List of Easy Skateboard Tricks

Skateboarding gained popularity in the early 1950s after California surfers began to practice their maneuvers on sidewalks. Skateboarding went through a lull in the '70s and '80s but bounced back in the early '90s. Modern skateboarding tricks fall under either ramp or street skateboarding. Each category has both easy and difficult tricks, but novice skaters must learn the basics to get comfortable with board control and balance.

  1. Ollie

    • The "Ollie" was invented in the late 1970s by highly regarded professional pool skater Alan "Ollie" Gelfand and is the most basic skateboarding trick. Every modern skateboard trick, including both street skateboard and ramp skating, incorporates the Ollie in some way. Learning how to roll and turn on the skateboard will help the skater attempting the Ollie for the first time. After pushing a few times and reaching a comfortable speed, the skater pops the tail of the board with his foot and then jumps into the air. Once airborne, the skater slides his front foot toward the nose of the board. The front foot allows the skater to level the board before landing with all four wheels on the ground. Even though the Ollie is considered to be the easiest of all skateboard tricks, it still takes time to get comfortable with the motion.

    Drop In

    • The "drop in" is the most basic trick for skating transitioned ramps. Novice skaters often start at the flat bottom of the ramp and push to gain speed on the U-shaped mini ramp or half pipe. The drop in takes place at the very top of the ramp on the metal coping. The skater places the tail of the board on the edge of the coping, allowing the back and front wheels to hang over. Dropping in takes a great deal of commitment as the skater must go completely vertical for a moment before touching the front wheels onto the vertical wall of the ramp. Skaters who lean back when attempting the drop in for the first time often cause serious injury to their ankles and wrists as they attempt to catch themselves.

    Manual

    • Even though the manual has been considered an easy street skateboarding trick, many consider manual tricks in a category of their own. The manual takes place as the skater pops an Ollie up a curb, or similar flat surface, and then lands on the front or back wheels. The skater then must balance on the two wheels, similar to a wheelie on a bicycle, without allowing the nose or tail of the board to scratch the ground. When learning the manual, skaters often try to learn the motion on flat ground to gain confidence and balance.