Skateboard Tricks and Treats
We all know skateboard is an awesome sport. Extreme and fun, it
just pushes one to the edge. Guys who play it are dubbed as
really cool and adventurous. That's why a lot of those who do
not know this sport attempt to play it, even if it means
toppling over and over again!
The beauty of skateboarding lies on the tricks that one can pull
off. Without them, this game will turn out to be boring!
So what are your favorite skateboard tricks? If you are a
beginner and you want to try this one heck of a sport, figure
out the tricks yourself and which of those would be your
favorite?
1. Is it the ollie?
A lot of skateboard aficionados believe that this trick is the
core of skateboarding. Everything begins and ends with the ollie
so if you are already good at it, then you are on your way to
becoming a pro.
How does the ollie work anyway? It involves positioning your
back foot on the skateboard's tail, lifting your heel, putting
some pressure on the balls of feet, placing front foot in the
center, then kicking the tail down hard with your back foot and
pulling your front foot up and leveling out the skateboard.
After those, you bend your knees and roll on smoothly. Eric
Sepulveda is one mean skateboarder who considers ollie as a
cinch.
2. Is it the manual?
Manual teaches balance and this one is easy to learn. Just place
the back of your foot on the tail and then let your front foot
be positioned on the front bolts or whatever feels okay to you.
Then lean back and have your front board raised. If you have
mastered this, then you can ride away smoothly for the longest
time. You can also go from ollie to manual.
3. Is it the nollie?
Now this is hard and the adage "practice makes perfect" is for
this trick. But skateboard pros consider this so basic as
everything is actually nollied into.
Nollie is pretty much like the Ollie but you pop off the nose of
the board here instead of the tail. Ride away at a moderate
speed then place your front foot on the board's nose and the
back wherever you fancy. Then slide the back foot to level the
board, at the same time smacking down the nose.
4. Is it the kickflip?
The kick flip is one of the flip tricks that you can do as soon
as you know how to ollie remarkably. You are in an ollie
position here but have your front foot be placed under the front
bolts, making the foot go to a slight angle. Pop an ollie then
while doing so, flick off the foot at the board's side until you
have completed a rotation. Stop the board from totally spinning
with the back of your foot when you see the grip tape coming
around.
5. Is it one of the grinds?
a. Frontside 50 50 grind. One of the easiest and comfiest
grinds, you have to practice on this before trying out the
harder ones. Approach the curb or a rail at a slight angle and
be sure that the toe is edged to the obstacle at a moderate
speed. This way, you can do a slide. Ollie onto the rail or curb
as you lock the front then go for the grind. Lean back a bit,
bend the knees and ride away after every grind.
b. Frontside 5.0
Following the frontside 50 50 grind, this trick is all about
putting all your weight on the back of the board before doing
the grind.
c. Backside 5.0 grind
This is pretty much like the other grinds, only trickier.
6. Is it the 50 50 or axle stall?
The axle stall is a ramp and bowl trick. It is pretty hard as
you have to lift the front wheels as if you're going for a
manual. One should remember safety measures here. Miscalculating
your moves can lead to injured hip or face.
7. Is it the slide?
Whether frontside boardslide or backside boardslide, this one
involves turning 90 degrees, putting the front trucks over the
rail, then sliding.
Skateboarders know all those tricks by heart. If you are yet to
get yourself a skateboard, don't forget trying out the basics
first then go for the tricks.