What is an ollie, you might ask? An ollie is a fun way to jump with your skateboard still under your control. Any serious skateboarder will tell you that the ollie is the most fundamental of all skateboard tricks. Even if you are ripping down a rail or free-styling street style, you will find the ollie an indispensable trick in your shredding arsenal. You can perform an ollie while stationary, while riding down the street, or while negotiating obstacles or tricks. With these steps and a lot of practice, you too will be ripping and shredding, and jumping curbs.
1) Stand on the board. Get a good feel for its shape, the tightness of your trucks, and the size of your wheels. Ollies are always easier on a familiar setup. If your trucks are too loose and you can't keep in control while crouching, then tighten them until things are smoother.
2) Adjust your feet to the appropriate position. This can be the first really tricky part of an ollie to master. The idea is you're on the balls of your feet, which will help you greatly when crouching. This can be tricky because if you just go up on your tippie-toes, chances are you'll start turning front-side 'cause when just cruising on your board, the balls of your feet will usually be closer to the front side edge of the deck. (If you weren't already aware, the front side edge is the one nearest your toes). There are two good ways to reposition your feet. The first is a tiny little jump, just big enough to let you land with your feet where you need 'em. This is the best and quickest way, but also the trickiest. The other way is to just shuffle your feet into position. It's a slower, less accurate method, and it ruins your shoes pretty quick unless your grip tape is dead--which it shouldn't be if you want to be able to ollie well. The actual position of your feet is very important. The ball of your back foot should be half hanging off the edge of the deck's tail. The ball of your front foot should be central to the deck, somewhere between the bolts. How far forward/back you choose to have your front foot is mostly a preference thing, but it can affect your ollie too. Huge monster ollies will require your foot to be further back, but will be more difficult. Little kurb-hoppers can be easily done with your foot further forward.
3) Bend your knees and crouch down,Start to move at a good speed. Getting ready to jump. Balancing your crouch properly is crucial. Don't bend your back too much and don't stick your butt out too far. Try to drop down and keep your shoulders level with your feet.
4) Kick down (known as popping) when you jump off the board. Its a good idea to jump forward so you don't spin in the air. A good strong pop is very important. It's the power behind your ollie. It's called a pop 'cause of the noise of your deck hitting the ground, which will make it bounce. I'm sure if you've had a skateboard in your hands you will have tried the fundamental noobie maneuver of stamping on the tail to make it jump at you? It's the same principal with a pop, 'cept you're doing while stood (actually, more like jumping above) the board. Split seconds after you pop, drag your front foot toward the nose of the board. At this point, you are starting to ollie and creating friction between your front foot and the nose of the board. Bring your front foot up, using the grip tape to carry the board with your front shoe. If you find any difficulty rising the tail of your board, make sure you are popping while straightening your legs to jump, not while you are going down. It seems obvious doesnt it? But its a common mistake. Also another reason for the tail not lifting is because your foot might be hitting the ground with the tail not allowing the actual board to lift. Make sure as you are sliding your front foot forward while your back foot is rising.
5) Jump. Yes, as if, GET STRAIGHT UP OFF THE BOARD! The board's going nowhere with your weight on it, so the beginning of an ollie maneuver is to jump.
6) Slide your foot Turn your front foot inward and slide up the front of the board. This will cause the board to level out. This step must be performed at the same time as jumping.
7) Pull your knees up towards your chest. Exactly how far you need to do this depends on how high your ollie is, but that board can only go as high as your feet, so if you want your ollie to be high you have to bring those feet up.
8) Level out. Leveling out means making the board level to the ground while in mid-air. In other words, don't have the front of the board sticking up in mid-air. This technique will help tremendously when you get to jumping gaps.
9) Try to land both feet at the same time, preferably with your feet as close to their respective trucks as possible. If you land an ollie with both feet in the middle of your deck, it's gonna snap. Likewise if you land on your nose and tail, they could break off. Also, landing with your feet too close together can be hazardous to your health, since your balance will be compromised.
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