Trick Tips

Ollie Kickflip Heelflip Frontside 180 Backside 180 Frontside Pop Shuv-it Backside Pop Shuv-it Backside 180 flip

Ollie

Be comfortable with riding your board and going moderately fast. You might want to try this trick standing still first. Ok, first put your back foot on the tail. (Put the edge of your backfoot on the edge of the tail) Put your front foot near the center of the board. It should be a little close to the nose of the board when first starting out. As soon as you get your feet in the right position, bend down and get close to touching you board with your hand. Now stand up really quick and jump, at the same time push the tail down. This is called the pop. Pop the board as hard as you can. Now here's the hard part, at the same time you pop the tail, slide your front foot towards the nose. Slide until about you reach the front two bolts. Make sure you slide your foot quick and hard. Now stay right above your board once your in the air. Don't be afraid to land. If you are afraid, practice this trick in the grass, and then gradually move to the concrete. The next step is trying it while moving. Just remember to stay right above and on the board. Don't lean back either. After you have this trick down you are ready to move to more tricks.

Kickflip

Be very comfortable with the ollie before you try this. Put your back foot on the tail in the pop position. Put your front foot about two inches or closer behind the front hardware at a 45 degree angle. Now pop an ollie but kick you front foot off the board on your heel side. Kick off right where the board curves up for the nose. Now after you kick off the board should start flipping. Stay right above the board don't be afraid to land! If you are, practice in the grass, and then move to the concrete. When the board is griptape side up again "catch" or stop your board and land. If you can flip it halfway and land on the bottom with two feet, it is way better then spinning it all the way and landing it with one foot.

Heelflip

This trick is closely related to the kickflip, except the board spins the opposite way. To set up put your back foot on the tail and your front foot in the ollie position but have your toes hanging off the board a little bit. (about an inch off). Now pop and ollie but slide your foot up and towards the toe side of the beggining of the nose and kick off. Make sure the side of your heel flicks the board right where to board starts curving up for the nose... on your toe side. After the board starts flipping make sure you stay right above it. Don't be afraid to land! Catch the board griptape side up, and ride away. Remember, it's better to land on the bottom of the board then to not land on it at all, or only landing it with one foot.

Frontside 180

This trick is not that difficult. It is just an ollie while turning. First step is to set up like your going to do an ollie. When you bend down twist your body so your front hand goes towards the tail (reaching across your body). Now you are all wound up. Pop the ollie and unwind... but when you're unwinding keep twisting your body so that you do a 180. That may not make sense to you but keep trying it, you will eventually get it.

Backside 180

This trick is not hard. To make a long description short. Basically all you do is a 180 but you wind up in the opposite direction and turn in the opposite direction of a frontside 180. Make sure you lean back a little when you do this trick so you don't fall.

Frontside and Backside Pop Shove-it

This is trick is the base of many other tricks so learn it well. To set up put your feet in an ollie position. Now pop the board, but when you pop, pop down and towards your heelside of the board for a backside pop shove-it or down and towards your toe side for a frontside pop shove-it. When you pop, which ever way you do pop it, lift up your front foot and back foot out of the way of the board so the board turns freely. Now you should be above the board. LOOK AT YOUR BOARD AT ALL TIMES. If you do this it will help tremendously while learning. Now when the board completes a 180 roatation catch your board and land. For 360 pop shove-its (f/s and b/s) you use the same principle except you have to rotate the board a little faster so you can spin it the full 360 degrees. After you get these four tricks down you can add kickflips or heelflips to them to get some pretty interesting combonations that look real nice.

Backside 180 Flip / Backside Flip

This trick is exactly like it sounds. A Backside 180 and a kickflip combined into one trick.Ok, roll at a comfortable speed forwards and set up like you're going to do a kickflip.You might want to have your front foot a little bit farther back then a regular kickflip,but it's up to you. Bend down and wind up like you're going to do a backside 180. Unwind and start the 180 but kick off for a kickflip at the same time. Now you should be spinning the 180 and flipping the board. If you're not keep practicing. You'll get it. If everything's going well and your staying above your board then there's two methods of landing this trick. You can either catch the board grip tape side up at 90 degrees and turn the rest of the way on your board(This method is very stylish but may be difficult for some)or you can just flip the full backside 180 flip and catch it once it has rotated 180 degrees. Either way is alright. You decide.(I feel like Bob Ross when I say that) If when you spin and flip the board it goes out infront of you or behind you that means you have to concentrate on staying right above your board. If you're not getting the full 180 with your flip that just means you have to unwind your body faster and harder.