To Mongo Or Not To Mongo

Myself, I'd say it's worth relearning. It's actually more comfortable/natural to stand on your front foot as you kick. This keeps your weight over the board instead of further back. It makes it more predictable and stable, and also allows for quicker foot repositioning for tricks.

Trust me, I'm a professional skateboarding coach. Honestly.

Posted by Tony on 12th of May 2006

I agree with everything you say Tony (regarding the benefits of not being Mongo that is)... I just think, if you're not in it for competition and you're already having fun being a Mongo, why bother to relearn? So it takes you a couple extra seconds to be ready to trick... that's no big deal unless you want to be really good. And of course, if you want to get into nollie, it's much more efficient to be a mongo ;-)

Posted by Adam on 22nd of May 2006

cool

Posted by po on 23rd of May 2006

Thats right,but I use an easier way to get into nollie.All you have to is jump a little bit and shuffle your feet.

Posted by Oldschool Al on 23rd of May 2006

Actually, I do all my shuvits off the nose, the goofy freestyler I am, and have no issue with my riding stance. If anything, it's the fastest way to do it. I just keep my front foot right at the front bolts at a comfy 45 degree angle, and I'm pretty much ready to throw any shuvit (or nollie trick, if you prefer) as soon as I stop pushing/tic-tacking/whatever.

Posted by Tony on 24th of May 2006

I do shuvits off the nose too, and off the tail for fakie ones.

Posted by Oldschool Al on 20th of June 2006

Technically... you're doing a shuv-it off the nose if you're doing a fakie shuv-it.

Posted by Vaughn on 21st of June 2006

i skate mongo and i have a great time doing it. but i think this summer im gonna learn how to ride regular for my new skate. just so i can bust out some tricks a few seconds faster.

Posted by mark grindcore on 01st of March 2007

hi i really really really want to learn how to skateboard like more than you would know!! just like 2 years ago i went to america and bought a new pro tony hawks board, im a goffy footed rider and im really confident at riding i just cant nail the ollie and it is the base trick for everything! i have tried so hard at doing it last summer i wrecked my elbow with trying lol is there any hits or tips you could give me??

Posted by frabcesca on 27th of May 2007

hey, i currently push mongo, i want to stop.
what is a good way to learn to push regular. When ever i try i just quit because i can barley balance at all when i try to go regular.

Posted by Mac on 23rd of June 2007

i used to push mongo and had the same problem. id say- keep pushing mongo, they say it takes longr to position yourself, but if you push unnaturally, it takes ages to position yourself anyway. besides, if it feels comfortable, do it

Posted by Mazz on 19th of July 2007

KEEP PUSHING MONGO!
if you feel comfortable doing it, why not? It's not a bad habit and it's unique.

Posted by Nath on 30th of July 2007

yeh im mongo footed too but i think its cool, i like to be different and i think we should show those regular footed ppl wat we can do!

Posted by kimmi on 31st of July 2007

i have been skating for at least 2 1/2 years now and in that time i have progressed as a mongo skater. i have started skating regular and i cant even stay on the board but i just keep practicing and i know ill get it cause there is no trick to breaking out of the habit of mongo skating but practice.

Posted by matt on 03rd of August 2007

yeah i skate mongo but id liek to stop. i hate everyone telling you your mongo. i know im mongo or i would be riding like everyone else dumbasses. it would just help my style and my sponsorship chances.

Posted by Mike on 10th of August 2007

Im a mongo skater and i have to say that i dont like it much... i mean if feels comfortable its just that i dont have as good control over the board when im riding compared to when i ride goofy. i just cant nail anything with left foot lol.

Posted by Seth on 13th of August 2007

Hi,well i'd just like to say 2 other mongo riders out there that if it's comfortable,then why not? Stick with it and practise,you'll gain more control and better moves.It doesn't really matter which way you skate,as long as you like it.

Posted by kristen on 24th of August 2007

Hi, i push mongo to, and I just find it a natural way to skate, when I try to skate regular I can't keep my balance
So stay mongo, be different :p

(sorry if my English isn't that good I'm from Belgium, I really am Iedereen ga skaten<= Dutch :p)
Don't worry be happy and... just skate ur ass off!!

Posted by Bryan (Belgium) on 04th of September 2007

I totally agree with you there Bryan :D

Mongo is only a different way to sk8,i don't see what the problem is with it.

