Make sure you’re sporting proper footwear when using the foot brake. While using the foot brake is technically possible in thin-soled shoes and flip-flops, it’s not recommended. Using the foot brake involves sliding your shoe along the ground to come to a stop. Don’t use it as an opportunity to ruin shoes and gain friction burns!
While it is possible to foot brake by leaning onto your back foot, it’s not recommended. Since longboarding involves going down hills, leaning back can unevenly distribute the weight in regards to the angle you’re traveling at. This means your back foot is much more likely to be unstable than your front.
Make sure the shoes you’re wearing have large enough soles to drag along the ground. You want to avoid any and all sort of foot injuries or wardrobe malfunctions. This technique could easily result in burned or scraped skin or ruined footwear.
Be mindful of the type of ground you’re skating on. Friction changes depending on the type of ground you’re traveling on, be it asphalt or concrete. For example, asphalt has a higher skid resistance than concrete, but concrete roads are more durable. [6] X Research source
Be mindful of traffic coming from both behind and ahead of you. You will not want to attempt to slide and stop with cars coming in either direction, as the powerslide is a tricky maneuver to perform until fully mastered.
The more weight on your back foot, the harder it will be to slide. While it’s a perfectly normal tendency to have some weight on the back of your board for stability, it’ll actually prevent you from completing a slide in the proper fashion. [8] X Research source
Exercise caution in regards to anything that may be on the ground before performing this step. The tiniest piece of gravel, stone, wood, or glass can easily sabotage your slide and make for some gnarly road rash. Determine the speed in which you want to turn based on your speed. If you turn too fast, you’re just gong to turn 180 degrees without detracting any sort of speed. Ease into the turn slowly to attain a fuller stop.
It’s important to remember to continue leaning back throughout the slide. If you lean forward, you run the risk of bringing your board to a complete stop. At higher speeds, this can be very problematic and runs you the risk of injury. Continue rotating throughout the entire slide. If you slide completely sideways (perpendicular to the road) for too long, you’ll warp the shape of your wheels to the point of having flat spots. Continuing your rotation will help your wheels evenly wear when power sliding.
Do not put your gloved hand either too far away from your body or too close to your body, as you’ll run the risk of not being able to perform the pendulum or completely falling off your board by being bucked forward. Performing this maneuver will require a lot of practice and messing up, so don’t worry if you don’t immediately catch on. Keep at it until you perform the maneuver with ease, adding your own style and flare in the process. Try not to become overly reliant on your hand. Your hand his there to help maintain balance and ensure you can maneuver your legs properly to get the best slide you can.
Your free hand can grab your board to help maintain balance. Do not, however, grab the board in between your legs. Grab the board near your back foot instead to avoid interference with the maneuver.
It’s not necessary to use your hands in this maneuver along the ground, as you’ll be typically using them for balance in the air.
