A - Z of Skateboard Tricks Part 3

Here's part 3 of my A-Z guide of skateboarding (up to 'K')

Half Cab

The half cab is a fakie 180 ollie that can be performed flatland or vertical, like on a vert ramp or in a pool. It is basically half of a Caballerial, or a full cab, which was invented by and named after Steve Caballero in 1981.

A seemingly simple trick, it is not as easy to do as it sounds at first. Good ollie skills are definitely required. Go forward (or backward) fakie, bend down as if you’re going to ollie, but wind your upper torso opposite to the direction of your intended half cab. Pop up, unwind your shoulders, bringing your legs and board with you in a 180 degree turn. Land in the same direction you were going originally, but now you’re looking in the opposite direction. Ride away and bask in the glory of all the jealous onlookers.

Hard Flip

A hard flip is defined as a skateboarding trick in which the rider makes the board flip 180 degrees front side, and also makes it flip around like a kick flip. The great Rodney Mullen invented this move in 1985. It is generally regarded as an intermediate trick, and is popular with street skaters. However, it is not absolutely missing in vert skating either.

To perform this trick, place your back foot in the same position that you place it when performing an ollie. Place your front foot near the middle of the board, angled slightly, with your toes slightly facing the front of the board. Then, bend down and pop up as if you are performing an ollie. However, you must kick your back foot towards the back of you, and your front foot must slide up the side of the board. The board should then spin 180 degrees underneath you. It is important to keep your feet high above the board while performing this trick. After the board has spun 180 degrees, land with both feet on the board.

Heel Flip

The heel flip is a trick performed in skateboarding where the skateboard spins 360 degrees along the board’s forward axis. It was, as with many flip tricks, invented by the skateboarder Rodney Mullen in the late 80s. It is achieved when the rider kicks the board with their heel, starting a spin.

To perform this trick, the rider should set up as if they are going to perform a normal ollie. However, they should set up a little different. Instead of having their front foot in the middle of the board placed perpendicular, the front foot should be at a 45-degree angle to the skateboard, pointing forward. Then, they should perform an ollie, however, instead of simply sliding their foot forward, they should kick their foot away from them. This will put the skateboard into a spin. The rider must ensure that they keep their legs up in the air while the board is spinning beneath them. If they do not, the board may be caught on a foot or a leg. After the board has stopped spinning, the rider must land with both feet on the board.

Kickflip

One of the first tricks that a skateboarder tries to learn and learn how to master is the kickflip. The kickflip is very similar to the ollie but the kickflip comes in many more variations than the ollie. The ollie is usually done in one full swoop move where the kickflip is where an ollie type lift is made with the board but it is flipped while in midair.

The regular ollie is designed where the boarder will land flat on the board. The kickflip is an ollie with a twist. When the skateboarder does a kickflip, they ollie then use the front or back foot to make the board flip then they land flat on the board. The ollie and the kickflip are very similar but the obvious difference is the flipping movement with the feet. It is one of the first moves that elite skateboarders learn how to master.