I have the same problem as Bryan,i find it unnatural to sk8 any other way

Posted by Kristen on 09th of September 2007

We just have the problem here in Belgium that a lot but I mean really a lot of skaters push regular, and It just freaks me out.It looks almost like i'm the only mongo skater :p :(

Posted by Bryan (Belgium) on 10th of September 2007

Yep im a mongo skater i got told to skate regular if i wanted to get sponserd but i beleive that you should still be able to get sponserd even if your mongo do you guys no any mongo skaters?

Posted by Dylan on 14th of September 2007

I'm not sure but I think Bill Danforth is a mongo skater, but i'm not sure, u can always chack

Posted by Bryan (Belgium) on 16th of September 2007

please do not push mongo ever again!

Posted by skatred on 01st of October 2007

dude why?

Posted by Bryan (Belgium) on 13th of October 2007

i push mongo.so wot? i think its comfertable so if u dont lick it stick it up ur arse

Posted by sk8ter dude on 13th of October 2007

I am mongo regular...
I dont think that mongo style is a problem
but i think regular-REGULAR looks better...
im thinking of changing from mongo-regular to REGULAR-REGULAR...
WHAT DO U GUYS THINK??? :/

Posted by GREEK on 25th of October 2007

I think if u r regular or mongo u all can choose how u skate, just have fun doing it!!

Posted by Bryan (Belgium) on 29th of October 2007

it doesnt matter that your mongo im mongo too it looks weirder but when u actuall show ppl wat u do they willl be shoked

Posted by brian on 13th of November 2007

is there any people who are mongo and sponsored?
I want to get sponsored but im mongo. Any tips?

Posted by mongo man on 18th of November 2007

Help me i want to get sponsored but im mongo. Ive worked too hard to change pushing style.

Posted by mongo man on 18th of November 2007

ive been skating mongo for like 8 years nearly and iv been told to go and learn how to skate 'properly' by many a ppl but i find it rather hard to push with my back foot. to any of u non-mongo skaters to try and make mongo pushing look as easy as i do . im never gonna change to make something harder for myself when i already know an easier more logical way of skatin.KEEP SKATIN MONGO YEAAAHHH!

Posted by mongo martin on 28th of November 2007

i hear ya martin but what if i wanna get sponsored?

Posted by mongo man on 30th of November 2007

In the 70's during the first skatepark wave just about everybody was mongo. FYI. But if you're just starting, try to go regular, in the long run it's a better way. I've tried switching and it's not easy to unlearn decades of mongo.

Posted by old guy on 02nd of December 2007

ive only been skating a short time and i push mongo. im gonna try change now, for everyone who says "oh its just as good", pushing regular obv looks better, and if all the pros do it then they must be on to something.
the fact that theres no known pro mongo skaters suggests that regular is a superior way of skating. dont be so stubborn yo

Posted by rusty on 11th of January 2008

All these reasons are stupid for not pushing Mongo.

Give me some solid reasons why not to push Mongo. I'm talking solid reasons, and not some wishy washy type crap.

Posted by enulee on 19th of February 2008

well it does take extra time to position yourself for a trick, but while taking that time your losing precious speed. think about that.

Posted by mcafee on 20th of February 2008

bill danforth skates mongo.
i dont , i skate goofy.. but who cares, just have fun. if someone tells you to "skate properly" just rip all over that clown. there is no "proper" anything in skateboarding.
if you are so into getting sponsored or whatever, just make sure you are so good they cant front on you for the way you push... make kids WANT to skate mongo just because you do... dont conform, do your thing, your way. thats what skateboarding is all about anyway.
personally, i would laugh my ass off at anyone trying to tell me how i should skate.
SKATE AND DESTROY"!!!!!!!!

Posted by Rennie Foster on 22nd of February 2008

i skate mongo and ive been skating since i was 6 and im 15 now and i am still one of the worst skaters in the skate park and i regret learning how to skate mongo i lose so much speed so i suck at gapping anythign and stairs and all that crap

Posted by billy on 02nd of March 2008

Well it is more stable and you have a better chance of staying on your board. Also at some skate parks they kick you out if you push mongo

Posted by Jdog on 25th of March 2008

Mongo is the perfect way to gain speed for switch tricks - but if that's the only way you can push, you're still a dork.

