{"id":6423,"date":"2022-11-17T11:42:29","date_gmt":"2022-11-17T11:42:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eridehero.com\/?p=6423"},"modified":"2023-11-24T14:07:55","modified_gmt":"2023-11-24T14:07:55","slug":"longboard-pumping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eridehero.com\/longboard-pumping\/","title":{"rendered":"Longboard Pumping 101: The Ultimate Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this article, I\u2019m going to explain in depth how to pump your longboard. I\u2019ll also be talking about what makes a longboard appropriate for pumping, and how you can optimize yours for pumping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Longboard pumping explained<\/h2>\n\n\n
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What is longboard pumping?<\/h3>\n
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Longboard pumping is a way to propel yourself forward on your longboard without having to push with your feet.<\/p>\n

You essentially carve left and right<\/a> aggressively, and this back-and-forth motion of your trucks turning converts into forward momentum which propels you forward.<\/p>\n

On the right longboard setup, pumping can be effective enough to get you to speeds faster than 15mph.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Why should you learn to pump your longboard?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re doing long-distance skating, pumping is a great skill to have. It allows you to take a break from pushing, and instead use high-speed carving to move forward. When you\u2019re long distances, it's an effective way to take a break, but ensure you\u2019re still covering ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people even build setups specifically for pumping. This allows you to pump for miles on end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, it\u2019s simply a fun skill to have. It\u2019s a great way to engage with and enjoy your skateboard<\/a> and ultimately develop a better feel for your board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I\u2019m out skating, I'll try to pump whatever longboard I am riding. It\u2019s just a fun thing to do and it feels great. Nothing beats the satisfying feeling of pumping for miles without touching the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also super interesting to see what will or won\u2019t pump well - unfortunately, not every longboard will work great for pumping.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Is longboard pumping easy?<\/h3>\n
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Yes - pumping your longboard can be easy<\/strong> - but it can also be difficult depending on a few factors.<\/p>\n

If your longboard is turny and nimble with a relatively loose truck setup, you're well set for easy pumping.<\/p>\n

If your longboard is too stiff, however, pumping will likely take too much physical effort to be a viable technique.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Three different longboard setups (deck, trucks and bushings)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

However, if you have the skill and experience, you likely can pump just about any board. With your skill, you will be able to keep up the rhythm and the weight distribution and placement requirements you need to get the board to pump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A skilled longboarder can pump just about any longboard. If you're experienced enough, you'll be able to adapt to more difficult setups and find the right rhythm, weight distribution, and foot placement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if your longboard isn't optimized for pumping and you don't have a lot of experience, it is going to be hard to learn and completely nail the technique. More on that later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to pump your longboard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let's get into the nitty-gritty of how to pump your longboard effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The basics of longboard pumping - how it works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In its essence, longboard pumping is just carving left and right aggressively. By carving aggressively, we get our trucks to change direction quickly. This quick change in direction generates forward momentum, leading to more speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make pumping easy and effective, you either need the skill to carve your setup quickly or simply ride your trucks loose so they are more responsive to direction change. In an optimal scenario, you'd have both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let's cover the skill half of longboard pumping first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Skills you need to pump your board<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This is a checklist of skills we\u2019ll need to learn to pump successfully. They are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Being able to turn your board aggressively<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Being able to turn off your front foot<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Being able to maintain rhythm when carving<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Being able to build a setup right for pumping<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    If you can learn all the above, you likely be able to pump well.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    1. How you dig into your board is key for pumping - how to turn aggressively<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    How aggressively you can turn your board is key for pumping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If we want to turn our board in a smooth leisurely way, we simply place a bit<\/strong> our weight on our toes or our heels, and the board will turn in the corresponding direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If we want to turn our board aggressively, we place a lot<\/strong> of our weight on our toes or heels, and the board turns a lot quicker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now for pumping, we want to turn super aggressively. We need to place a ton of weight and force it into our heels or toes. So, here is how to dig a ton of weight into the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    How to turn aggressively<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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    1. Hop up lightly to take your weight off the board (without losing contact with the deck)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Bend your knees as you come down again. Thanks to gravity, this generates a lot of force. Drive that force into either your toes or heels depending on which way you want to dig into a carve.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Practice involving your upper body to drive even more force into the longboard. Throw your arms towards the ground (like you're rowing) as you come down.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. \"Row\" in the corresponding direction you want to turn in. Do so more aggressively if you want to drive more force into your longboard.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      <\/use><\/svg><\/div>
      Note<\/div><\/div>

      Not all setups need aggressive turning<\/h4>\n

      A setup that is finely tuned for pumping will not need you to turn aggressively to get it to pump.<\/p>\n

      Some setups only need you to lightly shift your weight left and right, and that's enough to make the trucks change direction quickly.<\/p>\n

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      This is done so that pumping doesn’t take too much effort and energy, and it allows you to do it for a sustained period fairly comfortably.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

      2. We mainly want to turn off our front foot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      We need to be able to pump primarily off our front foot, or at least ensure most of the turning is coming from the front truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The aggressive turning of the front truck is what generates the majority of the forward momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So as you turn aggressively based on the instructions above, make sure you are driving into your front foot primarily, leaving less weight on the back foot.<\/p>\n\n\n

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      Front-heavy foot placement is ideal for driving force into the front trucks<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

      High-angle \/ low-angle truck setups<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Some pumping setups have high-angle trucks in the front, and low-angle trucks in the rear. <\/p>\n\n\n

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      \"Different<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

      This allows the skateboard to mostly turn from the front - almost like the way a car turns, with the front wheels turning and the back wheels only following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      These setups are significantly easier to pump than the average setup - where both trucks are at the same angle and turn the same amount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A surf skateboard is a good example of this. They have that obnoxiously turny front truck and a comparatively unturny rear truck. They do pump quite easily for this very reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      3. Rhythm is key<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Once you learn the basics of driving your weight into the board to turn, rhythm is the next key thing to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Shifting force from left to right in a consistent manner will allow you to build up speed when pumping. If you're only hitting your technique right every two or three pumps, you'll struggle to accelerate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Every board has its own rhythm so it\u2019s hard to say exactly what is right. It\u2019s up to you to figure it out by developing a feel for your particular hardware and setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Initially, figuring out the perfect rhythm may be difficult, but it gets much easier the more experienced you get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n