How-To Skateboarding: Coffin With Ron Allen

What this video teaches

Ron Allen makes the point that lying down on your board is only half of it: the coffin is not a trick until you get back up and roll away. He wants you fully horizontal with the hands in the prayer position, held while you roll, and then describes the exact recovery. The front foot steps onto the front of the board, the other foot comes to the middle, and for a moment you have both feet on with your hand on the tail carrying your weight, and from there you push yourself up and roll on down the hill. His warnings are about loose clothing, keeping hands and fingers in off the ground, and starting on a mellow hill because a coffin down a big hill can bring on speed wobbles.

Key tips

• 1Getting back up is part of the trick; lying down and staying down does not count
• 2Get fully horizontal and hold the prayer position with your hands while you roll
• 3To get up, step the front foot onto the front of the board, bring the other foot to the middle, and put your hand on the tail
• 4Use your weight through the hand on the tail for the moment when both feet are on, then push yourself up
• 5Keep baggy jeans and oversized shirts tucked in, and keep your hands and fingers off the ground while rolling
• 6Start on a mellow hill and work up; a coffin down a steep hill can give you the wobbles

Summarized from the video transcript.