Hey guys, I know this is idiotic, but I need help with my kickturns.

I am right handed, so I ride orthodox as in a boxing stance (Left foot foward, right on the tail and kick pushing..)..

I can easily press down on the tail and make almost 360 degree turns even at speed, but only to my right.

When I try to do it but to the left, even flatlanding it, I can get at most a few degrees or else I fall/bail.

See, when I kickturn right, my torso is facing into the turn, I can use my arms and whatnaught to spin on the back wheels and even do 360 pivots when standing still.

But when I try going left, my back is facing the turn and so are my heels (obviously). This makes me lose all balance as I try to spin left.

I have the right turn down excellently, but it's embarassing to not be able to turn left when I need to be quick about it. I usually 180+ right kickturn around in order to get to the left direction, how lame is that…?

Also I cannot ride goofy at all. My feet are used to that orthodox stance only. I can't even switch feet to get around this problem. Anyone got advice? I've been riding for believe it or not 2- 2 1/2 years. But I only did straight street skating, skitching on buses and such. I can't even Ollie yet.

I like to ride with my trucks loose as hell as a street boarder, to carve turns, but I've also tried ultra tightening the trucks for downhill stability, and the kickturn problem is the same.

My technique is : feet sideways like I'm cruising, left foot over the front truck, then slide the right back onto the tail lip; push/lean back on the tail, then push the board to my right with the front foot/swinging arms while the board is on the rear 2 wheels, I like to keep the height about a foot max (from the front wheels to pavement) to keep the tail from scraping, but the faster I need to turn, the higher I bring the board. When I do a flatland 360, the tail is centimeters from the ground, and I use major arm motion (Like in a spinning office chair, fling the arms clockwise if you were looking down at my head…you can get momentum to move the chair a few inches..) I don't crouch at all, just keep knees loose and lean a bit forward while turning to counter the tail being down. I can turn with the front foot sideways or pointing straight like kicking off for speed.

I also could use help on a regular manual. I try over and over, I make it a second or two at most before either the front slams back down or the tail scrapes and stops me.

I would be SO thankful for ANY tips on these issues. I LOVE TO SKATE but am really embarassed about this. Thanks in advance,

Seif Arris

New York USA

Thanks alot, I tried that, and now I can do them to the left, allthough not nearly as good as right (But that's just practice of course..)

I have one more question… I learned to ride from day one wrong (well not the normal way) - I ride with the tail forwards and nose back.

All my boards have had a “difference” aka a larger nose and a slimmer tail. Again I was skating just street in NYC for 2 years like this, no tricks, just carving and skitching rides.. I find the large nose is a great platform for the back foot for almost everything, kickturns, manuals, switching…

But I'm afraid it's hurting my ollie performance. The slim tail is logically better for pop and the wide nose for dragging the board into the air, etc.

I'm so used to skating the old way, my trucks and skills/balance are all oriented for it.

Should I switch for the sake of future trick improvement? Or is it able to overcome? It would take months to truly get used to riding nose forward imho. And I don't want to throw all the experience out the window. Any ideas?

Again thanks for the tips, leaning back was the key- I am very grateful =)

In the words of Suicidal Tendencies;

“GO SKATE!!!”

-Lev