Old School Tricks on a Skateboard

Skateboarding has been around for a while, and the technology has largely remained the same. The materials and such have changed, allowing for more durable and smooth-riding skateboards, but the real development in skater culture has been in the realm of tricks. Over the decades, tricks have become more complicated as more advanced terrain and maneuvers have been introduced. It all started with a few simple, old school moves that are the basis or starting point for the majority of modern tricks.

  1. The Rise of Tricks

    • When skateboards were first being introduced in the 1950s and 1960s, they were simple, flat boards with wheels attached. There wasn't a lot anybody could do with these other than ride around and try to gain speed by going up and down hills. In 1969, a man named Larry Stevenson invented the "kicktail." The kicktail is simply the ends of a skateboard that curve upwards. Today, this is the standard shape of a skateboard. It would be hard to imagine a skateboard that doesn't have the curved kicktail on at least one end. With a kicktail, a skater could now manipulate the board with much greater control and precision. This simple achievement allowed for real tricks to be performed for the first time.

    Aerial

    • With the advent of the kicktail and the desire to perform tricks, different types of terrain entered skater culture. Empty pools, half-pipes, and ramps saw their first use, and with the use of these, the aerial was born. Like the name implies, the aerial is simply a move done in the air. By riding up the side and launching off the top of a ramp or pipe, the skater can become airborne. Once in the air, any combination of kicking the board to flip it or grabbing the board can be performed before landing back on the pipe or on the other side of the ramp. Simple "180s" and "Indy grabs" were early aerials performed first during the trick boom of the 1970s.

    Invert

    • Inverts are ramp-based tricks that were not possible before the use of pipes and empty pools that came along with the kicktail. An invert is performed by first riding back and forth on a half-pipe to gather speed. After gathering some momentum, the skater launches off one end of the half-pipe and into the air while grabbing the rim of the pipe's edge. This grabbing point acts as a pivot while the skateboard's momentum launches the feet into the air. This causes the body to become inverted, hence the name of the trick. At its peak, the skater appears to be doing a handstand on the edge of the ramp before allowing the board to descend so that they can ride back along the surface of the ramp.

    Ollie

    • This is perhaps the most basic skateboarding trick. Most people learn to do this before any other trick. The simple ollie is best described as jumping while riding a skateboard and keeping the board in contact with your feet. This is achieved by pushing down with the back foot on the kicktail while simultaneously sliding both feet forward. If done properly, the board will pop up into the air with your feet firmly attached. With enough practice, ollies can be perfected and performed with more control to allow for greater distance and height.