Well, pretty my best answer is to skate more really. You just get use to all this stuff after a while, but if you really want me to get into more detail:
Controlling speed depends on comfortability on the board you use and the tightness of your trucks (and all that jazz). The question of speed wabble comes up a lot. To avoid it, you pretty much have to not be nervous... Yeah, comfortability on your board is pretty much key.
Sliding, really, you just get use to it after practicing. Buy gloves and keep going around them corners (tips are also a lot easier when we meet at sessions, it's kind of hard to explain over posts). But it kind of sucks because we can't skate either... Oh and different styles of sliding (Like 1 hands, stand ups and what ever way you grab your board) are just learnt after learning how to slide by grabbing your board with one hand, and putting the other on the ground behind you. It's pretty much the basics.
The faster you go, the faster your trucks turn. So if you have your trucks pretty tight for carving, it'll feel like they're looser while going fast. Also good to practice. Oh and really really really really good tip that some guys here gave me and I always need to remember 'cause it's SO help full, is to look where you're going, so like ahead of you in the turn. If you look at the bank or curb or what ever, you'll most likely slide out into it. It's pretty much magic, where ever your eyes go, your board will follow.
Standies are a pain in the ass to learn, but again, it all starts with the basic slide. It's pretty much putting all your pressure on the front foot and the pushing the board with your back foot... in a... motion that... turns your board the other way. But once you make it past 90' (like pretty much the board being horizontal) it's a whole new feeling. Ahhh yeaeaaahh, switch riding. You kind of have to keep pushing that board until it does a complete 180, and the you're fully into switch, which also takes a while to get used to, (I need to work on it SO BAD this year). But yeah, once you get regular 180s, then you work on switch ones, and then toe side ones... or it changes for different people I guess.
Carving is pretty basic... unless you're referring to pumping? Or carving while doin' the cross steps? Pumping is pretty much using the momentum of your body while you carve back and forth, that makes you keep going without needing to push. Your trucks have to be pretty darn loose, and the shorter the board, the easier to pump. It's the same idea as pumping in a bowl, but instead of throwing your momentum vertically, it's more horizontally. I think that makes sense? And then, go check loaded newsletter if you haven't already, on Youtube. It'll teach you ALLLLL about the cross stepping or dancing.... it's dancing on a longboard and it looks cool. But don't think it's easy, It takes a while to get all that balancing out and stuff. Practice.... mmmm.
Yeah, I think that's enough for now. Basically all things come over time... you get use to your boards, and get better balance and just get use to every wonderful thing. It's a beautiful art. too bad there's snow, but then again there's skateboard hockey. Or grandin.
Ok yeah, there you have it.
