I did a bit of research and found out that I needed to go to an independent board shop, pick out a wide deck that is easy to stand on (I chose 8.75 inches, my husband chose 10 for his big feet). Then have them put on their biggest, softest wheels, cheapest ball-bearings (so they are not fast) and set the wheels tight so they don't revolve a ton when you spin them.
If I'm standing on a hill my board will not roll. That's how tight the wheels are set. It was very easy to learn on a board that doesn't go flying out from under you when you step on. It took a few hours and I was ready to start heading down some gentle hills.
The board shop where I got mine (Ground Floor Skateshop in Rockford, IL) had handpainted options for the rough upper bit (instead of just black). So pretty!
I'm still shocked at how easy it was to learn.
Word of caution: wear pads! I was sharing the wrist guards with my nephew and at some point neither of us was wearing them. That's when I fell. It was my 5th day of riding. I was going uphill and about to be at a complete stop when the board went out from under me backwards. I fell onto the cement and rolled onto the grass. I scratched my knees and palms, but the worst part was something I did to my left thumb.
2 weeks later it's still not totally up to snuff, but it's healing. Bone bruise? Who knows, but now I wear full pads - even if I look like a fool. It's totally worth the pain though. Skateboarding is so fun!!!
The dog loves that we're doing an activity that he can be involved in. He hates when we go biking.
My dog and husband. My nephew photo-bombing in the back.
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