Posted by Prygleren on 05th of April 2008

i'm mongo and proud of it, i've been longboarding for about 8 years, it has its disadvantages (loss of balance b/c you have to swing your whole body foward instead of backward with the flow of your pushing) but its the only way i know how. i'm a dogboarder, my golden retriever/pit bull pulls me 5-10 miles a day, i've done about 3000 miles in the last 3 years and being mongo hasn't slowed me down a bit.

Posted by viavant on 07th of April 2008

I ride goofy and I wish I could learn mongo, I've tried to before and nearly did the splits lol.

Posted by Tony S on 18th of April 2008

I push mongo, I manage to skate. Is it a crime to skate the way I find feels best?

I think you just need to decide for yourself how you want to push and do what feels best and you think is right for you. You can't let other people decide for you.

Posted by Christian on 25th of April 2008

Bill Danforth is a momgo skater he is a pro look him up u assholes let us just be the way we whant 2

Posted by Dark_ice on 02nd of May 2008

I started skating mid to late 1980s (the dark period!) and pushing with your front or back foot was only ever a personal preference amongst the guys I used to hang out with. We were riding street on the first wave of 'Street' boards ( I still have a thrashed Natas SMA deck on my study wall). Obviously over time street skating developed and tricks have got more and more technical. Now there's a bona fide reason to push with your front foot and it's that it sets you up quicker so you don't dump speed shuffling your feet. While I can acknowledge that, I still push with my front foot 90% of the time that I skate because it feels natural to me. It's the same reason I ride 8.25 and 8.5 decks, the newer thinner 'popsicles' (while, again, more adept for technical tricks) just don't feel right for me after all this time. What do I care if the kids who see me go by take the mick? I was ollieing garbage cans on the skateboard equivalent of a monster truck when they were still a throb in their father's undercrackers.

Posted by Snatchit on 08th of May 2008

I started skating mid to late 1980s (the dark period!) and pushing with your front or back foot was only ever a personal preference amongst the guys I used to hang out with. We were riding street on the first wave of 'Street' boards ( I still have a thrashed Natas SMA deck on my study wall). Obviously over time street skating developed and tricks have got more and more technical. Now there's a bona fide reason to push with your BACK foot and it's that it sets you up quicker so you don't dump speed shuffling your feet. While I can acknowledge that, I still push with my front foot 90% of the time that I skate because it feels natural to me. It's the same reason I ride 8.25 and 8.5 decks, the newer thinner 'popsicles' (while, again, more adept for technical tricks) just don't feel right for me after all this time. What do I care if the kids who see me go by take the mick? I was ollieing garbage cans on the skateboard equivalent of a monster truck when they were still a throb in their father's undercrackers.

Posted by Snatchit (EDIT) on 09th of May 2008

mongo or non mongo is a personal choice. its just like choosing whether to ride goofy or regular. or its just an instinct thing. the first time i got on a board i put my left foot at the back. the first time i pushed a board i pushed with my right foot. so it all depends on what feels more comfortable for you. and instead of saying i have to be a non mongo because all the pros are. make kids in the future say i have to be a mongo because he is.

Posted by luke on 18th of May 2008

im mongo and everyone makes fun of me for it but i can still beat their asses at skate
MONGO 4 PRESEDENT!!!!!

Posted by mongo mike on 19th of May 2008

I can push regular but i push mongo cuz it takes me less time to set up for tricks, but when i push mongo i have my left foot on the right be hind front truck bolts so that foot is ready to rock and roll after a simple twist ive noticed, no one really gives me any crap about rideing mongo becuase i can pretty much keep p with the skaters i skate around

Posted by Sinful on 02nd of June 2008

I can push regular but i push mongo cuz it takes me less time to set up for tricks, but when i push mongo i have my left foot on the right be hind front truck bolts so that foot is ready to rock and roll after a simple twist ive noticed, no one really gives me any crap about rideing mongo becuase i can pretty much keep p with the skaters i skate around

Posted by Sinful on 02nd of June 2008

Man, I'll need to change from mongo to regular :/
I'm like gonna practice on the regular sooo hard :/

Posted by Kristof(Belgium) on 03rd of July 2008

I've skated "Mongo" or "Punk-Footed" for 20 years and I have alot of fun doing so I can Try as hard as I may to switch but What does it matter I am having fun. So I'm stayin with my choice.

