Street skateboarding is an exhilarating way to express creativity and develop incredible skills on urban terrain. If you’re just starting out, learning street skateboarding tricks can seem daunting at first, but with the right guidance and practice, you can build confidence and nail those moves smoothly. This beginner’s guide will walk you through essential tricks, offer step-by-step instructions, share practice tips, and help you gear up safely for your skating adventures.
Introduction to Street Skateboarding Tricks
Street skateboarding tricks are the backbone of skate culture, combining balance, timing, and style to navigate ledges, stairs, rails, and curbs. Unlike ramp or park skating, street skating happens in everyday urban environments where obstacles aren’t designed for skating but turn into creative challenges. Tricks in street skateboarding range from basic maneuvers like the ollie to more complex flips and spins.
Mastering these tricks allows skaters to progress seamlessly between different obstacles while developing a personal style. Understanding the fundamental tricks and the mechanics behind them is essential for any beginner who wants to excel and perform safely.
Basic Tricks Every Beginner Should Learn
Starting with the basics builds a strong foundation for more advanced moves. Here are some essential street skateboarding tricks every beginner should focus on:
- Ollie: The fundamental trick that forms the basis for many other moves. An ollie is a jump where the skateboarder pops the board off the ground using the back foot and levels it mid-air, all without grabbing the board.
- Kickflip: A natural progression from the ollie, where the skateboard flips horizontally underneath your feet while you’re in the air.
- Shove-it: A trick where the skateboard spins 180 degrees horizontally beneath the rider’s feet without flipping.
- Manual: Balancing on the back two wheels while rolling, similar to a wheelie on a bike.
- Pop Shove-it: A combination of a shove-it and an ollie where the board pops into the air while spinning.
Getting comfortable with these tricks will establish your confidence and pave the way for learning more complex street maneuvers.
Step-by-Step Breakdown of Popular Tricks: Ollie, Kickflip, Shove-it
Ollie
The ollie is your gateway trick to street skateboarding, essential for clearing obstacles or starting other tricks.
- Foot Placement: Place your back foot on the tail of the skateboard with the ball of your foot firmly pressing down. Your front foot should be placed near the middle of the board, slightly angled.
- The Pop: Snap the tail down sharply by pressing your back foot to the ground. This ‘pop’ lifts the board off the ground.
- Sliding the Front Foot: As the board rises, slide your front foot toward the nose, leveling the board in mid-air.
- Landing: Prepare to land by bending your knees to absorb the impact and ensure both feet land firmly on the bolts of the skateboard.
Kickflip
The kickflip adds style and complexity by rotating the skateboard beneath your feet.
- Setup: Begin in the ollie stance but angle your front foot slightly more, with the toes hanging off the edge of the board.
- Pop and Flick: Pop the tail with your back foot while flicking your front foot outwards from the edge of the board to initiate the flip.
- Watching the Flip: Keep your eyes on the board as it spins horizontally; this helps with timing your landing.
- Catch and Land: Once the board completes the flip, catch it with your feet and bend your knees to land smoothly.
Shove-it
Shove-its focus on spinning the skateboard underneath you without flipping it.
- Foot Position: Back foot on the tail, similar to an ollie. Front foot on the middle of the board.
- Movement: Pop the board slightly while scooping your back foot around to spin the board 180 degrees.
- Landing: Stay centered and prepare to land on the bolts after the board completes its spin.
Tips for Practicing and Overcoming Common Challenges
Learning street skateboarding tricks requires patience, persistence, and smart practice habits. Here are some tips to help you improve faster and handle typical hurdles:
- Practice on Smooth Surfaces: Start on flat, smooth asphalt or concrete to minimize extra challenges.
- Break Tricks Down: Master each element of a trick slowly before combining them. For example, perfect your ollie before adding a kickflip.
- Use Video Tutorials: Watching slow-motion videos or tutorials can provide visual cues that help with timing and foot placement.
- Skate with Friends: Skating in a group can provide motivation, feedback, and helpful tips.
- Arm Yourself with Patience: Falling and failing is part of progression—embrace mistakes as learning steps.
- Stretch and Warm Up: Prevent injuries by warming up your muscles before skateboarding sessions.
Safety Gear Recommendations
While street skateboarding is thrilling, safety should never take a backseat. Wearing the right protective gear reduces the risk of injury and boosts confidence:
- Helmet: A high-quality skateboard helmet is critical to protect your head from impacts.
- Knee and Elbow Pads: These guard against scrapes and bruises during falls;
- Wrist Guards: Wrists often take the brunt of falls, so wearing guards can prevent fractures.
- Proper Footwear: Skating shoes with good grip and padding improve board control and comfort.
- Impact Shorts: Padded shorts can protect your hips and tailbone when learning tricks that involve falls.
Consistently wearing safety gear helps normalize its use and reduces fear, encouraging you to push your limits safely.
Progressing to Advanced Street Tricks
Once you’ve built a solid understanding of foundational tricks, you can start exploring more complex maneuvers that add flair and challenge to your skating:
- 360 Flip (Tre Flip): A combination of a kickflip and a 360 shove-it spin.
- Hard Flip: A frontside shove-it combined with a kickflip in the opposite direction.
- Manual Variations: Nose manuals, manuals to fakie, and other balance tricks.
- Grinds and Slides: Learning to grind on ledges and rails adds another element to street skating.
- Gap Jumps and Stair Tricks: Incorporating jumps over gaps or down stairs once comfortable with ollies and flips.
Consistent practice, filming your tricks to review technique, and learning from other skaters will accelerate your progress towards these advanced moves. Remember to keep challenging yourself, but always within your safety limits.
Stepping Up Your Skateboarding Game
Mastering street skateboarding tricks is a journey filled with excitement, falls, and triumphs. Starting with a solid foundation of basic tricks like the ollie, kickflip, and shove-it builds your confidence and skills on urban terrain. By breaking down tricks step-by-step, practicing regularly with patience, and dedicating time to safety gear, you set yourself up for success.
As you progress, embrace advanced tricks and new challenges that keep your skating fresh and fun. Whether skating with friends or solo, the thrill of street skating lies in creativity, persistence, and never forgetting to enjoy the ride. So keep rolling, keep practicing, and watch your street skateboarding skills soar.
