Why the Ollie Matters
The ollie is the cornerstone of skateboarding tricks, letting you jump off the ground while keeping your board glued to your feet. Invented by Alan “Ollie” Gelfand in the 1970s, it’s the foundation for countless tricks like kickflips and heelflips. Mastering the ollie builds confidence and opens the door to advanced moves. Whether you’re skating ramps or streets, this trick is a must.
Learning to ollie takes practice, but with the right technique and persistence, you’ll be popping off the ground in no time. The Skate Tricks app offers slow-motion tutorials to break down each step, making it easier to nail the motion.
How to Ollie: Step-by-Step
Follow these steps to learn the ollie in your regular stance. Practice on a flat surface, like a driveway or skatepark, and wear a helmet for safety.
- Position Your Feet: Place your back foot on the tail of the board, with your toes hanging slightly off the edge. Your front foot should be near the middle, angled slightly for control.
- Snap the Tail: Bend your knees and push down hard on the tail with your back foot, causing the nose of the board to lift. This “pop” is the key to getting airborne.
- Jump Up: As the tail snaps down, jump off the ground, pulling your knees toward your chest. Timing is crucial—jump right after the pop.
- Drag the Front Foot: Slide your front foot forward to level the board in the air. This drags the grip tape, helping the board stay with you.
- Land Smoothly: Bend your knees as you land to absorb the impact. Try to land with both feet over the bolts (near the trucks) for stability.
Start by practicing the pop and jump without worrying about height. Once you’re comfortable, focus on the front-foot drag to level the board. The Skate Tricks app’s video guides can help you perfect each motion. Download it now to level up your skills!
Ollie Variations: Fakie, Nollie, and Switch
Once you’ve mastered the regular ollie, challenge yourself by learning it in fakie, nollie, and switch stances. Each variation tweaks the foot placement and mechanics, adding style and versatility to your skating. Here’s how to do them, with tips to get started. Practice at a skatepark using the Skate Tricks Map to find a spot near you!
Fakie Ollie
The fakie ollie is performed while riding backwards in your regular stance (e.g., after a 180 or rock to fakie). Your feet stay in the regular ollie position, but the board’s tail is forward, requiring adjusted balance.
- Setup: Roll fakie (backwards) at a slow speed, with your back foot on the tail (now forward) and front foot near the middle.
- Pop: Snap the tail down with your back foot, as in a regular ollie, but lean slightly forward to compensate for backward momentum.
- Jump and Drag: Jump and drag your front foot forward to level the board, keeping your body centered to avoid slipping.
- Land: Land with knees bent, staying balanced as you continue rolling fakie.
- Tip: Practice riding fakie first (e.g., after a half-cab) to get comfy with backward motion. Use the Skate Tricks app’s fakie tutorials for visual cues.
Fakie ollies are common in transition skating or street lines, adding flow to your sessions.
Nollie Ollie
The nollie ollie pops from the nose instead of the tail, reversing the regular ollie’s mechanics. It’s a stylish variation often used in street skating for ledges or stairs.
- Setup: Place your front foot on the nose, with toes slightly off the edge, and your back foot near the middle of the board.
- Pop: Snap the nose down with your front foot, using a quick downward push, while leaning slightly back to lift the tail.
- Jump and Drag: Jump off the ground, dragging your back foot forward to level the board in the air.
- Land: Land with both feet over the bolts, knees bent, to stick the landing.
- Tip: Start with small nollie pops on flat ground to get the nose snap down. Check the Skate Tricks app for nollie-specific breakdowns.
Nollie ollies feel awkward at first but add flair to tricks like nollie heelflips.
Switch Ollie
The switch ollie is done in your non-natural stance (e.g., goofy if you’re regular), making it feel like learning the ollie from scratch. It’s a challenging but rewarding way to show versatility.
- Setup: Ride in switch stance, with your non-dominant foot on the tail and dominant foot near the middle, angled for control.
- Pop: Snap the tail with your weaker foot, using the same downward force as a regular ollie, but expect less power initially.
- Jump and Drag: Jump and drag your front foot (dominant foot) forward to level the board, focusing on timing to keep it under you.
- Land: Land with knees bent, aiming for the bolts, and prepare for a wobblier landing until you’re used to switch.
- Tip: Practice riding switch first (e.g., pushing switch) to build comfort. Use the Skate Tricks app’s switch stance tutorials to refine your form.
Switch ollies boost your street cred, especially when linked with tricks like switch kickflips.
Mastering these variations takes time, but they’ll make you a well-rounded skater. Use the Skate Tricks app’s slow-motion videos to study foot placement and timing for fakie, nollie, and switch ollies. Download now and practice at a spot found with the Map feature!