5 Tricks You Need To Learn When Getting Started

The urge to learn new tricks is always strong af. Especially when you’re first starting out on your board. But before you attempt some insane Bam Margera-influenced stunts, there are some basics you need to learn first:

#1 OLLIES

Perhaps the most prolific skateboarding trick, the ollie is the basis for both flip tricks and grinds. It involves the skater pushing down on the tail of the board with their back foot and jumping into the air once the tail has hit the ground. The skater then levels the board by moving his front foot to the front, landing on all four wheels. Easy, right? 

#2 GRINDS

A little harder, a 50-50 grind involves the skater popping an ollie near a rail or ledge, landing with the trucks (the bit between the wheels) on the edge, which then slides along the surface. The 50-50 grind’s brother, the 5-0 grind, entails the same motion, but the skater only grinds on the back truck, with the front of the board raised upwards. 

#3 KICKFLIPS & HEELFLIPS

After performing an ollie, while the board is in the air, kick the inside edge of the board with the toes of your front foot, so the board rotates. Wait for it to rotate fully before landing. For a heelflip, instead of kicking the inside edge, kick the outside edge, so the board rotates in the opposite direction. 

#4 FRONTSIDE & BACKSIDE POP-SHOVE IT

Basically a boujee version of a kick/heel flip. For a frontside pop-shove it, the skater starts off by performing an ollie, then kicks the front foot forwards and the back foot backward, spinning the board in a clockwise rotation. For a backside pop-shove it, the front foot is kicked backward and the back foot forwards, spinning the board counterclockwise. A little more complicated, but you got this. 

#5 VARIAL KICKFLIP & HEELFLIP

The varial kickflip joins together the kickflip and the backside pop-shove it, with the varial heelflip joining the heelflip and frontside pop-shove it. For the kickflip, the board flips and spins 180 degrees clockwise, and for the heelflip, it flips and spins 180 degrees counterclockwise. 

Even starter tricks take practice, so don’t worry if you don’t pick it up instantly. Remember skating is a journey; just enjoy the ride!