Longboarding is a great way to get active and see new places. If you’re new to it, however, you might not know how to stop once you get the wheels rolling.
If so, have no fear.
This guide will go through several ways you can stop on a longboard so that you can cruise with confidence.
Method 1: Jump off
At low speeds, think under 15mph, jumping off is the easiest way to stop yourself on a longboard.
All it requires you to do is hop off the board and maintain your forward momentum enough to not eat it shortly after. So, if you’ve already picked up some speed while skating, be sure to run a bit after you decide to hop off.
You wouldn’t want to just jump and land with all of your weight settling in one place. As with any moving vehicle, while you’re riding, you’re moving too. So, if you jump off while the longboard is moving, your body will still be carrying that forward momentum with it regardless if it feels like it is or not.
It’s best to try and match the speed you were rolling when you decide to jump off. But if you’re going extremely slow, then hopping off with one-to-two steps and coming to a complete halt shortly after, should be a breeze.
Method 2: Roll onto the rough
Another method of stopping on a longboard is to use a rough surface like grass, gravel, and in desperate times even mud, to stop yourself.
This method is still relatively easy to execute but it does require a bit of thinking and weight shifting as you collide with the terrain.
Think about it: Your forward momentum is being interrupted right under your feet. Depending on what kind of surface you roll onto, this is a slow disruption or an abrupt one.
Most grass areas will cause a gradual slow to your board if you’re moving at a moderate speed. Rough gravel will do the same but be careful to watch out for large rocks and cracks as those can trip you up.
And mud…well mud should be an absolute last resort where you’re going too fast to continue riding and you’re not comfortable with other stopping methods. Still, falling in some soft mud can be a lot better than having your skin skid on hard pavement.
It’s a matter of choice, really.
Or is it a matter of skill? Let’s see.
Method 3: Foot braking
Now moving on to a more technical method of stopping: foot braking.
Foot braking refers to when you use your foot to either stomp or slide on the ground to decrease your speed. It’s a fairly easy skill to learn but it gets more difficult to pull off the faster you’re moving.
To that end, it’s best to practice foot braking at slow speeds to get the hang of it.
Push to start, then stop
One good way to practice the beginner stages of foot braking is to simply push with your back foot and leave it hanging off the board. Keeping your front knee strong to keep your balance, stop yourself after gaining a few feet worth of distance.
You can either use the stomping stop method, where you’ll hit the ground with your foot, having your heel be the first point of contact you make with the ground; or the sliding method, where you still lead with your heel, but you leave it down on the floor and slowly apply pressure to the rest of your foot in a careful and controlled manner.
Once you’ve gotten accustomed to either of these, pick up the speed a bit by pushing one-to-two more times to learn how to foot brake while rolling faster.
Foot braking at higher speeds
When you’re a beginner longboarder, doing any movement while at high speeds can oftentimes be daunting.
Nevertheless, learning to foot brake is a method of stopping worth having in your arsenal to give you more options of longboarding with confidence.
And speaking of confidence, foot braking at speeds higher than 20 mph, primarily depends on your ability to confidently hold yourself up with your front leg, as your lower back leg either stomps or slides.
If while going fast, you feel that you won’t be able to lift your leg off the board at all, it’s best to decrease your speed as much as possible before attempting to foot brake.
A few ways to do this are by carving toeside and heelside until your speeds decrease, using your hands or a jacket to catch the air, or using a rough surface.
Compared to stomping, sliding is usually easier to perform at higher speeds. Still, use your practice sessions to get a feel for which method you enjoy the most.
What happens to my shoes?
They’ll get shredded. Some more quickly than others, but shredded nonetheless.
Depending on the durability of your shoes, this can be a few months, weeks, or days even.
To that end, here are a few durable shoes worth considering if you plan on foot braking to stop.
1. Emerica Reynolds 3 G6 Skate Shoe
Created by skating legend Andrew Reynolds, these vulcanized shoes are both durable and breathable.
Emerica Men's Reynolds Created by skating legend Andrew Reynolds, these vulcanized shoes are both durable and breathable.
- Double Wrapped construction
- Heel Anchor System
- Drop-in G6 PU insole
- One piece Vamp
2. Vans Old Skool
Although the top of vans may wear quickly with consistent flip tricks, the soles on Vans shoes are extremely durable and will hold up well with a few months of moderate sliding.
Vans Old Skool Although the top of vans may wear quickly with consistent flip tricks, the soles on Vans shoes are extremely durable and will hold up well with a few months of moderate sliding.
