3 Simple Ways to
Share What You Make

With Instructables you can share what you make with the world — and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.

PhotosPhotos

Share one or more photos of a project, recipe, or whatever you've made, quickly and easily.

Step by StepStep-By-Step

Share your step-by-step photos with text instructions of what you made so others can do it too!

VideoVideo

Share your how-to video. You'll need your embed code from a video site such as YouTube.

How to Coleman slide longboards!

How to Coleman slide longboards!
The Coleman slide, or any longboard slide for that matter, is an important skill needed for going down hill where you might need to stop short (for example, riding on a hill where cars drive).

This instructable covers the Coleman slide which is considered the best first slide by many boarders. After learning this slide, you can move on to many other slides like pendulums, standing slides, and others.

Sub Note: I do not have any pictures of myself sliding, so Instead I have used a picture of the inventor of the Coleman slide, Cliff Coleman.

Image Source: http://www.geocities.com/sk8sanjose/coleman.jpg
 
Remove these adsRemove these ads by Signing Up
 

Step 1What you will need:

What you will need:
«
  • P7021881.jpg
  • P7021882.jpg
  • Some skateboarding experience: Be able to carve down hills.
If you can't do this, work on your skills before trying this, or else you might fall and then dislike longboarding.

  • Sliding gloves: 100% necessary, either buy some, or make some using this guide:
How to Make sliding gloves
Sliding gloves allow you to put your hands on the ground at speed without hurting yourself.

  • A board: again, 100% necessary, make one using this guide:
How to make a longboard
Your trucks should be pretty loose, but not super duper loose. Wheels, although you will hear otherwise, aren't that important, just don't cry if you wreck your soft wheels.

  • A helmet: YOU NEED ONE, you might die without one
Seriously.
« Previous StepDownload PDFView All StepsNext Step »
28 comments
Apr 30, 2012. 4:06 AMVitamins3 says:
what is the preferred wheel durometer (hardness)?
May 2, 2012. 4:42 PMdreadyzkush says:
83A is what i have and i think it's the best
May 13, 2012. 7:36 AMyoyojoeco says:
I have 75a is that too soft?
Feb 23, 2012. 12:01 PMchubby8 says:
i learnt to do heelside 180 slide first then learnt standies but still havent got the coleman slide right
Oct 9, 2011. 12:27 PMMegatronic says:
His old enough to be advise what to do look at his gray hair.
Sep 25, 2011. 8:52 PMwsk1218 says:
I personally like my head intact and in one piece.
Nov 1, 2009. 10:25 AMZaphod Beeblebrox says:
why isnt he wearing a helmet?
Nov 21, 2009. 3:16 PMZaphod Beeblebrox says:
u can never be too pro for safety! ,,o wait yes u can,,
Dec 12, 2010. 3:49 PMisaac! says:
you can be too splattered all over the pavement to wear a helmet...
May 18, 2011. 12:00 PMXI3 says:
dude he is! look at the pic! its orange!
Jul 15, 2009. 12:04 AMdenghua-joshua says:
Hi
Sep 20, 2009. 3:05 PMmowie says:
Hello
Oct 6, 2009. 5:53 PMThousandParadox says:
whats up
Mar 14, 2010. 9:21 PMBlack_Fire says:

lol how r you?

May 11, 2011. 8:38 PMThe nerdling says:
'sup
Oct 25, 2010. 1:08 PMjohmey says:
Dude, this didn't say one thing on how to do a Coleman Slide, except for the gear I need...
Cliff Coleman is my friend and a skateboarding legend.

If you want to be a better instructor, add some detailed information on how to wind up and carve into the slide, what to do with your free hand while sliding, how to lean into the slide, how long you should slide for based on your speed, and how to get out of the slide and back into the starting position.

Don't you dare give Cliff Coleman a bad name. He is just almost 61 and can STILL out-skate most people I know.
Oct 25, 2010. 1:25 PMjohmey says:
By the way, an OFFICIAL Coleman slide is NOT a sharp slide. You have to SLIDE into it, not THROW your back foot into it. meaning it should be a smooth motion; you get some speed, then make a carve in the opposite direction you plan to swing your back foot out, then you swing it as you are coming out of that first carve.
so if you are a regular foot, (meaning your left foot is in front of the board), you will do a small carve to the right then as you are coming out of that carve, you will put your right knee down on top of your front left foot while at the same time, putting down your sliding glove next to the board on the ground NO FARTHER THAN 18 INCHES FROM THE BOARD. you will want to twist your upper torso to the left as you go into the slide, brining your right arm across you over to the left side of your body. you want to do this so you can have enough momentum to get back up. Practice stopping completely at first to get a feel for how it works, and also so you can build your muscle memory. pretty soon, you will get a feel for swinging your right arm back to the right side so it will bring you back up on your feet to the board so you may continue to bomb the hill at a slower speed than you started out with. oh wow I typed a lot... BUT ABOVE ALL!!!!!! WEAR--------YOUR---------EFFFING-----------HELMET.
Apr 21, 2011. 2:32 AMjamesmc11 says:
thank you very much....you explained this very well..did it better than the feature article..!!!!! and do you have to have hard compound wheels when doing this?
Jul 8, 2010. 10:39 PMbeatles1 says:
nice job just got some high grade crane plastic from my uncle to make some slidin gloves now its time to slide =)
Feb 6, 2010. 7:14 PMTrumpet says:
Little note:
Steeze = Style + Ease.

And:
When Cliff has his hand free of the board, he is swinging it around the front of his body, over his other shoulder. This helps rotate the shoulders. After getting your shoulders into rotation, your hips will follow, which is key to really initiating the slide. Speed helps.

Go for it! Really rotate and throw around the slide, coming out evenly weighted so the you don't fall off after whipping it around 180.
You will feel so much more confident when you know that you can stop if you find yourself going too fast for comfort.
Jan 3, 2010. 3:53 PMDarren. says:
Getting into this "box" position will not be any good if you all of a sudden need to stand up.
Nov 5, 2009. 10:38 AMcapn says:
Hey thanks for linking my instructable!

Also great job on your instructable!
Jul 2, 2009. 8:01 PMhg341 says:
I do something like this with my mountian bike not with my hands though
Jul 3, 2009. 7:45 AMhg341 says:
yeaspinning too

Pro

Get More Out of Instructables

Already have an Account?

close

All Steps Viewing
View all steps of an Instructable on the same page when you're a Pro Member.

Upgrade to Pro today!
8
Followers
13
Author:vanpaun
Hey my name is Jeremy. I have been contributing since september 06, getting in excess of 65,000 hits. I think thats pretty cool. Favorite: Distro: Opensuse Tool: Hmmm, good one. I'd say dremel. Show:...
more »