For other uses, see Pump (disambiguation)

Pump (disambiguation)

A pump is a mechanical device used to move fluids and slurries.Pump may also refer to:*Pump A technique in skateboarding*Pump or Antlia, an eighteenth-century faint constellation in the southern sky*Laser pumping...

Pumping is a longboarding

Longboarding

Longboarding is the act of riding on a longboard.Longboarding is an offshoot of street skating, but, like all board sports, its roots lie in surfing. Developed as a single sport on the west coast in the 1950s, by the 1990s, Longboards and Skateboards branched off into their respective disciplines...

 technique used to gain speed without the riders' feet leaving the board. This is done by selectively applying pressure to different parts of the board. Pumping can be done on flatland by turning or on a transition like a ramp or quarter pipe

Quarter pipe

A Quarter pipe is a ramp used in extreme sports which resembles a quarter of the cross section of a pipe. They are most commonly found in skateparks and a skiing/snowboarding terrain park, although the trained eye of an extreme sports fan can find them in modern day architecture...

. It is also known as Long distance skateboard pumping or LDP.

Transition

Transition pumping can only be done when there is a slope differential between the front and rear wheels. That is to say, it can only be done at the top and bottom of any ramp, but can be done through the entire pipe. The rider should actually push downward on the truck with the greatest slope under the wheels. On the top of a ramp the front wheels should be pushed, and at the bottom the rear trucks should be pushed. On a pipe the weight should be applied to the rear truck throughout the entire transition.

Flatland Pumping/Slalom

Flatland pumping is essentially carving with the proper amount of weight application in order to gain momentum. By shifting one's weight in sync with the boards movements in order to gain momentum, like pivoting, but with all four wheels on the ground. By keeping the proper timing, the proper foot position, and the proper set up, one can yield great results.

Longboard-skateboard technology has rapidly advanced since the 1970s, and along with those changes is a new breed of distance-pumping skateboarder. LDP sessions can be casual 5- to 10- mile pump cruises on flat bike / rollerblading trails. Within the last two years, LDP riders have been breaking world distance records for 24 hour LDP riding. Recent records include James Peters' 208 mile ride in May 2008 and Barefoot Ted McDonald's 242 mile ride on June 14, 2008 during the Ultraskate IV held in Seattle, Washington which set a new world record .

Learning the Technique

Learning to pump is easiest with loose, tight-turning skateboard trucks. Although it is possible to pump with any truck, stiffer more conventional shortboard trucks take much more skill and effort. Trucks with a tight turning radius include Bennett, Tracker, Original, Revenge, and Seismic.

See also

• Charitable distance skating
  Charitable distance skating
  Charitable distance skating refers to long distance travel on a skateboard with an associated charitable fundraising effort.Perhaps one of the most famous boards in the world, Elsa has over 10,000 km under her wheels...
  
  
• Longboard (skateboard)
  Longboard (skateboard)
  A longboard is a surfing variant of a skateboard, similar and related to a surfboard or snowboard with wheels. It is used for cruising, downhill racing, slalom racing, sliding, and/or transport. However, most stunts, and the boards themselves are very different from that of a typical skateboard...
  
  
• Adrenalina Skateboard Marathon
  Adrenalina Skateboard Marathon
  The Adrenalina Skateboard Marathon is a series of international longboard racing events. Each race is on course on a skateboard that must be pushed by foot...
  
  

External links

Propelling Yourself With Turns; How to pump by Daniel Gesmer

• ncdsa Northern California Downhill Skateboarding Association — Pumping forum.
• pavedwave — Non-stop distance longboard pumping.
• SkateFurther — Long Distance Skateboarding.
• GTCPLDP - Long Distance Pumping Technical Information