How to Switch Ollie Up a Curb

Not only is the Ollie good for creating tricks at the skate park or on a ramp, but it's also great for clearing gaps and other obstacles in the streets. One basic way to use the Ollie during a street session is to jump up a curb. To improve your coordination and balance, try performing this trick riding switch. It's hard at first, but it gets easier with practice.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Place your feet on the skateboard in a switch stance. Also called "fakie" by snowboarders, this is just like your regular stance, except the order of your feet is reversed.
2. Ride your skateboard toward the curb at a moderate speed. Going too slow makes clearing the curb hard, but riding too fast forces you to rush through the Ollie and may mess up your timing.
3. Approach the curb at a right angle. You can Ollie up and over a curb from just about any approach angle, but hitting it straight on gives you the best chance of success.
4. Wait until you're about one or two board lengths away from the curb, then drop into a deep crouch.
5. Explode into the air and pop the skateboard's rear kicktail into the ground with your foot as you jump.
6. Suck your legs up beneath you and allow the skateboard to rise over the curb. Bring your legs up as high as you can to make sure you clear the curb.
7. Level the skateboard out with your front foot as you clear the curb. Remember, because you're riding switch this isn't the foot that's normally in front, so sliding it up the deck might feel strange.
8. Land with your feet on the bolts and your weight evenly distributed across the board's deck.