If you’ve been skateboarding for a while and are comfortable with the basics, it’s time to elevate your skills to the next level. Mastering advanced skateboarding tricks not only challenges your coordination and balance but also allows you to express creativity and stand out at the park. Whether you’re aiming for fluid transitions or complex flips, this guide will introduce you to essential advanced tricks and offer practical advice to help you conquer them safely and confidently.
Why Developing Advanced Skateboarding Skills Matters
Progressing beyond beginner and intermediate tricks opens the door to a whole new world of skateboarding. Advanced skills push your physical limits and mental focus, improving your overall control and style on the board. More importantly, mastering challenging tricks builds confidence and keeps your riding fresh and exciting. Whether you want to compete, perform in demos, or just ride better with friends, refining these skills is essential for growth and enjoyment in skateboarding.
Key Advanced Tricks to Master
Advanced skateboarding tricks combine flips, spins, and tricky foot maneuvers that require precision and timing. Here are some of the most iconic and essential advanced tricks that can dramatically elevate your repertoire:
- 360 Flip (Tre Flip): This trick fuses a 360-degree board spin with a kickflip, demanding coordination between your pop, flick, and scoop. The board spins along the vertical axis while flipping underneath your feet.
- Hardflip: Combining a frontside shove-it with a kickflip, the hardflip flips the board in a diagonal manner, making it one of the more challenging flip-shove-it combinations.
- Heelflip Variations: Standard heelflips can be expanded into advanced variations such as double heelflips and inward heelflips, requiring stronger flicks with the heel and precise timing.
Other Tricks to Explore
- Laser Flip – a 360 hardflip that also spins the board horizontally.
- 360 Shuvit – the board spins a full 360 degrees horizontally without flipping.
- Nollie and Fakie variations – performing tricks off the nose or while riding backwards.
Step-by-Step Teaching and Practice Methods
Each advanced trick can seem daunting when first attempted. Breaking them down into manageable steps increases your chance of success:
- Start with Fundamentals: Ensure you are comfortable with all the trick’s foundational elements. For example, before a 360 flip, you should have consistent kickflips and shove-its.
- Visualize and Commit: Study video tutorials and mental imagery of the trick. Watch how skaters position their feet and time their movements.
- Practice the Pop and Flick: Without worrying about landing, practice popping the board correctly and flicking your foot in the right direction to produce the desired flip or spin.
- Focus on Foot Placement: Position your front and back feet precisely where they need to be to control the trick mid-air.
- Use Incremental Progression: Try to land parts of the trick gradually – start catching the flipped board with your feet before fully rolling away.
- Record Your Attempts: Using video takes helps you analyze mistakes and improvements over time.
Overcoming Common Challenges and Fear
Advanced skateboarding tricks often come with an intimidation factor. Here are some tips to help you overcome challenges and fears:
- Build Confidence with Basics: Strengthening your control with simpler maneuvers reduces anxiety when attempting harder tricks.
- Visualize Success: Spend time imagining yourself successfully landing the trick, which helps reduce mental blocks.
- Progress at Your Own Pace: Don’t rush your attempts; take as much time as needed to build muscle memory safely.
- Use Protective Gear: Wearing knee pads, elbow pads, and a helmet can help reduce the fear of injury and encourage bolder attempts.
- Warm Up Properly: Loosen your muscles and get comfortable on your board before practicing difficult tricks.
Choosing the Right Equipment for Advanced Tricks
Having appropriate equipment can significantly impact your ability to land advanced tricks effectively.
- Skateboard Deck: Many professionals prefer decks around 8.0 to 8.25 inches wide for a good blend of control and flip ability.
- Trucks: Medium to low-profile trucks help with board flips and reduce the chance of wheel bite during technical tricks.
- Wheels: Smaller wheels (around 52-54mm) offer better control and quicker response, which is ideal for street skating and advanced tricks.
- Grip Tape: Ensure your grip tape is fresh and grippy to maintain foot traction during complex maneuvers.
- Skate Shoes: Invest in shoes with durable soles and good board feel, as proper footwear improves flicking and landing.
Safety Precautions and Injury Prevention
Advanced tricks often expose you to higher speeds and awkward falls, so appropriate safety measures are critical:
- Wear Protective Gear: Helmets, wrist guards, knee and elbow pads reduce injury risk.
- Practice on Smooth, Clear Surfaces: Avoid cracks and debris that can cause unexpected falls.
- Warm Up and Stretch: Preparing your muscles decreases the likelihood of strains and sprains.
- Know Your Limits: If you feel pain or extreme discomfort, stop and rest.
Building Complex Routines with Multiple Tricks
Once you have a good grasp on individual advanced tricks, combining them into fluid sequences is a great way to showcase your skill and creativity:
- Identify Complementary Tricks: Choose tricks that flow naturally into one another, such as a heelflip into a manual or a 360 flip into a grind.
- Practice Transitions: Work on the movement between tricks to maintain balance and momentum.
- Start Slow and Build Speed: Begin chaining tricks at slower speeds before increasing pace for smoother execution.
- Incorporate Variations: Adding tweaks, grabs, or switching stance can make your routine unique and challenging.
Frequent practice and creativity in building lines can impress both casual observers and experienced skaters alike.
Keeping Your Progress Consistent and Enjoyable
The journey to mastering advanced skateboarding tricks is rewarding but requires patience and persistence. To keep motivated:
- Set realistic goals and celebrate small victories.
- Skate regularly to maintain and improve your skills.
- Join skate communities or find friends who share your passion.
- Experiment with new tricks to keep the experience fresh and stimulating.
Remember, every pro skateboarder started where you are now—consistent effort and a positive attitude make all the difference. Keep pushing your limits and enjoy the ride as your skills soar to new heights.
