From Beginner to Expert: 8 Advanced Skateboarding Tricks

So you’ve been skating around, learning the basics and enjoying learning a new sport. Truthfully, you’re just scratching the surface of what possible to achieve with a skateboard, as there are countless skateboarding tricks and maneuvers that you can learn and make into your own. 

If you’ve got the basics down, read on to discover the next tricks that should be on your list to master—they are challenging, exciting, and freeing. Let’s jump right in!

1. The Heelflip

Similar to the kickflip, the heelflip is probably going to be on the easiest advanced tricks to learn after mastering the kickflip. A heelflip is when you Ollie into the air, flipping the skateboard so that it rotates once, and finally landing on the ground in the same position you started in. Here’s a step by step:

• Place your feet the same way you would for an Ollie.
• Place your back foot on the tail (back of your board).
• Position your front foot towards the center of the board, making sure to hang your toes over the edge a bit.
• Now Ollie and kick your back heel forward.
• There you go!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUQ7EB91HZE

2. Rock to Fakie

For a Rock to Fakie, you’ll need a mini ramp, quarterpipe or halfpipe  to complete this trick. But what is it, really? It’s when you ride up the ramp right up to the very edge, balancing in the middle of the board, before zipping back the way you came. Let’s get into it: 

• Keep your back foot on the tail and your front foot on the nose.
• Hit the top of the ramp and push your front foot forward so that the front of the board dips forward.
• You should balance and hold this move for a few seconds.
• Drop down and go back the same direction you came up.

3. Ollie on a Ramp

Skateboarders joke that this should really be called an “Ollie off a ramp”, but so far the name hasn’t been changed.  If you’ve gotten good at doing Ollies on the ground, it’s time to take it to another level and Ollie while flying off of a ramp. Sound exciting? It is! Before tacking a huge ramp, start off with a mini ramp and work your way up. 

• Speed is your key—as you skate towards the ramp, build up your speed till you are travelling as fast as possible.
• Keep your feet in an Ollie position and lean back while riding up the ramp. As soon as the nose of the board touches the edge, push the tail down as quickly as possible and pull your front knee up.
• Fish up with an Ollie.

5. The Hardflip 

The hardflip is quite technical, as it is a combination of a frontside shove it and a kickflip, with the difference being that the board will flip between your legs.

• Firstly, speed is your friend, so push a few times to get going at a good pace. 
• Next, your feet need to be in the correct place. Your back foot should be placed close to the middle of your board, like you would for a kickflip. Keep your foot at a 45-degree angle with your toes pointed toward the back of the board while your heel is angled toward the front. 
• Now for the front foot. You should keep your foot at the front edge of the board and your heel pointed to the back, but make sure to rise up a little bit, so your weight is placed on the ball of your foot.
• When your board is in a vertical position, you’ll want to shove your front foot off the side of the board. This will cause it to flip in between your legs.

6. The Backside Tailslide 

This trick will definitely show you are taking things up a notch, as this trick is not done on flat ground, but rather preformed on a ledge or rail. What’s a rail is skateboard terms? A handrail over stairs or a flat bar will do. It’s a super challenging trick, but it can certainly be done. 

• Start with approaching the ledge or rail located behind you in a parallel manner, and put your feet in the Ollie position.
• As soon as your board is above the ledge, turning your hips and your board backside 90 degrees. Lock it in with the tail on the edge of the ledge/rail, and then shift all your body weight on the tail to achieve the  backside tailslide stance. Keep trying to center your body wight, so you don’t slip out. End it with a fakie or regular. 

7. 360 Flips

Not the most technical on our  list, the 360 Flip is still a solid maneuver. This trick is the combination of a 360 Back Shove combined with a kickflip. What is the difference between a 360 back Shove It is like a 360 front Shove It, except instead of pushing forward with your back foot, you push backwards. Let’s get into the details: 

• As you know, when doing a kickflip, you position your foot in the middle of your board and point it diagonally. When you slide your foot up to do an Ollie, you’ll be able to make the board spin backwards. 
• Your back foot is the most important part of this trick, as you’ll need to scoop as hard as you can while moving your front foot forward. Once you try it out  a few times, you’ll get the hang of it and be able to complete the trick effortlessly. 

8. Impossible

It’s called an impossible, but in reality it’s quite possible—you need to have a good skateboarding foundation and patience, but it is achievable. Also called an Ollie Impossible, also they are quite similar to 360 Shove-Its, as the board will  rotate 360-degrees. However, the difference between a 360 Shove-Its and the Ollie Impossible is that they are performed in the air with the skateboard is wrapped almost vertically over your back foot, along with the 360-degree rotation of the board. The main difference between the two is that the board will be spinning vertically, not horizontally, like it does during the 360 Shove-Its. 

 Here’s a step-by-step:

• Place your front foot right by the front bolts and turn at an angle. 
• Keep your back foot on that toe-side pocket. 
• As you are doing an Ollie,  scoop the board with your back foot then push forward to the point where it looks like it is vertical. This will make your board spin at 360 degrees.

 If you are ready to take your skateboarding skills to a new level, these tricks we’re just introduced you to will be a sure-fire way to take you from a beginner to a seasoned skateboarder. It will take some time to learn each one, hopefully not too many falls, but with grit and determination, you’ll get there. 

Follow GOWFO.com for the latest news on all things extreme sports. Want to grow your followers within the extreme sports world? If you’re an extreme sports content creator or influencer and want to participate in the launch of WFO.TV, please contact us.