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^ Corporate Sponsor ^ |
Skateboarding : Back to Basics
By Tim Devlin
Art by Chelsey Fleming
Photos by Paul Christian
Skateboarding is a tricky sport to master, and getting the hang of it can mean a lot of bruises.
Start with basic tricks and work up to harder ones. Here are three tricks. Try them after you’re comfortable riding and pushing on your skateboard. Wear proper safety equipment and skate while an adult or trustworthy adolescent is watching!
The Ollie (a beginner trick)
When doing an ollie, the skateboard leaves the ground and stays connected to the rider’s feet. Follow these steps, but remember they have to be done almost simultaneously.
1. Roll forward. Position your back foot high on the tail of your board and your front foot in the middle. The edge of your big toe should touch the edge of the board.
2. Squat down like you’re trying to jump really high.
3. Now jump! As you jump, do a few things: Press down on the tail like you are trying to squish a grape (3A). When the front of the board starts to rise up, slide your front foot forward so the side of your sole scrapes the grip tape (3B).
4. As you slide your front foot forward, level out the board.
5. Keep your balance centered over the bolts. Bend your knees as you land to absorb the impact.
6. Roll away and think about the air you just caught!
Rock to Fakie (an intermediate trick)
Do a rock to fakie while skating on transitions like a half or quarter pipe. You should be able to ride forward and backward to do this trick.
1. Approach the ramp with enough speed to reach the top.
2. Bend your knees and get ready to shift your weight.
3. When you get to the top, lift your front wheels slightly. Let your back wheels bump up against the coping (pole or concrete at the top) of the ramp.
4. Let your weight sit on the top of the ramp for a second if you want.
5. Lean back into the ramp and get ready to go backward. As you lean back, lift up your front wheels so they don’t get stuck on the coping.
6. Bend your knees and ride down the ramp.
7. Make sure all your friends were watching and ride away happy!
The Kickflip (an advanced trick)
You should be very comfortable doing ollies before you try a kickflip. This trick is similar to an ollie, except the board flips all the way around before you land on it again.
1. Start rolling forward. Position your back foot high on the tail and your front foot off to the side so your heel hangs off the board.
2. Squat down like you’re trying to jump really high.
3. As you jump, do a few things: Press down on the tail like you are trying to squish a grape (3A). When the front of the board starts to rise up, slide your front foot forward so the side of your sole scrapes the grip tape (3B).
4. Slide your foot to the side and kick out as far as you can. (Think about a karate kick.) This should make your board flip.
5. Watch your board flip. When the grip tape comes back around, push your feet down and try to catch the board. It may sound easy, but this trick takes a lot of practice.
6. Let gravity bring you back to earth, and absorb
the shock with your bent knees.
7. You can relax now and push off into the sunset
after an awesome day of skating.
Skateboarding is a tricky sport to master, and getting the hang of it can mean a lot of bruises.
Start with basic tricks and work up to harder ones. Here are three tricks. Try them after you’re comfortable riding and pushing on your skateboard. Wear proper safety equipment and skate while an adult or trustworthy adolescent is watching!
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When doing an ollie, the skateboard leaves the ground and stays connected to the rider’s feet. Follow these steps, but remember they have to be done almost simultaneously.
1. Roll forward. Position your back foot high on the tail of your board and your front foot in the middle. The edge of your big toe should touch the edge of the board.
2. Squat down like you’re trying to jump really high.
3. Now jump! As you jump, do a few things: Press down on the tail like you are trying to squish a grape (3A). When the front of the board starts to rise up, slide your front foot forward so the side of your sole scrapes the grip tape (3B).
4. As you slide your front foot forward, level out the board.
5. Keep your balance centered over the bolts. Bend your knees as you land to absorb the impact.
6. Roll away and think about the air you just caught!
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 |
|
Do a rock to fakie while skating on transitions like a half or quarter pipe. You should be able to ride forward and backward to do this trick.
1. Approach the ramp with enough speed to reach the top.
2. Bend your knees and get ready to shift your weight.
3. When you get to the top, lift your front wheels slightly. Let your back wheels bump up against the coping (pole or concrete at the top) of the ramp.
4. Let your weight sit on the top of the ramp for a second if you want.
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 |
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5. Lean back into the ramp and get ready to go backward. As you lean back, lift up your front wheels so they don’t get stuck on the coping.
6. Bend your knees and ride down the ramp.
7. Make sure all your friends were watching and ride away happy!
The Kickflip (an advanced trick)
You should be very comfortable doing ollies before you try a kickflip. This trick is similar to an ollie, except the board flips all the way around before you land on it again.
1. Start rolling forward. Position your back foot high on the tail and your front foot off to the side so your heel hangs off the board.
2. Squat down like you’re trying to jump really high.
3. As you jump, do a few things: Press down on the tail like you are trying to squish a grape (3A). When the front of the board starts to rise up, slide your front foot forward so the side of your sole scrapes the grip tape (3B).
4. Slide your foot to the side and kick out as far as you can. (Think about a karate kick.) This should make your board flip.
5. Watch your board flip. When the grip tape comes back around, push your feet down and try to catch the board. It may sound easy, but this trick takes a lot of practice.
6. Let gravity bring you back to earth, and absorb
the shock with your bent knees.
7. You can relax now and push off into the sunset
after an awesome day of skating.
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 ^ Corporate Sponsor ^ |
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