Mastering the Basics: A Beginner’s Guide to Popular Skateboarding Tricks
Skateboarding is more than just a sport; it’s a culture, an art form, and a lifestyle that offers endless opportunities for creativity, self-expression, and personal growth. For newcomers, the world of skateboarding can seem daunting, filled with complex aerial maneuvers and gravity-defying grinds. However, every legendary skater started with the basics, mastering foundational tricks that build confidence, board control, and the muscle memory necessary for future progression.
This comprehensive guide is designed for absolute beginners eager to dip their toes into the exhilarating world of skateboarding tricks. We’ll break down essential pre-requisites, introduce you to the most popular and crucial beginner tricks, and provide actionable advice to help you on your journey from tentative pusher to confident trickster.
Before You Pop: Essential Pre-Requisites and Safety
Before you even think about attempting your first trick, it’s crucial to establish a solid foundation of safety and basic board control.
-
Safety First, Always!
- Helmet: Non-negotiable. Protect your most important asset.
- Pads: Knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards are highly recommended, especially when you’re starting out and learning to fall.
- Proper Footwear: Skate shoes (flat-soled, grippy) are essential for board feel and grip.
-
Know Your Stance:
- Regular: Left foot forward.
- Goofy: Right foot forward.
- To find yours, imagine someone pushing you from behind – the foot you step forward with is usually your lead foot.
-
Comfortable Cruising:
- Practice pushing off, maintaining balance while rolling, and gently turning. You should be able to ride comfortably and confidently before attempting tricks.
- Tick-Tacking (or Tic-Tac): This is a great exercise for balance and control. It involves gently wiggling your board from side to side using your ankles and knees, allowing you to generate speed and steer without putting your foot down.
-
Falling Safely:
- Learning to fall is as important as learning to ride. Try to roll with the fall, tucking your limbs in, rather than trying to brace yourself with outstretched arms. This minimizes impact and injury.
The Foundation Tricks: Your Gateway to Skateboarding
These are the tricks that every aspiring skater must learn. They teach fundamental skills like balance, timing, board manipulation, and commitment, which are transferable to virtually every other trick in skateboarding.
1. The Ollie: The King of All Tricks
What it is: The Ollie is the fundamental trick of skateboarding, allowing you to lift your board off the ground without using your hands. It’s the building block for almost every other aerial trick.
Why it’s important: It teaches you precise timing, foot placement, and body control. Without a solid Ollie, advanced tricks remain out of reach.
Step-by-Step Guide:
-
Foot Placement:
- Your back foot should be on the very tip of the tail, positioned so that the ball of your foot covers the center of the tail.
- Your front foot should be placed in the middle of the board, roughly halfway between the front trucks and the tail, or slightly behind the front bolts. Position it at a slight angle.
-
The Pop:
- Bend your knees and crouch down, getting ready to spring up.
- As you jump, simultaneously snap your back ankle down hard against the tail. The goal is to hit the tail against the ground with enough force to make the nose of the board start to lift. This is the "pop."
-
The Slide:
- Immediately after the pop, as the board begins to rise, slide the side of your front foot (the outside edge, near your pinky toe) up the griptape towards the nose of the board.
- This sliding motion levels out the board in the air and guides it upwards. Think of it as "dragging" the board with your foot.
-
Level Out and Lift:
- As your front foot slides up, your back foot should come up with the tail. Bring your knees up high towards your chest. The higher you bring your knees, the higher the Ollie will go.
- At the peak of your jump, the board should be level beneath your feet.
-
The Landing:
- Spot your landing.
- Extend your legs, absorbing the impact by bending your knees as your wheels touch down. Land with your feet over the trucks for maximum stability.
- Roll away smoothly.
Common Mistakes & Tips:
- Rocket Ollie: When the tail comes up, but the nose stays low. This usually means you’re not sliding your front foot enough or not sliding it high enough towards the nose.
- Not getting enough height: Focus on a strong pop and bringing your knees up high.
- Board flying away: Ensure your front foot is properly "guiding" the board and that you’re jumping directly over the board, not just popping it.
- Practice Tip: Start by practicing the pop and slide motions separately while holding onto something or stationary. Then try combining them while rolling slowly.
2. The Manual: Precision Balance
What it is: A manual is essentially a wheelie on a skateboard. You balance on your back two wheels, with the front two wheels lifted off the ground.
Why it’s important: This trick is a fantastic exercise in balance, body control, and weight distribution. It’s crucial for controlling your board in various situations and leads to tricks like nose manuals and manuals into grinds.
Step-by-Step Guide:
-
Foot Placement:
- Your back foot should be firmly on the tail, as if you’re about to pop an Ollie, but slightly more towards the center.
- Your front foot should be somewhere over the front bolts or slightly behind, providing a stable platform.
-
Initiate the Lift:
- While rolling at a comfortable speed, shift your body weight back towards your tail.
- Gently press down on the tail with your back foot. Don’t stomp it; it’s a controlled press.
- As you press down, the nose of the board will lift.
-
Find Your Balance Point:
- This is the trickiest part. You need to find the sweet spot where you’re balanced on your back wheels without falling forward or backward.
- Use your arms for counter-balance. Extend them out to the sides.
- Adjust your body weight subtly by leaning forward or backward, and by shifting your hips. If you feel like you’re falling backward, lean slightly forward. If you’re falling forward, lean back.
-
Hold and Roll:
- Once you find the balance point, try to hold it for as long as possible.
- Keep your eyes focused ahead, not down at your feet.
-
Lower Down:
- Gently shift your weight forward to bring the front wheels back down to the ground.
Common Mistakes & Tips:
- Falling backward: You’re leaning too far back or pressing too hard on the tail.
