Your first Skateboard tricks.
Starting skateboarding can be difficult and a bit scary at times, especially if you’re doing it on your own. This is one of the reasons I organise skateboarding lessons. Providing a space to help people step on a skateboard for the first time whilst meeting new people from all different walks of life. Ultimately with the aim of getting everyone confident enough to go to the skate park on their own or with the friends they make at the lessons.
One of the hardest parts of skateboarding is learning your first tricks. You are on a moving plank of wood with some metal and plastic underneath, so how are you supposed to make it move with you? It is definitely a crazy concept at first and can be frustrating to get your head around. The key point to remember is to pay close attention to your weight distribution, as that’s the first thing to get familiar with. Doing this will help you understand the tricks better and help you to progress to a point you’re happy with.
A few tricks to learn at first to understand weight distribution would be hippie jumps and its variations, board flips and some boneless tricks. Once you have these down you’ll be well on your way to learning harder tricks like Ollies and Shuv-its.
Hippie jump
A Hippie jump is a simple trick. It requires you to step onto the skateboard, jump and then land back onto it.
This can be scary at first so there are steps you can take to feel more comfortable.
1. Step onto the skateboard as normal. Then, jump forward so you land just in-front of the skateboard. This will allow you to get comfortable with the jumping motion.
2. Stand behind the skateboard, as if you are about to step onto it. But instead, jump so you land on the skateboard to get used to this motion. Always aim both of your feet to land on the two sets of bolts (the two little squares) each side of the board.
3. Once you have both of these steps covered, take the skateboard to some grass to practise the whole trick. Step onto the skateboard, jump and land back onto the board.
4. Once you are confident enough, try this motion on smooth concrete.
To progress even further you could find a rail and try jumping over the rail with your skateboard going under it.
If you don’t feel confident enough for that you could try a Hippie Jump 180. This has the same elements as the hippie jump, but when you jump you turn your shoulders to make your body turn 180°, so when you land back on the board you will be facing the other way. Follow the same steps as above but remember to rotate your shoulders when you jump to turn the 180°. Make sure you wind up to the trick, turning your shoulders slightly to the opposite direction to the direction your turning before you jump and swing your shoulders. This helps you spin more and gives you the extra bit of momentum for the full rotation.
Board Flip
Board flips are another great beginner trick as it helps you get used to the board flipping under you and landing on all four wheels.
Start by placing your skateboard upside down on its grip tape on the floor in front of you.
Place your toes under the skateboard in line with the wheels.
Jump at a slight forward angle with pointing your toes a little bit. These actions will help the board flip over.
Then you can land on the skateboard. Keep practising to feel more confident.
If this trick scares you can practise taking your front foot and stepping over the board then drag your back foot forward
ard to flip over the board. This will help with the motion of the board flipping. Next, stand behind the skateboard, flip it over in front of you with your back foot and jump onto it. Once you have mastered this step, you can speed them up to make one smooth motion.
As with the hippie jump, if this still makes you a bit nervous you can try it on grass and then on concrete. To take it a step further once you have mastered this you can try adding a 180° in. Remember to swing your shoulders!
These tricks are brilliant to get you started on a skateboard and to help boost your confidence. If you’re struggling with starting out or want some help with these tricks I host skateboard lessons once a week in Fargo Village. Feel free to click the link below and find out how to join in!
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