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Step 6 - Stomp and Lean
When you put your front foot on the board, stomp it down with all your weight until your front wheels hit the ramp, and lean into it. Put all of yourself into the ramp - you can't hold anything back.

It can be scary to stomp down and lean into open air. There is no turning back once you've started the stomp, and I would say at least 80% of the problems people have when dropping in is not being committed enough to this part. You have to trust that you and your skateboard will make this work. You have to invest in dropping in 100%. It's all or nothing. Be committed to the drop in. Once you do it, it will get easier and easier every time.

Here's a secret about skateboarding - skill is very important, but even more important than skill is self confidence. It's all in your head. This is what separates something like skateboarding from other "sports". Your strongest opponent is yourself. So when you face something like dropping in, and you do it, you are taking a huge step toward self control.

That was a little deep, but it's true. The point is, if you are going to try and learn to drop in, then just do it. It's like Yoda says, "Do or do not, there is no try." Yeah, I just quoted Yoda. But he would agree - when you get to the top of that ramp, and you are ready to drop in, just put your foot over those front trucks, stomp it down, and LEAN IN!
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Step 5 - Place Your Front Foot
When you are ready, put your front foot over the front trucks of your skateboard.

I recommend blurring this step with the next one, and not putting your foot there and waiting. But take a look at the picture above to get an idea for where your front foot should go.
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 RodNey MulLen bioGraPy
# Name: John Rodney Mullen
# Gender: Male
# Hometown: Redondo Beach, CA or Hermosa Beach, CA
# Date of Birth: August 17th, 1966 in Gainesville, FL
# Family: married to Traci Mullen
# Occupation: Engineer / Skate Brand Owner / Skateboarder
# Started Skating: 1974
# Started Competing: 1977
# Turned Pro: 1980
# Favored Discipline: Street
# #1 Sponsors: Almost, Enjoi, Darkstar, Tensor, Speed Demons, Matix, Globe
# Stance: Regular
# Nicknames: Mutt, King
Rodney Mullen Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Rodney Mullen is easily the best street skateboarder the world has yet seen. His skateboarding style is comfortable and relaxed, making the incredible tricks he does look light and simple. Rodney Mullen often smiles and laughs, while pulling off trick after trick that no one has ever seen. Rodney Mullen is inventive, creative, confident and easy going.
Rodney Mullen Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: "I like frontside crooked grind variations, particularly the munkey flip out, or nollie hard flip. Darkslides are fun." (Quote from Skateboard.com)
Rodney Mullen Skateboarding Tricks Invented:

    * Flatground Ollie
    * Godzilla Rail Flip
    * 540 Shove-it
    * 50-50 Saran Wrap
    * Helipops (360 Nollie)
    * Gazelles
    * No Handed 50-50 Kickflip
    * Heelflip
    * Double heelflips
    * Ollie Impossible
    * Sidewinders
    * 360 Flip
    * 360 pressure Flip
    * Casper 360 Flip
    * 50-50 Sidewinders
    * One footed Ollie
    * Backside 180 Flip
    * Ollie Nosebones
    * Ollie Fingerflip
    * Airwalks
    * Frontside Heelflip Shove-its

    * Switchstance 360 Flips
    * Helipop Heelflips
    * Kickflip Underflip
    * Casper Slides
    * Half Flip Darkslide
    * 540 double kickflip
    * Caballerial impossible
    * Half-cab kickflip underflip
    * Handstand flips
    * Rusty slides
    * Kickflip

Rodney Mullen Skateboarding Career Highlights:
1977 - Mullen won the first freestyle contest he entered
1980 - joined the Powell-Peralta Bones Brigade
1984, 85, 87, 88 - featured in The Bones Brigade Videos 1-4
1988 - appeared in feature film, Gleaming the Cube
1992 - began World Industries with Steve Rocco
1990+ - featured in videos by Plan B, A-Team, Globe and Almost
2002 - won Transworld Readers' Choice Award for Skater of the Year
2002 - created Almost skateboard company
2003 - wrote "The Mutt: How to Skateboard and not Kill Yourself"
Rodney Mullen Personal History: Rodney Mullen's father, a doctor, only allowed Rodney to skate if he always wore pads and would quit after his first serious injury. Rodney Mullen avoided injury and obeyed his father, and got sponsored 9 months after getting his own skateboard. Freestyle skateboarding faded from popularity, but Rodney Mullen took his creative skills and continues to feature in skate videos up to the present day. Rodney Mullen no longer skates in competitions, but still skateboards two hours a day.
Rodney Mullen Interesting Fact: Rodney Mullen has only lost one freestyle contest. Ever. In his entire life. And in the contest he lost, he came in 2nd, because he was sick. Rodney Mullen has even won one vert contest.
Rodney Mullen Quote: "Do what you love and try not to look at what other people occupy themselves with. Most people seem restless and bounce around too much to focus or even pay attention enough to themselves to figure out exactly what they really do love, as opposed to what the people that surround them are doing.
skater boy
skater boy
Step 4 - Set Your Tail
Put the tail of your skateboard on the coping (the rounded edge or pipe that runs along the top edge of the ramp, where the ramp and platform meet). You want your back wheel hanging down over the edge of the ramp. Hold your skateboard there with your back foot, putting your foot straight across the tail of your skateboard.

