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pumping
In this episode Geoff will be teaching one of the fundamentals of riding ramps – pumping.
We'd like to say a big thank you to Pitt Street Skate Park for letting us film in their super nice park and Geoff from Rubicon for his time and expertise.
how to pump on a skateboard
what is pumping?
Pumping is a technique used to keep your speed and even generate more, without your feet leaving the skateboard. It is extremely useful and can be done on mini ramps, halfpipes and in bowls; pretty much any transition.
how do you pump?
Like most skateboarding, it starts with a good foot position. Place your back foot on the tail and your front foot over the front set of bolts.
The concept is as you go up the ramp you want to make yourself as light as possible, so you go higher. You do that by standing up.
On the way down you want to do the opposite, crouch down and press your weight into the board as you come down into the flat bottom.
One great goal to work towards, is to start at the bottom of the ramp with a couple pushes, then start the pumping motion. You should be able to gradually get higher and higher on the ramp with no further pushes required.
Something to keep in mind is that the lighter you are, the less body weight you have to help gain momentum, which can make pumping more challenging and less effective.
The good thing about pumping is that it is a great technique to introduce you to ramp skating. You'll learn to go up the ramp quite high, you'll learn to ride backwards in fakie, and that means you'll build your confidence to try to drop in or rock to fakie.