Posted by drfalcon on 03rd of July 2008

I've been skating for 3 years off and on and while im off and on is because I live in NY and its snows here and every year I have to get used to my mongo stlye..and I hate it because i have to focus on resetting my feet before i do tricks then the trick itself..also when ever i do a flip trick I allways do a body verial.i've tried a million times to stop but it seems impossible..speaking of impossible is it normal to be able to land an impossible then a kick flip..and what is an impossible with a body verial called? I no a kickflip body verial is a sex change and im allright at them..it just blows because every year i spend half the summer learning how to redo everything because of my handicaps, does anyone else body verial everytime when they do kick and heel flips??

Posted by Cody on 06th of July 2008

Since the impossible wraps around your foot, doing a body varial would bring the board with you on your 180 too. That would make the trick a 180 impossible.

Posted by Adam on 07th of July 2008

i like pushing regular.but it's your choice.do what you need to to have fun. don't listen to the posers that tell you otherwise.

Posted by bigkid on 11th of July 2008

Cause only posers tell you what to do. And that's just plain stupid.I'm a regular pusher,but mongo no mongo,regular or goofy, it's skateboarding.

Posted by bigkid on 11th of July 2008

Well I am a regular freestyler....Though i am mongo....I am more comfortable mongo and I have aready nailed the hard tricks already(heeflip,truckstand,primo flips, and pogo ect.) I have been skating for 7 months and I am just 12 years old... Mongo is more comfortable and Nollie/Fakie are easier to do...Plus its unique and hopefully I'll be a mongo pro

Posted by Nathaniel on 23rd of July 2008

I don't think it matters if u skate mongo or not. i skate normal goofy and my friend skates mongo. i can go faster then him and higher than him. my friends say the only real problems with mongo is that it takes to long to prepare for a trick, its easier to push but harder to gain speed, people keep tellin him not too. The good points though, he says nollie and fakie are easier,gettin into switch is easy and its "different"

also my brothers friend is mongo-regular and his is one of the best skaters ive seen, but he doesnt skate anymore.

Posted by Jason on 14th of August 2008

im mongo but uma learn to push regular cuz it lookz better to me and i cant jump sets easly if im mongo so . yeah plus Jason dill from alien workshop said i cant skatfor him until i learn reg. push because were gonna be at speed wen doin our tricks so i have to learn wish me luck

Posted by jjdakid on 14th of August 2008

i skate mongo i am sponcerd by zumiez i have skated for around 2 years and people say that skating mongo makes u slower but thats a lie u may be slower at first yes but once u get really comfortable its the same.. i am the fastest skater on the team.. and yes it does take longer to get ready but not enough to hold u back! just hit the streets till u get control then the park.. you can get there and remember its just all fun =p

Posted by logan on 06th of November 2008

who cares if you mongo or regular, at the end of the day were all skaters =)

Posted by ANS BOYS on 27th of November 2008

im mongo and i learned how to push regular its just the ramps that i am uncofortable with

Posted by roberto on 30th of November 2008

i sk8 mongo i haven't had any problems really i've learned techniques to reposition my feet quicker i entere tournaments won a couple

Posted by tr8sk8 on 17th of December 2008

i think pushing mongo or non mongo doesnt really matter. im mongo and ive been trying to push reg. but it just feels so wierd. plus i never had a prob with people for the two years ive been skating. dont listen to those posers that tells you to push reg. stay with mongo, period.

Posted by Mark on 04th of January 2009

well i think if u sk8 mongo u will get no were n u need 2 stop (brandon)
but if u r good already
keep tryin n practice to sk8 non mongo
at the sk8 park no one really has respect 4 mongo sk8ters
i know 4rm xpirience
i have gotten better
wen i hit ledges that have little space i have enough time to get my feet ready
wen i was mongo i never did
so keep practicing not being mongo =)

Posted by mandingo on 19th of January 2009

If u skate mongo u have to stop (lil pinky) skating right know but if ur good keep going and try to learn to push regular like me I use to do that know that I leArn it way better and u get more respect (IAM HORNY) 8]

Posted by Camotote on 19th of January 2009

brandon n lil pinky are posers,dnt listen 2 them!!!!