Your front wheels will be out hanging in the air, and your board will be cocked up slightly. Your front foot can be on the ground next to you, while you wait for your turn to drop in on your skateboard.
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Step 3 - Set a Line
While standing at the top of the ramp, take a look at where this ramp goes. Does it end in a large flat area? Or does it go directly up into another ramp? Think about where you want to head, once you get to the bottom of the ramp. For your first time dropping in, I recommend finding an area with a large flat area at the bottom of the ramp, but you don't need to worry too much about this. Mainly, you want to be aware of what you'll be skateboarding to wards, once you get to the bottom.

You also want to be aware of other skateboarders! Don't get so focused that you block out everyone else at the skatepark, and smack into someone when you drop in on your skateboard.
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Learn How to Drop In on a Skateboard

Step 2 - Check Out the Ramp
When you first get to the skatepark, try skateboarding around the bottom of the ramp. Push around the park a little bit, getting a feel for the transition (ramps). Also, make sure you are wearing a helmet before you try this. Messing up while dropping in is a great way to smack your brain case on the ground, and end up never skateboarding again. Wear a helmet.

If you aren't used to skateboarding on the material that this ramp or park is made from, this step is very important. The feel of concrete, wood and metal are all very different when skateboarding. Certain skateboard wheels will work better for park or on other transition than others - if you are planning to mainly skateboard at the skatepark or on skate ramps, you might want to get some park formula wheels. However, if you want to skate both park and street, that is great too. Learning what kind of terrain you want to ride on will help you better decide on your skateboard setup.

Once you have a good feel for what it is like to skateboard around the bottom of the ramp or park, and a little of what the transition feels like, head to the top of the ramp.
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Learn How to Drop In on a Skateboard

Dropping in - Setup(step-1 in 8 step)
Learning to drop in at the skatepark or on a ramp is one of the hardest things to master in skateboarding. Not because it takes so much skill, but because it takes a lot of will and guts. However, if you are going to learn to ride at the skatepark or on a ramp, you will need to learn to get comfortable dropping in on your skateboard.

What is Dropping In? - Dropping in on a skateboard is how most skateboarders will enter bowls, skateparks and vert ramps. At the top edge of skateboard ramps and along the edges of bowls there is a rounded raised lip called the "coping". Being able to drop in allows skateboarders to go from stranding on the edge of the coping, straight into skateboarding with a lot of speed down the ramp.

If you are brand new to skateboarding, you'll first need to get comfortable with skateboarding around the park, along the ground, and over transition. You don't need to know any tricks befire learning how to drop in on a skateboard, but you will need to know how to ride your skateboard. This is because once you drop in, you will be riding very fast, and you'll need to feel comfortable with riding and guiding your skateboard. If you are brand new to skateboarding, read Just Starting Out Skateboarding and take some time to get comfortable with your skateboard.

Make sure you read all of these instructions before you head to the skatepark to drop in. Once you are familiar with them, go for it! Also, watch the How to Drop In Video for more help. 

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 Manual playing skate

As a skateboarder, you know that you want to learn how to do the different tricks that you see on TV performed by the pros. You need to consider the fact that skateboarding is a painful sport to learn and more pain will come as soon as you try out different tricks on your skateboard.

If you are going skateboarding and are comfortable riding your skateboard, then it may be time for you to start learning different tricks that will surely impress anyone who sees you.

One trick for beginners that you will definitely want to learn is the Manual. This particular trick is like doing a wheelie on a bike but in this case, you will be using a skateboard. You will ride the skateboard with only the back wheels rolling and the front wheels on the air.

The Manual is a great trick to learn and every skateboard enthusiast should learn how to do this trick.

Basically, this trick is very different from flip tricks which are more technical. What you need here is good balance and also a lot of practice in order to achieve this trick.

If you are new to skateboarding, it is recommended that you get comfortable riding your board first and perfect your balance. Also, it helps if you know how to Ollie.

Because this trick is not very technical, you can try it even if you are just beginning to go skateboarding.

To properly execute this trick, proper foot placement is important. To do the Manual, you need to place your back foot at the tail of the skateboard and your front foot just behind the front trucks.

You will want your back foot to cover most of the tail of your skateboard.

You need to remember that there is no right or wrong way to skateboard. You just need to be comfortable. So, if you feel more comfortable doing the manual with your front foot a little bit in front of the skateboard, do it.

Remember that safety is everything. So, put on your helmet before attempting this trick.

To do the manual, you need to have a lot of flat ground to practice it on. A skate park or long stretches of flat sidewalk are great places to practice. Make sure that the surface is mostly flat and smooth.

You need speed to perform the Manual. If you gained enough speed, then you better get ready to do the trick.

To manual, just put most of your weight slowly to the back foot. Never lean backwards as this will result in falling. When you see that the front wheels are lifted, you now need to balance your weight so you will not fall behind and send your skateboard flying across the street.

To end the Manual, just shift most of your weight in front and bring your weight back again to a balanced level once you land. Make sure that you put your shoulders forward. Again, never lean back unless you want to hear your own skull cracking.

