the invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which embodiments of the invention are shown . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein . fig1 shows a skateboard 10 which includes wheels 11 and braking apparatus or actuator 20 attached to its rear end . the braking actuator 20 is connected to the skateboard 10 at a connection point 30 . the brake actuator includes a lever portion 21 and a contact portion 22 . the lever portion 21 extends substantially vertically above the skateboard and is generally narrower than the contact portion 22 which extends below the skateboard . the brake actuator 20 may be made of a durable material . the contact portion of the brake actuator 20 may also be covered by a brake pad 23 . the brake pad 23 is replaceable to provide a long service life to the braking apparatus . the brake pad 23 is preferably made of rubber , for example . the large contact area on the bottom surface of the contact portion 22 helps to stabilize the skateboard while braking . the connection point 30 is shown in fig1 to include a machine bolt . however , others types of commonly known connecting means which allows the brake actuator 20 to pivot may also be used to create the connection point 30 . fig1 also shows a brake housing 40 attached to the skate board 10 . the brake housing 40 comprises an extension below or behind the skateboard on which the connection point 30 can be attached . the connection point 30 may be directly connected to the skateboard 10 or through the brake housing 30 . the brake housing may also be formed as part of the skateboard 10 . fig2 is a detailed top view of the braking apparatus 20 shown in fig1 . fig2 shows the skateboard 10 , the connection point 30 , the brake housing 40 , and the brake actuator 20 including the lever portion 21 , and the contact portion 22 . fig2 also shows the lever portion 21 with an angled forward facing face 21 a . the angle of the angled face 21 a can be adjusted according to the user &# 39 ; s riding preference ( e . g . left foot forward or right foot forward ). the angled face 21 a can also be modified to follow the contour of the heel of the rear foot to allow both sideway and backward movements of the rear foot to engage the brake . the angled face 21 a also gives the user greater control over the pressure applied on the brake for better speed control . fig3 is a detailed bottom view of the braking apparatus of fig1 . in additional to the features shown in fig1 and 2 , fig3 shows a spring 35 for keeping the brake actuator in a disengaged position ( see also fig4 a ) and a rubber brake pad 23 . the spring 35 is connected between the brake actuator 20 and either the brake housing 40 or the skateboard 10 . the spring 35 is shown to be an extension type spring connected between the lever portion 21 and the brake housing 40 . alternatively , the spring 35 maybe a compression type spring connected between the contact portion 23 and the skateboard 10 or the brake housing 40 . other commonly known means of providing elasticity , such as elastic polymers and flexible metal strips can also be used . the operation of the braking apparatus is described below with reference to fig4 a and b . fig4 a and b show the braking apparatus 20 in disengaged and engaged positions respectively . when no force is exerted on the lever portion 21 of the brake actuator 20 , the brake actuator 20 stays in a disengaged position as shown in fig4 a . the structure of the braking apparatus allows the user to engage the brake by sliding his foot backwards or sideways , without having to lift his foot off the skateboard or significantly shift his balance . when the user engages the brake by pushing on the lever portion 21 of the brake actuator , the spring 35 extends to allow the contact portion 22 to pivot forward and contact a surface 50 on which the skateboard travels . the friction between the contact portion 22 and the surface 50 reduces the speed of the skateboard . when the backward pressure on the lever portion 21 is released , the spring 35 brings the brake actuator 20 back into the disengaged position and allows the skateboard 10 to travel unhindered . embodiments of the present invention may provide various advantages not found in conventional skateboards , including skateboards with braking devices . first , the user is given much more control over the speed of the skateboard without compromise to the balance and stability of the user . on a conventional skateboard , the user either has to brake with his foot , or scrape the board to reduce the speed of the board . existing skateboard brakes such as those shown in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 167 , 225 and 4 , 043 , 556 require a step - down motion that could also affect the balance the board and potentially cause the board to tilt unintentionally . in contrast , the present embodiment allows the user to slide his foot to engage the brake , while maintaining optimal balance on the board . in an embodiment of the present invention having an angled face 21 a on the lever portion , the user is able to engage the brake by sliding his foot sideways or backward requiring only minimal foot movement and balance shifting . further , control of brake pressure is accomplished by a pivot action of the rearward foot , without any transfer of weight from one foot to the other . second , large contact surface on the contact portion 22 provides further stability during braking . third , friction brakes reduce the cost of maintenance required by foot brake , scrape brake , and wheel brake methods . in an embodiment having the brake pad 23 , the cost of operation is further reduced . the relatively large size of the contact portion also increases the brake apparatus &# 39 ; durability . fourth , the simplicity of embodiments of the present invention allows the apparatus to be installed on existing skateboard without significant modification to the skateboard body . while the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and illustrative figures , those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments or figures described . the description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . it should be understood that the invention can be practiced with modification and alteration and that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof .