Dropping In
- Skill:
- Drop into a quarter pipe or ramp from the deck
- Prerequisites:
- Pumping, Kickturn on transition
Dropping in is rolling from the deck of a ramp into the transition. It is one of the easiest things to learn on a skateboard, and one of the most dangerous - the bad fall is backwards, onto the coping.
Before you try it
- Wear a helmet. Elbow pads are a good idea too.
- Pick a small, mellow quarter pipe with plenty of runoff.
How to do it
-
Set your feet. Back foot on the tail with the heel slightly overhanging, tail resting on the coping. Front foot goes over the front bolts.
-
Lean forward and in. Get your head over the nose before the board moves. Once you pass the tipping point, your front foot comes down on its own - no need to slam it.
-
Keep leaning through the transition. As the board picks up speed, hold that forward lean and let the board catch up with you.
-
Ride it out. The drop in is only finished when you are rolling flat on the bottom, well past the ramp.
Learn more here:
Video by Man Vs Board
Common mistakes
- Leaning back. Falling forward usually means running or knee sliding out. Falling back means head and elbows on the ramp.
- Relaxing after the lip. The transition is where most people get thrown back, because they stopped leaning once the board tipped in.
- Hesitating. Backing out halfway puts your weight behind the board. Commit, or step off before you start.