill to both legs. Both core muscles will have to contribute equally, and you will reach uphill faster than any other method. After getting enough grip on this approach, you won’t make it difficult to cover a long incline for freeriding or downhill riding purposes. The same technique helps commuters to cover longer distances comfortably.
Stance Switching for Uphill Longboarding
Changing feet is one approach, and changing the whole stance to make it easy to reach the destination is another option for riders who aim to do uphill longboarding. Initially, you will be on a regular stance where your left foot will be acting as the front foot. Once you get tired, you need to change the standing position and opt for the goofy style where your right foot will act as the front foot. Similarly, you keep doing the same procedure repeatedly to reach your destination.
Switching stance enables more muscles to take part in pushing the longboard. But, it would be best if you had a ton of practice to master this technique. You will have to learn how to change the stance on a moving longboard first. Moving towards the top of the hill is an unusual exercise that helps distribute your weight evenly to all body parts. Moreover, you will also learn how to balance the longboard with your weak stance with this riding style. The more you use your least natural leg; the more will be your command on balancing a moving longboard.
Comparison of Pushing & Walking
The ability to push for an uphill ride doesn’t depend only on your physique but on the incline angle you have to cover. If we look at it according to the workout view, pushing the longboard uphill is a great way of exercise but is not as effective in terms of getting speed. On the other hand, if you simply walk off towards the top, you’ll have to make the only effort to pick up your heavy longboard on your shoulders or back.
Pumping for Uphill Longboarding
Pumping is another effective skill that can help skaters reach the top of any hill. The outcome of pumping is that it brings momentum and stability to the ride due to successive wavy and powered motions. For this purpose, your longboard must consist of a deck with some flex in it. Pumping means pushing the longboard without placing your feet on the ground. You need to push the longboard on alternative rails to create a zig-zag motion.
Pumping on your way uphill is a little more difficult than pumping on flat ground because the incline angle slows your pace. The only thing you have to do is to pump the board quicker, faster, and with more power so that your board can get some speed to help you reach the top of the hill.
How to do Quicker & Faster Pumps
The main task for a rider who aims to pump is to correctly guess the power of pumping and the balancing intensity according to the inline angle. A few riders feel comfortable if they take tighter carves and smaller pumps with the help of hips, and the whole body motion doesn’t include movement of the upper body. For instance, you have the steepest incline before you; the more force you apply for pumping, the lesser the speed you’ll achieve.
On the other hand, if you pump quickly and the carvers are even shorter, the output will be much more satisfactory as you’ll gain some reasonable pace to go uphill. A suitable tip for uphill riders is to gain some speed and momentum initially before hitting the incline. The starting momentum and speed will help you in pumping easily. As soon as you reach half of the hill, you will have to widen the pumps with the speed you already have. This method will help beginners and experts to reach their destination quickly.
Final Words
After analyzing all the longboarding styles, we learned that uphill longboarding is the most difficult one. Rather than experience and your riding skills, it needs a lot of effort, stamina, and some powerful pushes. BoardsOnTop has discovered various ways to ride your longboard uphill. All of the techniques and tricks have been mentioned above. So, go through each one for better understanding and select one that looks easier to implement.
