Surf skate flow is what surf skating is for many riders. In fact, the majority we’d argue. For sure, you have those skaters who like to push the envelope. We ourselves do so every now and then. But the hyper manoeuvrability of a surf skateboard setup is perfect for carves and rolls round bowl transitions or on the flat. This is essentially how surf skating can mimic surfing.

Surf skate flow state – how to.

Once you’ve gotten some hours under your belt practising those surf skating moves (pumping and carving) you’re free to enter skate parks and anywhere with transitions. Next up is developing confidence when on a steep concrete wall. Concrete, as we all know, is a hard surface. And it hurts more to stack it than actual surfing in the ocean.

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The best advice for first time transition skating is don’t go at it full power. Work your way up to vertical parts. If you’re more comfortable in the trough then stick there. There’s nothing wrong with this. If you feel the urge then go higher when you’re good and ready.

Getting to the coping.

Here at Surf Skateboard Shop we like to get up to coping as often as possible. Sometimes we’ll carve grind, whereas other times we’ll kiss the metal with our wheels. This simulates, to some degree, a proper surfing top turn. Hence why it’s a focus.

Surf skate flow state - rolls round the bowl. — **Confidence is a main ingredient for getting to the coping.**

Getting to the coping, however, requires two things. Speed and pumping. Generating speed is all about finding a line. Using the transitions as you would a wave to slingshot you into that next section. Pumping up a transitions – which is different to pumping your surf skate along the flat – is about unweighting and compression. Riders unweight to aid their board going vertical and then compress (and carve) to come back down. It takes practise and confidence. BUt in time, if you really want it, you’ll get there.

Developing flow.

Surf skate flow is all about smooth momentum. Once you’ve developed the other techniques mentioned above it’s time to work on your flow. Picturing your line in your head and how you’re going to go from one point to the other is a good skill. Visualisation is often used by many athletes working on new moves and techniques.

Once you’ve identified your line combining everything is next. But all with ‘smooth’ in mind. Flow should look and feel effortless. You should be able to ride almost on autopilot and not look jerky or awkward. Developing flow, as with everything, also takes a little time. But once you dial it in your surf skating will become even more fun.

Summing up.

Practise makes perfect – as with everything in life. The more time you spend working on technique and skills the better. Just make sure the knowledge you’re gleaning is from a reputable source, such as Surf Skateboard Shop.