The First Skill You Need to Learn on a Riverskate

Let's start with the origins of Riverskate, which was born out of modern whitewater freestyle. 

Modern Whitewater Freestyle: The Origins of Riverskate

So modern whitewater freestyle has its roots in squirtboating. And squirt boating was born from whitewater slalom. In the early 80s, elite racers broke every rule of paddling by leaning upstream and sinking their sterns underwater when making the most radical (pivot) turns. 

It's important to trace this history because at the heart of all of these crafts and techniques is the idea that you gain access to a new dimension (the third dimension) when you're no longer thinking about paddling as simply being on the surface of the water. 

Learning to Manual 

Your goal, when you first get on a Riverskate, shouldn't be standing up and balancing. In fact, it's learning to find -- and have fun with! -- the board's sweet spot, performing your very first manuals. 

To best learn this, start on your knees first, and follow the directions in the video above  

Starting to get some good ones? Send us your video to david@riverskatecollective.com or tag us @riverskatecollective. See y'all out there!