For Beginners I would Recommend Practicing in an empty parking lot Or IN your Neighborhood
Street If Its A wide And Big Area. Make sure You are on Smooth land. First step is to get the feeling of riding Your Board. Just Practice Cruising around an empty space until you are comfortable with riding your board. Now Stopping Your Board May Be A little Tricky For You A Beginner First Step IS you Are Going To Want To Bend Your Knees and Since Your Are Goofy You would want to put pressure down on your left Foot Until the tail of the board touch the ground and you come to a complete stop. Another way is just simply taking one foot of your board which i wouldn't recommend if you are going fast. After You Got Your riding and stopping down, It probably Time For You to do Some Tricks. Start Going To Youtube and Searching for skateboard trick Tips. First Trick You would ever want to learn is an ollie.
Then the pop shuv-it and kickflip Those Were some of the basics now from There you are Pretty Much set To learn any trick you want.
Hope This Helps
No, you don't just lift your top foot up. Bend your knees a bit (for balancing). Now put a bit more pressure on the edge of the board with your left foot while you lower the pressure of your right foot on the board. As you do this lean a bit forward(to keep your balance otherwise you might fall) This is my way of stopping on a skateboard.
No pain no gain just put your pads and helmet on and be brave and get your brother or father or friend to hold you on your very first times till you can balance on it alone and watch some youtube videos on how to do basics and good luck
Wear pads and a helmet, no matter how silly they make you feel.
