Starting your skateboarding journey can be both exciting and a bit intimidating. Learning the right beginner skateboarding tricks not only sets a solid foundation for your skills but also boosts your confidence each time you land a move successfully. Whether you’re rolling in your driveway or hitting the local skate park, mastering these fundamental tricks will have you feeling more comfortable and ready to tackle new challenges on your board.
Essential Gear and Safety Tips
Before diving into tricks, it’s crucial to gear up properly. Safety should always come first to prevent injuries and ensure that skateboarding remains a fun activity. Here’s what you need to start:
- Helmet: A well-fitting skate helmet will protect your head from falls and impacts.
- Knee and Elbow Pads: These protect your joints during falls, especially when practicing new tricks.
- Wrist Guards: Wrists often take the brunt of falls, so guards can prevent fractures and sprains.
- Skate Shoes: Proper skate shoes offer the grip and support crucial for control on the board.
- Quality Skateboard: Start with a beginner-friendly deck that suits your size and intended riding style.
Make sure your skateboard is properly assembled and maintained, with tightened trucks and wheels that spin freely but aren’t too loose. Also, pick a smooth, flat surface free of debris when practicing your moves to reduce the risk of accidents.
Overview of Basic Tricks
Once you’re geared up and comfortable riding the board in a straight line, it’s time to learn some basic tricks. These are foundational and widely used in more advanced maneuvers:
- Ollie: The fundamental skateboard jump, which allows you to hop over obstacles and sets the stage for many other tricks.
- Shove-it: A trick where the skateboard spins 180 degrees beneath your feet without your body turning.
- Kickturn: A basic turning move used to change direction smoothly on ramps or flat surfaces.
Each trick might look complicated at first, but with focused practice and correct technique, you’ll progress steadily.
Step-by-Step Breakdown of Each Trick
Ollie
The ollie is a jumping trick where both you and the board lift off the ground together.
- Foot placement: Place your back foot on the tail of the skateboard and your front foot near the middle of the deck.
- Pop the tail: Quickly snap the tail down with your back foot to make the board lift up.
- Slide your front foot: Drag the side of your front foot up towards the nose of the board to level it in the air.
- Jump and land: Jump upwards while sliding your front foot, then prepare to land with your knees slightly bent to absorb impact.
Shove-it
The shove-it makes the skateboard spin beneath you without the rider’s body turning.
- Foot placement: Put your back foot on the tail with toes hanging off a bit, and your front foot near the board’s center.
- Pop and scoop: Pop the tail down and scoop your back foot backward to spin the board 180 degrees.
- Stay centered: Keep your body stationary and prepared to catch the board as it completes its rotation.
- Land: Land with your feet over the bolts and bend your knees
Kickturn
A kickturn is a smooth pivot to change direction, commonly used on ramps or during flatland surfing.
- Foot placement: Place your back foot on the tail and your front foot near the front bolts.
- Lean and pivot: Press the tail down with your back foot to lift the front wheels slightly, then pivot your shoulders and hips in the direction you want to turn.
- Complete the turn: Swing the board around 90 degrees and gently place the front wheels back down.
- Balance and ride away: Keep your knees bent and weight centered during the turn.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Learning skateboarding tricks is all about practice and patience, but beginners often make predictable mistakes. Here’s how to avoid them:
- Not bending the knees: Keeping your legs stiff can lead to poor balance and hard landings. Remember to keep your knees bent for better control and shock absorption.
- Leaning too far forward or backward: This can cause you to lose balance mid-trick. Keep your weight centered over the board.
- Feet in the wrong spots: Improper foot placement often leads to losing control. Focus on positioning your feet correctly before each trick.
- Skipping the basics: Trying advanced tricks too soon often leads to frustration and falls. Build skills step-by-step starting with basic moves.
- Not committing fully: Hesitating during tricks can lead to incomplete attempts. Commit your movements confidently and practice consistency.
Practice Routines to Improve Consistency
To get better at these tricks, consistency is key. Here’s a simple practice routine you can follow:
- Warm-Up: Begin with rolling around to get comfortable on your board.
- Focus on One Trick: Spend 10–15 minutes practicing one trick like the ollie, breaking down each step slowly.
- Repeat Attempts: Aim for 20 reps to build muscle memory, taking breaks when needed to avoid fatigue.
- Combine Basics: Once confident, practice combining tricks like a shove-it after an ollie.
- Video Yourself: Record your practice sessions to spot mistakes and track improvement.
- Cooldown: End with some light riding and stretching to relax your muscles.
Setting small daily or weekly goals will keep your motivation high and your progress steady.
Tips for Progressing to Intermediate Tricks
Once you’re comfortable landing basic tricks, it’s time to challenge yourself with more complex moves. Consider these tips as you advance:
- Master the Ollie: Since many tricks build on the ollie, strive to make it smooth and high.
- Expand your Trick Arsenal: Try tricks like the frontside 180, manual, or boardslide.
- Skate with Others: Joining a skate group or community helps motivate you and exposes you to new techniques.
- Practice Regularly: Increase time on your board while balancing rest days to avoid burnout.
- Learn from Tutorials and Pros: Watch videos and tutorials online, and if possible, take lessons from experienced skateboarders.
- Stay Patient: Progress may sometimes feel slow, but persistence pays off.
By building a strong foundation with beginner tricks, you create the groundwork for exploring skateboarding’s endless possibilities.
Rolling Forward with Confidence
Starting out with beginner skateboarding tricks is your gateway to a rewarding and dynamic sport. Picking up essential moves like the ollie, shove-it, and kickturn while practicing good safety habits will give you a confidence boost and the skills needed for more advanced tricks. Remember, every pro skateboarder was once a beginner who kept pushing through falls and challenges. So gear up, practice smartly, and most importantly, enjoy every moment on your board as you carve your own skateboarding story.
