The Classic OllieSpring brings crisp air and dry pavements, making it the perfect season to master the foundation of street skateboarding. The ollie is the quintessential trick that unlocks the entire sport. To execute it, snap your tail against the ground while simultaneously sliding your front foot upward toward the nose. This motion levels out the board in mid-air, allowing you to clear cracks and coast over small obstacles. Spending your early spring sessions perfecting this pop ensures your muscle memory is primed for the more complex maneuvers ahead.
Frontside 180Once your ollies feel consistent, adding a rotation is the natural next step. The frontside 180 requires you to wind up your shoulders and rotate your body facing forward. As you pop the board, let your hips follow the momentum of your shoulders to turn a full half-circle. Landing smooth requires keeping your weight centered over the bolts. This trick teaches valuable spatial awareness and helps you get comfortable riding away in a switch stance.
Backside 180The counterpart to the frontside rotation is the backside 180, where your back turns toward the direction of travel. Many skaters find this visually intimidating because you temporarily lose sight of your landing. The key is to trust your shoulder rotation and scoop the tail slightly forward as you pop. Mastering the backside 180 builds immense confidence and adds a stylish, blind-landing element to your street lines.
Shuv-itThe shuv-it is an ideal trick for days when you want to focus on board manipulation without leaving the ground too high. For this maneuver, your board rotates 180 degrees underneath your feet without flipping. Use your back toes to scoop the tail backward while lifting your front foot just enough to let the board spin. Catching the grip tape with your front foot guides the board safely back to the pavement.
Pop Shuv-itElevate the standard shuv-it by adding a distinct, crisp pop to the tail. The pop shuv-it combines the scoop of a regular shuv-it with the height of an ollie. This allows the board to rotate cleanly in the air beneath you, making it possible to clear low curbs or gaps. Keeping your shoulders parallel to the board prevents you from over-rotating your body during the landing.
KickflipThe kickflip is the ultimate milestone for intermediate skateboarders looking to push their skills. It requires popping a solid ollie and flicking your front foot out and down across the toe-side pocket of the nose. This motion causes the board to flip along its horizontal axis before you catch it with your back foot. Spring offers the ideal weather for long, dedicated sessions to perfect this highly rewarding flip trick.
HeelflipOften considered the sister trick to the kickflip, the heelflip rotates the board in the exact opposite direction. Instead of flicking with your toes, you use your front heel to push off the heel-side edge of the nose. Your body must lean slightly further back to compensate for the outward kick. Landing a clean heelflip offers a unique aesthetic contrast to the standard kickflip.
Varial FlipCombine the mechanics of the pop shuv-it and the kickflip to unlock the varial flip. For this trick, the board spins 180 degrees horizontally while simultaneously doing a complete flip. Success depends on a subtle scoop with the back foot and a precise, timed flick with the front foot. It is an impressive combination that showcases an advanced understanding of board control.
ManualSpring afternoons are perfect for testing your balance with long wheelies, known in skateboarding as manuals. Shift your weight toward the back pocket of the board to lift the front wheels off the ground without letting the tail scrape. Using your arms for minor balance adjustments helps maintain the position across long distances. Manuals are highly versatile and look excellent when performed across smooth plaza pads.
NosemanualThe nosemanual reverses the balance point, requiring you to lift the back wheels while riding solely on the front truck. Approach this trick with moderate speed and shift your weight over the nose bolts carefully. Leaning too far forward can cause the nose to scrape, resulting in a sudden stop. Balancing a nosemanual requires fine ankle adjustments and a highly stable core.
Frontside BoardslideTaking your skills to the obstacles starts with a fundamental slide on a low rail or ledge. The frontside boardslide requires approaching the rail with the obstacle behind your back. Ollie up, rotate ninety degrees, and land with the middle of your board balanced directly on the rail. Keeping your knees bent allows you to absorb the friction and slide smoothly to the end.
Backside BoardslideFor the backside boardslide, you approach the obstacle facing it directly before popping your board over the rail. This orientation allows you to see the rail clearly throughout the entire slide, making it easier to lock into the center of the deck. As you reach the end of the feature, turn your hips back to your original stance to roll away clean.
50-50 GrindThe 50-50 grind is the entry point to the world of grinding on trucks. Approach a curb or ledge at a slight angle, pop a controlled ollie, and guide both trucks to land flush on the edge. Locking your wheels against the side of the ledge provides the necessary stability to grind across the surface. A slight nudge or pivot at the end allows the front wheels to clear the drop safely.
NollieSwitching up the point of pop adds immediate variety to your skating repertoire. The nollie requires you to pop the nose of the board with your front foot while sliding your back foot toward the tail. Because the mechanics feel inverted, it challenges your coordination and strengthens your overall leg control. Mastering nollies opens up an entirely new dimension of trick variations.
Fakie BigspinRiding backward, or in fakie stance, provides excellent momentum for spinning maneuvers. The fakie bigspin combines a 360-degree board rotation with a 180-degree body rotation in the same direction. Scoop the tail hard while turning your shoulders to match the rotation of the deck. Sweeping the board around feels natural from a fakie approach, making this an incredibly smooth trick to round out your seasonal progression.
Progression on the PavementSpring provides a renewed energy and the perfect climate to expand your skateboarding abilities. Practicing these fifteen tricks allows you to build a well-rounded skill set that spans flatground geometry, balance maneuvers, and fundamental obstacle slides. Consistency, patience, and repetitive practice remain the core elements of success on the board. Stepping onto the concrete with a structured list of goals ensures that your riding evolves steadily throughout the season
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