How to Ollie on a Skateboard Step by Step

Before we get into the main focus of this article and see how to ollie, I'd like to share something with you. I remember the day my younger brother wanted to learn how to skateboard. He was yelled at for hours and was grounded for like a month. Even though I was really, really happy, part of me wanted to feel sorry for him. I mean, why don't parents let their kids do something they really enjoy. He was made to take tennis classes which he hated the most, and I guess I could see why. One, he sucked at it and two, the reason that I could beat him in every other thing he did, made him want to learn how to skateboard even more.

But alas, no one was ready to listen to him; and then he tried to butter me up. He sweet-talked me into speaking to our mom and give him permission to learn skateboarding. Both of us saw his sad little face and agreed to help him. So, whenever dad used to be out of the house, even he would sneak out and learn skateboarding with his friends. Funny how some things can take you back to memory lane. Anyway, with the invention of computers and the marvel of the Internet, even when you're grounded, you can to ollie. But why have we chosen to focus on just one skateboarding trick out of the bunch? An ollie is the first trick any skateboarder would try to learn. Getting the basics of ollie out of the way, you can pretty much attempt to move on to any other skateboarding tricks you want.

Perform an Ollie While Moving

If you are new to skateboarding and don't know how to do certain skateboard tricks, then get used to being on a skateboard first. Ride it as much as you can and get absolutely perfect in that. But it could be the case that you're really aggressive and can or wish to learn how to do an ollie before. Well, everyone's learning styles and adaptations are different, so the final decision is up to you.

Step #1 - Stance
First of all, you need to concentrate on your stance. Place the ball of your back foot (left or right) on the tail of the board. Your front foot will come between the center and the front trucks (T-shaped metal part) of the board.

Step #2 - The Pop
With your front foot, roll yourself ahead on the skateboard. Once you think you're ready to try the ollie, bend your knees. You will crouch down (not entirely, but halfway), as much as you can so that when you ollie, you can go higher. After bending, slam the back foot downwards on the tail of the board. Do it really hard and simultaneously, jump up in the air. This is the part that will need a lot of practice. The key is to slap the tail of the board down, have it hit the ground, and then jump off the back foot in the air.

Step #3 - Front Foot
Like your back foot, the front foot has its own role as well. As you jump up, the front foot will come slightly inside. The front foot will help guide the board as it flies upwards in the air. You can call it as dragging the side of the front foot up the board. If you are attempting this trick for the first time, it's alright if you don't get this now. Guiding the skateboard can be learned later on as well.

Step #4 - Leveling
Now as you jump upward, your knees will also come up with you. So, what you're trying to do is being able to bring in your knees as close as you can to the chest. To do so, you will have to bend your knees that much. And the higher you go up, the higher your skateboard and ollie will be. Your body and shoulders should be in the same level, and try not to lean too much towards the front or back of the board. And when you are on the top, use your feet to flatten the board under you.

Step #5 - Landing
For a perfect landing, bend your knees again as you land directly on the skateboard. This is important because you don't want your knees to get an impact from the landing and get injured. Also, you'll be able to keep the board in perfect control. In the end, all you have to do is, roll away on your skateboard. And that's how you take your first step at being excellent in skateboarding.

So, that's how you do an ollie. With some practice and patience, you can learn to ollie on a skateboard. If you want, you can also learn ollie being stationary first and then try doing it while moving.