The plan behind the story · Fifteen seconds through the cones took Darren Miles from his local park to the world championships
Six weeks from first push to your own cone course
In six weeks you will be able to ride, steer and stop on a skateboard, and run a short line of cones. If you are getting going, that starts with a lesson and standing on a board on the grass. If you already skate, or are fit and steady on your feet, it ends with a timed slalom run you can beat.
Why this works
Darren Miles had skated since 1977 when his tricks began to slip away, he told the Guardian. In 2020 he took up slalom instead, BBC News reported: speed skateboarding around a line of cones. He had to learn to move in new ways and to keep his speed between the cones without pushing, and in October 2026 he had a place in the Great Britain team at the world championships in Paraguay.
This plan follows the same idea at a gentler scale. Learn the basics properly, with the right kit, then add one small thing a week. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons advises mastering stopping, slowing down and turning before anything harder. Slalom comes after that, because it is mostly turning, done well and in a rhythm.
Before you start
- Check with your GP (family doctor) first if you have a balance, bone or joint problem, osteoporosis, or have not exercised for a while.
- Get the kit. A properly fitting helmet, worn every time; wrist guards; knee and elbow pads; flat shoes with slip-resistant soles. The orthopaedic surgeons say wrist guards reduce the number and severity of wrist fractures.
- Get a board. A shorter deck is easier to balance and handle, the surgeons advise.
- Book a lesson. Skateboard GB’s lesson finder lists UK schools and coaches, including adult lessons; it suggests choosing a coach with its Level 1 qualification and first aid training. In the US, ask at your local skatepark.
- Choose your ground. Smooth, dry, flat and away from traffic. Check it for cracks, stones and debris before you ride.
- Cones. Ten small sports cones, or plastic cups.
The plan
| Week | Do this | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (getting going) | On grass or carpet, in full kit: stand on the board, find your stance, rock gently heels to toes. Then take a lesson. | 2 or 3 sessions of 20 minutes | Either foot forward is fine. |
| 1 (already fit) | Ride, push and stop on flat ground. Then set 10 cones 2 metres (6ft) apart in a line and roll through, pushing as needed. | 2 or 3 sessions of 30 minutes | Time five runs and write down your best. |
| 2 (getting going) | One push, then roll with both feet on the board. Practise a foot-down stop each time. | 3 sessions | Look ahead, not at your feet. |
| 2 (already fit) | Same cones. Aim to push only at the start and steer the rest. | 3 sessions | Knees bent, weight over the front truck. |
| 3 (getting going) | Gentle turns: lean on toes, then heels, while rolling slowly. | 3 sessions | Turn both ways equally. |
| 3 (already fit) | Practise pumping on a very gentle slope: twist through each turn to gain speed. Clear the line with no push. | 3 sessions | If you lose speed, widen the cones. |
| 4 (getting going) | Five cones 3 metres (10ft) apart. Roll through slowly, turning round each one. | 3 sessions | Knocking cones is fine. |
| 4 (already fit) | Close the cones to 1.75 metres (about 5ft 9in). Time five runs. | 3 sessions | Compare with your week 1 time. |
| 5 (getting going) | Ten cones 3 metres apart. Push once, then steer through as many as you can. | 3 sessions | Rest when your legs feel shaky. |
| 5 (already fit) | Two lines: one straight, one offset (cones staggered left and right). | 3 sessions | Offset lines need bigger, earlier turns. |
| 6 (getting going) | Time a run through your cone line. This is your first slalom time. | 2 or 3 sessions | Keep the kit on, every time. |
| 6 (already fit) | Cones at 1.5 metres (5ft). Retime, and look up a beginners’ slalom race or club session. | 3 sessions | Rest at least a day between hard sessions. |
If it goes wrong
- You feel unsteady: go back to the grass or a slower week.
- You start to fall: crouch down on the board to shorten the fall, and try to land on the fleshy parts of your body rather than putting your hands out, the surgeons advise.
- The board wobbles at speed: you are going faster than your skill. Slow down, widen the cones, or find flatter ground.
- Aches that last after a session need a GP or physiotherapist; shorten the next session meanwhile.
- You hit your head: stop for the day, even if you feel fine, and replace the helmet. The NHS says to call 999 (911 in the US) if, after hitting your head, someone was knocked out, cannot stay awake, has a fit, has problems with vision, speech, walking or balance, or has new numbness or weakness. For being sick or dizzy afterwards, it advises getting help from NHS 111 (in the US, call your doctor or an urgent care line). Its full list is on the NHS head injury page.
- You miss a week: start again at the week before, not at week 1.
Track it
Keep one line per session: date, place, minutes on the board, what you practised, and your best time through the cones once you have a line. Note the cone spacing next to the time: a falling time at the same spacing means you are getting better.
What next
Keep two board sessions a week and add balance work on the days in between: our guide to balance, and five ways to practise it has the exercises. Read Darren Miles’s story again for where slalom can lead, and when you are ready, find a club or race through the governing body in your country.
General information, not medical advice. Check with your GP before starting a new exercise programme.