Manuals App Reviews

Ok, so I have to start off by saying that the guy who is skating in the videos is sick. Buttery smooth, all bolts. And Im no where near as good as this guy at manuals. Now that weve cleared that up, you should download this app, but not for the instruction. The videos show the guys footwork flawlessly, and they have really nice, clear shots of the tricks from multiple angles. But this series falls short in the same places that the old school instructionals I watched when I was a teen(any of you rememer the Thrasher how to skates, or the old Willy Santos instructionals?), that is, the verbal instruction is so basic and pointless they might as well not have it at all. The only three pieces of instruction I found helpful were "Keep your weight centered over your board","Do this on flat first", or "Keep trying, youll get it". Other than that, same old crap: "Dont let your wheels touch". "The foot positions are the same as a standard ollie(or kick flip, heel flip, etc.), land in manual", blah blah blah. Anyone who has been skating for more than a few months knows those things. Seriously, do you think that youre going to help someone learn how to bust a kick flip manny by telling to just kickflip, land in a manual, dont let your front wheels touch, and ride away clean? People can see that all on their own. Tell them tips on how to keep your balance and engage your core when you land in the manual to stay in it. Tell them about appropriate speeds, how loose or tight trucks are going to affect each trick, and what exercises/drills can be done to improve your coordination and balance for each trick. Dont just tell a kid that he needs to learn to manual before he tries to manual up a curb. Is that supposed to be a breathrough moment in his skating? People need to start treating skateboarding like its a legit sport. The guys who train to skate are some of the sickest guys that ever rode. Dyrdek, Danny Way,Sheckler, Daniel Tosh and countless others have realized that you can skate, or you can skate and also train to skate better. These guys put in time on the board and the gym, and take the time to break down the science behind the tricks that made them famous. Instructional series for skateboarders need to incompass all of this, and not just what is painfully obvious about the tricks. I appluad this guy for his talents, his buttery smooth style, and his obvious mastery of all things manual, but I sincerely hope that he will redo the series, and put more of his detailed knowledge about the art/sport/science of skatebaording.