These are the things that you need to remember about doing the Manual on a skateboard. All you need is balance and good speed.
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Eric Koston Basic Bio Information:

    * Name: Eric Koston
    * Gender: Male
    * Hometown: Los Angeles, California
    * Date of Birth: April 29, 1975
    * Family: Single
    * Occupation: Pro Skater, Co-owner of Fourstar Clothing Company
    * Began Skating: 1986
    * First Sponsored: 1991
    * Turned Pro: 1993
    * Favored Discipline: Street
    * Stance: Goofy
    * #1 Sponsors: Girl Skateboards, eS Footwear, Fourstar

Eric Koston Skateboarding Style and Strengths:
Eric Koston is a fearless skater. He has technical skill combined with the willingness to try out new, untested tricks in the middle of a competition. Eric Koston is one of the few ultra successful pro skateboarders who retains his reputation for throwing everything he's got into every competition he comes across, be it the X Games, or Koston's famous games of SKATE.
Eric Koston Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks:
Eric Koston's signature trick is the K grind, or crooked grind. The K is for Koston. Though he didn't in fact invent the trick, he was the first person to show it to the world in a video. Eric Koston has a battery of other tricks that he has invented.
Eric Koston Skateboarding Career Highlights:

1993 - Helped start Fourstar Clothing Company
2000 - Eric Koston won Globe World Contest, X Games and Gravity Games
2001 - won TransWorld Skateboarding Best Video part for his segment in eS Menikati
2002 - won gold in Gravity Games Street
2003 - won gold in X Games Street competition
2005 - Listed in Thrasher's '15 Most Loved Skaters of All Time'
2005 - Koston's Game of SKATE went international, with 24 contests world wide, and the winner competing against pros in the fall.
Eric Koston Personal History:
Eric Koston's father, Bob, was in the airforce when he and Eric's mom met. Wanida, Eric's mom, was from Thailand. Eric was born in Bangkok, and moved to the states at 9 months old. His parents were divorced when he was only 5, and Eric grew up in San Bernardino, CA. Eric's older brother Chris gave him his first skateboard. Eric later went to a skate camp in MI, and met Eddie Elguera. This is where Eric realized his potential as a professional skateboarder.
Eric Koston Interesting Fact:
Eric Koston plays basketball on an NBA Entertainment league in the winter. The team is called the Maverics, and he plays with Ashton Kutcher, Justin Timberlake and Mike Marlin to name a few. Eric also loves to play golf.
Eric Koston Quote:
From skatinghazard.com - "The progression of skateboarding seems to be getting more technical with a flip into a slide then a flip back out as well as going down bigger rails and down more stairs. I like to do all that stuff, especially when it feels good. I don't stick myself into one type of style, I would get bored with that."
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Forward and Backward Crossovers


A great way to pick up speed going around corners on the ice - not to mention looking like a pro in the process - crossovers are where it's at. Learn how to do crossovers.
 Forward and Backward Crossovers
These moves are the fundamentals for everything else that you wind up doing in skating. Hi - thanks for tuning in. My name is Sean - I'm part of the management team here at Pickwick Ice in Burbank, California, and About.com has invited me to talk to you about forward crossovers and backward crossovers.
Form and Posture During Crossovers
So, the most important thing - as we know at this point - is that you want good form and posture: your feet centered - parallel on the ice, your knees bent, your torso up, your chin up, and then your hand position.
Forward Crossovers
With forward crossovers the first thing that we're going to wind up doing is we're going to go onto the ice and we're going to find one of the hockey circles. Because what's going to wind up happening in a crossover, is you're going to be moving around the circle. With crossovers, what I normally suggest, is starting from a "T" position, stepping on your hockey circle, working with a one-foot glide. You can either do a half-swizzle, working around the circle, or you can do a stroke position, towards the left. So if we're going towards the left, our left skate is going to be on our outside edge, and we're going to pivot around the ice, going that direction. This left foot is not going to leave that hockey circle.

So now we're going to start getting a little more complicated. Your right foot is going to cross over your left foot. How do we do that? We start from the "T" position - we're going to push off, at this point we're going to be gliding around the circle on our left outside edge. At this point we've picked up our right foot, and we're actually going to cross over our left foot onto our right blade. At this point you are riding on your right skate, and then you're going to push off behind you with your left skate. We'll get back to balance and we'll push off again - we're going to cross over onto our right, putting our weight onto our right, and then pushing again off on our left. We're going to do the exact same thing for the other foot.
Backwards Crossovers
So, with a backward crossover, we're going to start with our right foot planted on the ground. We're going to push off with our left foot, gliding on our outside right leg. We're going to cross onto our left, and it's going to be our inside blade, and then we're going to push off again.

Now, these moves are a little complicated, and it takes a lot of practice. Don't get discouraged if you don't pick it up right away. You'll find people that work on these moves for a long time, but don't feel afraid to ever talk to a coach or sign up for one of these classes if you're not getting it quite on your own - it's a great idea.

If you have any more questions regarding these topics or anything else regarding ice skating, feel free to visit us on the Web at About.com. Thank you.