What is Skateboard Slalom?
Skateboard slalom is a course marked with plastic cones, and the goal is to knock down as few cones as possible. Slalom comes in various formats: super giant, giant, mixed, complex, and slopestyle.
Total run time (e.g., 1 minute).
The distance between cones and the number of cones also determines the frequency of turns.
Speed of the race car (reaches 30-40 km/h at the fastest).
Number of riders at the same time (head-to-head vs. single rider)
Type of surface to ride on: flat/slope, slope (e.g., drainage ditch)
Some also consider slalom skateboarding an offshoot of downhill skateboarding because of its high speed and control. However, in slalom, the objective is to go around cones as quickly and tightly as possible, so unlike downhill, there is no sliding.
Like downhill slalom, flat slalom is a great way to practice getting air in. Flat slalom competitions are also an essential part of this discipline.
Techniques for Slalom Skateboarding
An essential technique in slalom skateboarding is the “power steer” or “slalom. Pumping is the act of creating a series of turns by rotating your body without your feet on the ground to generate speed on your skateboard (push).
Pumping is an exact technique that requires constantly shifting your weight between the rails and applying pressure to your toes and wheels at a fast and constant pace. Pumping begins with a tiny progressive arc on the board, increasing tempo, and speed.
As the speed of the board increases, you gain momentum, moving forward more and more with each turn. Your goal as a slalom skateboarder is to achieve and maintain high speed by making cone turns on the slalom course.
Slalom Pump
The powerful propulsion of a slalom skateboard starts at the hips and spreads laterally down the slope to the legs, feet, and front of the machine, leading to the turn. However, the turn often begins with a continuous rotation of the arms and extends to the middle of the body.
When pumping, the back foot is usually on the back machine and perpendicular to the board, while the front foot is on the back of the front device at a 15-30º angle to the front. As you begin to pull harder, the back foot may be on tiptoe.
“The upper body and arms are always moving first to keep up with the lower body” (Cobblestone Wave). The pelvis falls forward and in line with the shoulders.
Board Loading/Unloading.
The second key to pumping is loading and unloading. Pushing the bars into the turn lowers the board’s position, lowering the center of gravity and loading the board. This increases acceleration due to the traction and centrifugal force of the wheels.
Then, at the exit of the turn, as the springs are released, we push off our weight from the board by pushing off with our feet as if we were jumping. This allows the skateboard to gain even more speed.
The reduction and release of weight during slalom moves and turns generate pump energy on the board.
Advanced slalom skateboard technology
The tossing the baby (Pavedwave) technique is an advanced pumping technique often used by top slalom skateboarders. The slalom above motion (pumping that begins with a rotation of the hips) can create more excellent acceleration by throwing the arms wide to the side in the direction of the turn and against the legs.