Skateboarding is getting hyped over time. According to statistics, around 8.87 million enjoy this sport annually in the United States. As a result, people are more inclined toward it when they see kids, teenagers, and even adults skateboarding around them.
At first, you may wonder how this wooden shaft can support your weight and helps to gain mobility. As soon as you hop on this vehicle, all your concerns and queries eventually vanish. However, you must learn certain tips and tricks to be a pro in this sport.
Ollie: A Brief Overview
Undoubtedly, most of you have heard this term for the first time. It will be an easy trick to learn if you are a beginner. Skateboarding is not just random driving in your street or town. You should practice some tricks to make it interesting for you. Allan Ollie Gelfand was considered a pioneer of this move in skateboard history. In 1976, he performed this art of roaming in the air without grabbing the board with a hand.
However, we should all thank his companion, Rodney Mullen, for introducing this trick worldwide. Now, every skateboard learner begins the skateboard journey by performing this amazing trick.
In the competitive skateboard journey, you can perform this jump effortlessly. In this move, the rider exerts pressure on the tail, which makes the entire skateboard up in the air. This maneuver allows you to perform complex tricks without pouring in the extra effort. Hence, the ollie is a beginner step. If you successfully learn this trick, you can become the master of all.
What Else Do You Need to Learn Before Ollie?
Ollie is not a one-day challenge. Before that, you should practice and prepare for these new aerial tricks. Like any other physical activity, you need to make the necessary preparations. Similarly, to learn Ollie, follow these expert guidelines.
Stabilize with both feet on board
Significantly, every skateboard learner is scared to move with both feet on the board. However, you cannot learn tricks without placing your non-dominant foot on the deck. At the initial stage of the ollies’ preparations, try to learn how to improve balance on skateboard by placing your feet on the board.
For this purpose, place one foot on the board and another on the ground. Use the non-dominant foot the accelerate the board. Once you have gained enough speed, balance yourself by placing both feet on the board.
Learn Kick-turning and Stopping
These tricks will take you a step ahead in learning Ollie. For kick-turning, you must place a foot towards the rear of the board while the next foot must guide the board by changing direction. Whether you need to stop the board from escaping from a crash or want to take a little break, you should learn to stop it.
Heel-dragging is the most well-known phenomenon a rider employs to stop the skateboard. For the heel-dragging, you must place your foot at the tail. This way, the board touches the ground when you exert pressure with your foot. The friction being produced between the board and the road will decelerate it.
How to Perform Ollie?
To perform Ollie, you must know the right technique to perform it. Although you need expert advice, with practice, you can excel. Follow these steps carefully to perform this trick efficiently.
Step 1- Properly Position Your Feet
You must learn to properly position your feet before attempting this trick. For the correct positioning, you must place one foot in the middle of the tail while the next should lie after the middle of the board. This positioning must provide the proper force to lift your board in the air.
Step 2- Exerting the pressure
After adjusting your feet, you must know the right spot to exert the pressure. The board’s rear end is where you need to exert pressure. Your one foot is resting on the middle of the tail. Therefore, you can initiate the action using that foot to press against the board. This maneuver will help you gain sufficient momentum to lift your skateboard in the air successfully.
Step 3- Attempt to jump
After exerting the pressure, your board’s tail is touching the ground. As a consequence of action and reaction, the front end of the board will lift upward. Moreover, this upward motion will be angled diagonally. Remember, your front footrests are between the front and middle of the board. It will swiftly lift the board in the air.
Step 4- Get ready to land
When you are in the air, you must distribute your weight wisely. In this attempt, try to position your one foot at the front end while the next foot is on the rear end of the board. Positioning yourself is significantly important if you wish to perform Ollie. Moreover, it will also help you to land smoothly.
When you plan to land, bend your knees. This trick will help to lower the center of gravity and helps to acquire stability. The squatting position will prevent any crash landing, resulting in serious injury.
You must follow all these steps wisely to play around in the air efficiently. Ollie looks complicated in the beginning. However, if you keep practicing, you will eventually enjoy this amazing sport.
Final Thoughts
What are you waiting for? Aren’t you curious to attempt this unique trick? You should not worry if you are a beginner. You must follow all these steps properly – from positioning the back foot to bending of knees. All you need to learn is to press, jump, and bend. This PJB technique will surely help you even to get a high Ollie on your skateboard.
