Five Skateboard Trick Tips For Catching Air

The road from newbie to pro is a tough one. It's full of trial, error, slams, sacks, and bruises. Here are some skateboard trick tips to get you started.

Skateboard Trick Tip #1- The Ollie: One of the most timeless moves on a skateboard is the ollie. Ollie is simply the label for a set of jumping tricks. The goal is to jump as high and far as possible without wiping out. Clearing an obstacle is a nice way to demonstrate your ollie skills. A successful ollie requires proper foot placement. The front foot should be about two thirds of the way up the board. To trigger the ollie, kick down with the rear foot and go into a crouch to streamline.

Skateboard Trick Tip #2

The Frontside Grind: This particular skateboard trick is one best practiced in an empty backyard pool Do a frontside kick turn until you get close to the edge. From there, increase your speed and get your truck on the ledge to make it a grind. Be sure to put your weight on your feet, push, and hug the rim of the pool.

Skateboard Trick Tip #3- The Pivot-Fakie: This trick is similar to a basic pivot, but instead of following through on the landing, you freeze your weight and reverse the motion. Start by perfecting the classic pivot on a mini-ramp or quarter-pipe and then practice the pivot-fakie, letting your lower leg guide the board to offset your weight for balance.

Skateboard Trick Tip #4- The Kick-Flip: The standard parking-lot curb is a great place to practice the flat land kick-flip. This trick is essentially a hard step to the tail of the deck with your back foot, while raising your front foot into the air and positioning it near the nose. You'll use your front foot to guide your board through the full side-spin. You also need to be ready to land back on your front foot once the flip is complete, so keep your rear foot positioned near the back-kick of the deck to maintain your balance during landing.

Skateboard Trick Tip #5- The 360 Kick-Flip: This trick can be done anywhere, but it's best to begin by practicing on flat surfaces. Point your front foot at a 45° angle about halfway down the board, while keeping your back foot hanging off the side of the rear kick. Give a hard step to the rear kick of the board with your back foot for momentum giving a spin scoop to the tail. You will use your front foot as a guide to give the board the proper flip and to keep your body aligned with the board. Move your front foot forward quickly to get it out of the way. Spread your legs wide and hang in the air while your board is rolling over. The key to this skateboard trick is that it doesn’t work unless the board lands on its wheels, and the skater lands on the board.