- Fabric
- Rubber sole
3. Adidas Tyshawn Pro
These were inspired by the Thrasher, 2018 Skater of the Year Award winner, Tyshawn Jones. This cup sole model features style, cushion, and strong durability for impacts and slides.
adidas Skateboarding Tyshawn These were inspired by the Thrasher, 2018 Skater of the Year Award winner, Tyshawn Jones. This cup sole model features style, cushion, and strong durability for impacts and slides.
- Rubber sole
- Suede upper
- Lace up closure
- Padded collar and tongue
Method 4: Carve to stop
Beginners should pick up carving when learning how to stop on a longboard.
Carving refers to performing successive tight toeside and heelside turns. While it can be a method of gaining speed from a standstill or while riding uphill, it is also an effective method of slowing yourself down.
To do so effectively, you’ll need to practice deep carves, attempting to slightly disengage some of the wheel’s traction with each carve. Once mastered, you’ll be able to use carving at high speeds to begin slowing down until you’re ready to use one of the other methods to come to a complete stop.
Method 5: Sliding to stop
Sliding to stop is the most difficult but arguably the most fun and coolest method to watch.
Not only that, but it can save your shoes from wear and tear; though your wheels and bearings will instead take on that responsibility.
Sliding takes time to learn, but if you’ve already got carving down you’re in the right ballpark for performing slides.
And, if you plan on bombing hills, learning to slide will be your best and most effective way of quickly slowing down.
We’ll break up sliding into two main types and the steps associated with each type.
Powerslide
It all starts with the carve. You can powerslide either toeside or heelside, doing what is known as a “pre-carve” before performing a full slide for either.
A pre-carve is when you turn the board so that it is nearly perpendicular to the road. It’s a vital part of successfully pulling off a powerslide and any other slides to be mentioned.
The instructions below address regular-stance riders. Invert the turns if you ride goofy.
Also, before you begin this, get some protective gear. Get a helmet and some braces to ensure you’re as safe as possible.
Heelside/Frontside slide
To perform, widen your feet so that they’re near the trucks of your board. Then:
1. Perform a toeside carve
2. Perform a heelside carve (left turn) load your powerslide.
3. After your powerslide is loaded, bend your knees and apply weight to your heels with most of the weight on your front foot. Slightly hang your heels off the edge of your board.
4. With your center of gravity low, lean back and rotate your shoulders and hips in the direction of your slide. Use the heel of your front foot to initiate the turn and your back foot to kick out in the direction of the slide.
If you’re a regular-stance skater who’s prepped a heelside slide, then the “direction of your slide” means that after you’ve done a toeside carve (right turn), you’ll do a heelside carve that will turn you left. The initiation of the slide occurs during this left turn when the board is as perpendicular to the road as possible.
5. As you complete the slide, lean forward to recenter yourself. Remember that you were leaning back to initially perform the slide, so leaning forward now will help you regain your balance.
Toeside/Backside slide
This slide is similar to the frontside slide except with some slight variations in feet placement.
First, widen your stance so that your feet are near your trucks.
1. Perform a heelside carve
2. Perform a toeside carve (right turn) to load your powerslide.
3. After your powerslide is loaded, bend your knees and place your back foot slightly off the front edge of your board and at an angle.
4. With your center of gravity low and your front foot strong, lean forward and use the momentum of your toeside carve to then kick out the board with your back foot. Rotate your hips and shoulders while doing this.
5. As you complete the slide, straighten up your stance so that your center of gravity is balanced.
Coleman Slide
The Coleman slide is essentially a powerslide that uses your hands to assist the slide.
No worries though, you’re using your hands with specialized gloves made just for sliding. For example, the LOSENKA Skateboard Gloves with Sliders, are specifically made to help with Coleman sliding.
The steps for Coleman sliding are similar to standing powerslides.
Heelside Coleman slide
1. Perform a toeside carve
2. Perform a heelside carve to load your slide.
3. Bend down and place your gloved hand down to the left side.
4. Use your front foot to stabilize yourself and your back foot to kick the board out to finish the
slide.
5. Keep your weight distribution even as you execute the slide.
6. Straighten up your stance and recenter yourself.
Toeside Coleman slide
1. Perform a heelside carve
2. Perform a toeside carve to load your carve.
3. Bend down and place most of your weight on your front foot.
4. Place your right hand on the floor and use your back foot to continue to keep sliding
5. Straighten up your stance and recenter yourself.
Conclusion
Learning to stop on a longboard is an essential aspect of riding one.
There are multiple ways to stop on a longboard and some of the more fun, more advanced methods take a bit of time and practice to master.
Learn multiple ways of stopping so you’re more prepared to ride worry-free.
Until then, safe travels to you.
I’ve been riding longboards for a little over 13 years now, mainly bombing hills and cruising through beach towns. I’m also a journalist and content writer with a special interest in learning and relaying what ignites people’s inner fires.