Posted by mark on 17th of February 2009

if u feel good skateing mongo skate that way i'm mongo and i love it and i f someone tells me i'm weird for it i tellt hem to screw off because even though people say u'll never be rly good when u push mongo thats a lie i'm good as hell and i skate mongo skate the way u skate and do what u do and if u skate good it wnt matter if ur mongo or not

Posted by gabe on 17th of February 2009

way to go gabe!!!

Posted by mark on 20th of February 2009

If you find it ok skating mongo your not going fast enough!!! Also it looks retarded. Just cos your 'good as hell' dont mean your skating looks good. No teams gonna take a sketchy guy sorry to say. Keep it buttery keep it regular.
THRASHER FOR LIFE!!!!!!!

Posted by ToxicSteez on 03rd of March 2009

What the fuck is up with that security question?
Hawk is a tool everyone knows it.
Got fucked over cos i thought anyone with a brain would write Alva or Trujillo.
That would keep the suckers out!!!

Posted by ToxicSteez on 03rd of March 2009

mexican spongebob u r a mongo pushing poser lol hahahaha jk ninja

Posted by yo mama on 07th of March 2009

Isnt Randy Colvin pro...he skates mongo.

Posted by kitty on 18th of March 2009

u know something "toxicsteez" looking good doesn't matter if i can kick ur ass in skating. Bitch!!!

Posted by mark on 21st of March 2009

Sup i ride mongo and no1s ripped
On me about being mongo. The prob is i need to know if being mongo will not help me land a
Kick flip cause i try but i only can land it with one foot i havr only landed it 1 time. Pop shovit is easy for mongos i think
DONT LET PPl RIPP ON U CAUSE UR MONGO like i said i havent gotten ripped on yet and i have sakated for6 yrs

Posted by Jdog on 15th of June 2009

been skating since i was five dosent matter to me.

Posted by Mongo Matt on 17th of June 2009

ok so ive been skating for a week, mongo
out of the 29 people in my high scool that skate only 3 i belive skate mongo 4 including me
two that push mongo are the best around and when they (as in all my skater freinds) saw i pushed mongo tey didnt mind hell i just went on the internetto see if pushing with my left foot was considered goofy mongo but you know what i see why every adult hates skaters they are all ignorant and the only sport most do together they still bash each other
the idiot skaters have spoken i refuse to skate anymore

Posted by alec "doc" macias on 04th of July 2009

Ive been skating for a really long time and i guess when i started i skated regular...and im also a lefty...so i push mongo so if i skated goofy(relearning everything making switch[reg]easier) but its to late for me im fine with mongo

Posted by alex downing on 08th of July 2009

MONGO ALL THE WAY MAN

Posted by Sean on 23rd of July 2009

Yeah so after reading this blog and learning to ollie and skate goofy mongo, im going to have a tough time going non mongo. Im pretty sure the way to go would be to give non mongo a try, just after summing up everyone's opinions.

Won't learning mongo and learning non mongo give you an advantage over non mongo or mongo skaters?

Isn't that good?

Posted by Todd on 30th of August 2009

i push mongo and i love it...i can be a little embarrasing at a skatepark or whatever but i wldnt change it 4 anything.and about doing tricks a lil later?? idk if its just me but idk where that crap came from..i can push regular too its easy i just prefer mongo cuz its more comfortable and thats how i skate better...so just do what u do.plus everyone thinks u skate switch just cause u push mongo lol

Posted by Thomas B. on 11th of September 2009

I push mongo, I learned to push regular, so I could use it in switch stance. I found mongo easier, especially because the sidewalks I learned to skate on were really cracked and all the regular stance skaters were constantly falling on themselves, and I blew past them. And it doesn't take longer to set up if your used to pushing mongo, it takes as long as it would regular foot. I ride regular stance, by the way.

