A - Z of Skateboard Tricks Part 4

Here's part 4 of my A-Z guide of skateboard tricks (up to 'P')

Nollie

A nollie is a trick used in skateboarding in which the rider performs a “backwards ollie”. This is accomplished by using their front foot and the nose of the board, rather than their back foot and the tail of the board. It, just like many other technical tricks, was invented and perfected by Rodney Mullen. It is often confused with “fakie” skating, because the two styles look the same, but are fundamentally different. Nollie requires the rider to be able to skate switch style whereas fakie does not.

To perform a nollie, the rider must place their front foot on the nose of the board. Their back foot should be somewhere near the middle of the board, or wherever it feels comfortable. Then, the rider must push down on the nose of the board in order to propel the tail into the air. The rider must then slide their back foot towards the tail while raising their front foot into the air. This action will propel the board into the air. The rider must then keep their feet over the board and follow it back to the ground.

Nollie Flip

In skateboarding different types of tricks have been established, these tricks vary from street to vert styles. While most of these tricks are started out from such a simple move usually the Ollie, many tricks are made especially for the Nollie. A Nollie is the exact same as the Ollie with the only difference being that a Nollie is done on the nose of the board.

A Nollie Flip is a simple addition to the Nollie. A Nollie flip is quite literally a reversed Kickflip, with the predominant foot on the nose of the board instead. To pull off a Nollie Flip while skating, start off by going directly into a Nollie, then use you front foot to turn the board, in the same way as a Kickflip but on the front of the board, while still in the air. Keeping both feet away from the board until the grip tape is face side up, then proceed to replace feet on the board and land.

Nosegrind

The nosegrind is an advanced skateboarding trick that requires balance and speed. This is not a trick for amatuers to attempt, as a decent knowledge of basic skateboard skills is required.

To nosegrind the front of the skateboard, called the front truck, grinds across the curb or rail. A skateboarder begins by building speed, as a high speed is required to successfully perform this trick. The skateboarder must set his back foot on the tail and the front foot directly behind the front wheels, commonly called the ollie position. The skateboarder then must leap into the air, bringing the board up without holding onto the board. This trick is referred to as an ollie. 

However, unlike the ollie, to complete a nosegrind the board must land only on the front truck and grind across until the end of the curb or rail. Speed is very important in order to have momentum to move the board across without stopping. 

The nosegrind is a recent version of the New Deal, a vert trick created by Neil Blender.

Ollie

The ollie is the most basic of skateboarding tricks. It's the foundation upon which most all other tricks are based, and while some time and effort are required to master it, once that's done, there's almost no feat that can't be accomplished on a skateboard.

Invented in 1977 by Alan "Ollie" Gelfand, the trick involves the rider jumping up into the air, with the board seemingly "glued" to the feet. This is achieved by bending the knees, slamming the back foot into the tail of the board, and jumping at exactly the right time. 

Austin Gilbert holds the official record for the highest ollie, after having jumped 45.6 inches from flat ground, although there was a video circulating in the 90s in which Jose Marabotto was seen jumping an estimated 50 inches.
Rob Dyrdek holds the record for the highest number of consecutive ollies after performing 215 in a row.

Pop Shove It

The pop shove it is a trick that starts off just like an ollie. Once you have positioned your foot like an ollie, jump and push the tail down and to the side in order to rotate the board a full 180 degrees. At first just get the motion down and practice someplace soft like the grass or carpet. Once you feel you have mastered the technique you may begin practicing on the sidewalk or streets. Make sure that your feet line up with the board when landing on it and that you only rotate the board 180 degrees.

The pop shove it was invented by Rodney Mullen. Rodney Mullen is synonymous for creating interesting street ticks like the pop shove it as well as many other street tricks. Other street tricks include the kickflip , the 360 flip, casper slide, and the darkslide.