How to Ollie While Moving

Invented by a Floridian skater in the 1970s, the ollie is skateboarding's fundamental trick. Most skaters start by learning the standing ollie on a soft surface like grass or carpet. Transitioning from the standing to the rolling ollie is tough, especially because you're trying the trick on pavement.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Roll forward at a medium pace. Don't approach the rolling ollie with loads of speed at first. Try to find the speed that feels comfortable but powerful.
2. Position your front foot on the center of the board and your rear foot on top of the back bolts.
3. Push off of the ground with both feet and leap into the air. It's common for beginners to only lift their front legs, but this doesn't give you the height you need.
4. Pound the rear kicktail of the board downward, lifting the front end up.
5. Draw your knees up as close to your body as possible, allowing the board to follow your feet into the air.
6. Level the board out by pushing your front foot down a bit.
7. Land with both feet on the board hitting the ground at the same time.

Tips & Warnings

• Abandon the fear of wiping out before trying the rolling ollie. Mental blocks make skating much harder than it actually is, and fear only increases your risk of crashing.
• Experiment with your foot position until you feel comfortable controlling the board. Your height, shoe size and build will affect what works best for you.