- Nose dropping too quickly: You’re not leaning back enough or not maintaining enough pressure on the tail.
- Practice Tip: Start by trying to lift the nose just a few inches and holding it for a second. Gradually increase the height and duration. Find a smooth, flat surface.
3. The Pop Shuvit: Board Rotation Control
What it is: The Pop Shuvit involves making the board rotate 180 degrees horizontally (flat spin) beneath your feet, without the board itself rotating end-over-end (like a kickflip). You land back on the board in your original stance.
Why it’s important: This trick teaches you how to manipulate the board’s rotation with your feet, a crucial skill for more advanced flip tricks and spins.
Step-by-Step Guide:
-
Foot Placement:
- Your back foot should be on the tail, but slightly towards the heel side, with your toes hanging off a bit. This position allows for a powerful scoop.
- Your front foot should be placed slightly behind the front bolts, angled slightly towards the nose.
-
The Pop and Scoop:
- Crouch down slightly.
- As you jump, simultaneously pop the tail straight down with your back foot, but instead of sliding up like an Ollie, scoop the tail backwards and slightly inward with your back foot. This scooping motion is what makes the board rotate.
- At the same time, your front foot should gently lift off the board, staying clear of its rotation.
-
Let the Board Spin:
- As you scoop, the board will begin to rotate 180 degrees beneath you. Your body should stay relatively straight, jumping upwards, not rotating with the board.
- Keep your eyes on the board.
-
Catch and Land:
- As the board completes its 180-degree rotation, catch it with both feet, ideally over the trucks.
- Bend your knees to absorb the impact and roll away.
Common Mistakes & Tips:
- Board flying out in front or behind: Your scoop might be too weak or too strong, or you’re not jumping straight up over the board.
- Board not rotating fully: Focus on a powerful, consistent scoop with your back foot.
- Not catching the board: Commitment is key. Trust that the board will come back to your feet. Keep your front foot ready to land.
- Practice Tip: Start by practicing the scoop motion with just your back foot, getting the board to spin. Then try to add the jump and land with one foot, then both.
4. The Frontside 180 Ollie: Full Body Rotation
What it is: The Frontside 180 Ollie is an Ollie where you and the board rotate 180 degrees together, landing in a "fakie" (riding backward) stance.
Why it’s important: This trick teaches you how to incorporate body rotation into an Ollie, which is essential for almost all rotational tricks (like kickflip 180s, varial flips, etc.) and for riding fakie.
Step-by-Step Guide:
-
Foot Placement:
- Similar to an Ollie, but your front foot might be slightly more angled, and your back foot slightly more towards the heel edge of the tail to aid in the rotation.
-
Shoulder Wind-Up and Pop:
- As you crouch down, wind up your shoulders in the direction you want to spin (frontside means your front faces the direction of travel). So, if you’re regular, turn your shoulders to your left.
- Pop your Ollie as usual, but simultaneously start to unwind your shoulders, initiating the 180-degree rotation of your body.
-
The Ollie and Turn:
- As you slide your front foot up the board to level it out, consciously pull your front knee up towards your chest, and guide the board into the rotation using your shoulders and hips.
- Your back foot helps pivot the tail around as you lift.
-
Complete the Rotation:
- Keep your eyes on your landing spot. As you complete the 180-degree rotation in the air, the board should turn with you.
- Look over your shoulder to spot your landing.
-
Land Fakie:
- Land with both feet over the trucks, bending your knees to absorb the impact.
- You will be rolling away fakie (backwards). Be prepared to ride fakie for a moment or do a fakie kickturn to turn around.
Common Mistakes & Tips:
- Not rotating enough: Focus on a stronger shoulder wind-up and really commit to the full 180-degree turn.
- Board not staying under feet: Ensure you’re jumping directly over the board and that your front foot is guiding it through the rotation.
- Losing balance on landing: Land with bent knees and over the trucks. Practice riding fakie beforehand.
- Practice Tip: Start by practicing the shoulder wind-up and jump without the board, getting a feel for the body rotation. Then try a stationary 180 Ollie, gradually moving to rolling.
General Tips for Progression
Learning to skateboard is a journey, not a race. Here are some overarching tips to help you stay motivated and progress effectively:
- Patience and Persistence are Key: You will fall. You will get frustrated. But every fall is a lesson, and every successful landing is a triumph. Embrace the process.
- Break It Down: If a trick feels too big, break it into smaller components. Master each part before putting it all together.
- Skate with Others: Learning from more experienced skaters, getting tips, and having a supportive crew can accelerate your progress and make it more fun.
- Watch and Learn: Watch professional skaters, but also watch other beginners. Analyze their foot placement, body movements, and timing.
- Film Yourself: This is an invaluable tool. Watching your own attempts can help you identify what you’re doing wrong and how to correct it.
- Stay Hydrated and Take Breaks: Skating is physically demanding. Listen to your body, rest when needed, and stay hydrated.
- Have Fun! Above all, remember why you started. Skateboarding is about enjoyment, freedom, and personal challenge.
Conclusion
Embarking on your skateboarding journey by mastering these popular beginner tricks will not only build a robust foundation for more advanced maneuvers but also instill valuable life lessons in perseverance, resilience, and creative problem-solving. The Ollie, Manual, Pop Shuvit, and Frontside 180 are more than just movements; they are gateways to unlocking a deeper connection with your board and the vibrant skateboarding community.
So, gear up, find a smooth spot, and start practicing. The path to becoming a confident skater is paved with commitment, countless attempts, and the exhilarating feeling of finally landing a trick you’ve worked so hard for. Welcome to the ride – the asphalt awaits!
