Goofy vs Regular : Beginner tips for Kids learning to Skateboard

(This is the first in a series of Tips for younger Kids just learning to Skateboard)

The basic question is, will your son or daughter feel more comfortable with their right or left foot on the front of the board?

Goofy - Right foot forward, left foot back

Regular - Left foot forward, right foot back

Here's the catch.. Neither is better or worse. Skaters tend to be about 50/50 and it has nothing to do with whether they are right or left handed!  

Some Goofy Skaters include: Tony Hawk, P-Rod and Greg Lutzka

Some Regular Skaters include: Danny Way, Ryan Sheckler and Chaz Ortiz

Thankfully there are some pretty reliable ways to help your child figure out which way might be most natural, before they even step on the board.

I'm listing these in general by the order in which I think they work, results may vary!

1) The Slide Test

This one is the most reliable and the most fun! Wearing socks on a smooth floor have you child run and slide. Generally the foot they put forward during that slide is the one they should have forward on the board. 

2) The Lean Test

This one is pretty reliable and fun as long as you do it carefully! Have your child stand up and start leaning over till they have to put out a leg to catch themselves. The leg they use to catch themselves should generally be their front foot.

3) The Stair Test

Have them stand at the bottom of a set of stairs with both feet on the ground. Say "go" and see which foot they step up with first. That should be the front foot. 

4) The Tug of War Test

This one seems a little more questionable, but it seemed to work ok for us. Play a quick Tug of War game with rope or towel and see which foot they put forward, that should be the front foot again.

5) The Roll Test

This is the only one done on the board itself. Have them stand on the board while you stand in front of them and hold their hands. Just roll them one way and then the other and see if they can tell you which feels more natural.

You could always just "let them skate" and figure it out, but especially for younger kids I'd recommend at least trying some of these ideas. Riding the board at first can be so awkward, you just don't know what feels right or wrong. A younger skater may also be more tempted to follow an older sibling or more experienced friend and try to copy their stance instead of finding their own.

Please let me know how this works out for you! If you have any other tips or ideas, let us know we'd be happy to share them.