Posted by hunter. yeah. on 19th of September 2009

why all the stress about mongo pushing?
We are all induviduals so pushing mongo is good for some but not for others.
It's not anny slower than pushing regular,it's just different.

pushing mongo for life

Posted by mongopusher on 28th of September 2009

Dudes I have been skating for a year i always skate with one of my friends who had been skating for two years in the year I have been skating mongo and three years he has been skating I can hit bigger stairs gaps I can tre flip clean and he can barely get a varial down it doesn't take long for me to set up anymore you just got to stick with it my friend is regular by the way

Posted by John on 03rd of October 2009

In competition, videos, and just normal skating. No one is going to respect you as a skater if you push mongo, including sponsors. My advice, is to just start pushing the normal way. I was mongo when i first started. It takes about a month to get REALLY comfortable with pusing normally. I can even push like its my normal stance is switch without pushing mongo. PUSH THE RIGHT WAY. Not with your front foot.

Posted by Brendan on 05th of October 2009

u can push mongo its just frowned
upon so i suggest learning to push regular (remember mongo skaters go to hell)

Posted by normal on 26th of October 2009

ahh i used to push mongo myself back in the day, but eventually one day I just went out and skated for a few hours regular and got used to it. Now i would never go back to my old stance i actually think it's way more comfortable pushing with your back foot and makes it much easier to set up for a trick, but hey thats just my opinion, but if you want to change your stance just get out there and never push mongo again, besides, mongos not practical when it takes you like a minute and a half to sex change to set up for a kickflip :)

Posted by miles on 10th of November 2009

man i started off mongo but then i just slowly started skating normal. i got 2 friends who both skate mongo and well they kinda suck. my advice is that u TRY skating normal for like a week, if u don't skate better or it feels awkward then just go back 2 mongo. oh and doesnt bam margera skate mongo?

Posted by richard on 16th of November 2009

why stop skating mongo when all skating is about is having fun and enjoying yourself so if you push mongo push mongo i do cause its fun simple if its comfatble then skate that way

Posted by luke on 26th of January 2010

Hi guys ive been skating for about a year and 3 months now. But ive got a massive problem i've been skating regular but pushing mongo. This is the weird bit i can nollie, nollie shuv, nollie bigspin, nollie heelflip, nollie inward heelflip, switch ollie, swtich shuv and switch heel but can only just ollie . i can do things like no-comply 180/360/shuv. i find all these easy but can't do normal tricks just from the tail. what can i do i really want to get good.

Posted by Alex on 03rd of February 2010

m a beginner skater and I have problems deciding if Im Goofy or Regular footed. I feel very comfortably riding and pushing with the goofy stance, but trying to ollie on goofy feels pretty much impossible. Should I try to mongo?

I would really appreciate a reply :)

Posted by Aaro on 10th of February 2010

Whatever your most comfortablt riding stance is (goofy or regular) should be the stance you stick with for tricks. Ollies will always seem impossible when you are a beginner, that is not your stance, it is just a hard trick to perfect. Mongo or regular pushing wont affect your ollie, unless you need to ollie quickly (then regular would be more effiecient). I am mongo-goofy, and have pretty much mastered the ollie, so just keep trying with whatever feels comfortable to yourself !!!

Posted by Conor on 18th of February 2010

i ride mongo and i like the uniqueness of it

Posted by on 08th of March 2010

Yeah i ride goofy mongo and i dont see the problem, it depends on the person if you have a difficulty standing on the board, and why would you wanna stop being mongo because everyone tells you off about it...It's really not that bad

Posted by Jennifer on 04th of April 2010

why the fuck does it matter if you push mongo? how about it's better if you just quit skateboarding cause it's only good for white people, fucking retards god, those who even giva a fuck in the first place should have fun instead of worrying about how people push their fucking board

Posted by justinvo on 15th of May 2010

well i can honestly say that were not the only mongo skater because these two sponsored skaters stevie williams and eric koston both switch from regular to mongo when they skate so i think its just whatevers more comfortable or u could learn both idk but i skate mongo

Posted by tyler on 08th of June 2010

Hi i skate mongo, but im not sure if i should change or not. I tried regular goofy today and it didnt really feel right for like 4 hours. Should i keep trying?? (im goofy by the way)

Posted by Jono on 03rd of July 2010

hi i skate mongo i am regular and i put my right foot in the back of my board and push of with my left i keep hearing all this different stuff like you shouldn't skate like that but i have already worked so hard and i need something to make me feel better please help and i want to know if some people skate like that and are good and if you can learn anything anyway as long as they practise any help?

Posted by matthew on 17th of August 2010

I skate mongo and it just makes skateing switch way easy

Posted by zane on 23rd of August 2010