How many skateboard tricks are there? (Tricks Explained)

From the Tony Hawk 900s to kickflips and ollies, there are so many amazing skateboard tricks out there.

If you’re just getting into skateboarding or want to try something new, then you’ve come to the right place.

In this guide, I’ll explore some of the most popular skateboard tricks as well as a few hidden gems for experienced skaters looking for creative challenges.

Whether you’re an enthusiastic beginner or dedicated pro skater seeking new thrills on four wheels, get ready for some innovative insights into everything from classic flip tricks and grinding combos to modern-day spins that will have fellow boarders bowing down in admiration.

Different types of skateboard trick categories:

Skateboarding is an incredibly diverse activity and that diversity can be seen in the variety of skateboard trick categories available.

Some of these categories focus on power and showmanship, while others are geared more toward technical precision and balancing skills.

However, below I explained various categories and types of skateboard tricks:

Ollie:

The ollie is one of the most fundamental tricks in skateboarding. It is a jumping trick that allows skaters to leap onto, over, or off of obstacles. The ollie is essential for performing flip tricks and is a key part of any skater’s repertoire.

To do an ollie, the skater kicks the tail of their board down while jumping in order to make the board pop into the air. This trick requires practice and coordination as it involves both popping the board up and timing your jump correctly. Once mastered, however, it can be used to perform a variety of other tricks such as kickflips and heelflips.

The ollie has been around since skateboarding’s early days and has become an iconic move in the sport. It is a great way to show off your skills on a skateboard and can be used to impress friends or even just have fun.

Kickflip:

Learning how to do a kickflip on a skateboard is a great way to take your skills to the next level. A kickflip is a common skateboard trick that involves popping the skater up into the air, using their feet to flip the board a full rotation—360 degrees.

The key to mastering this trick is understanding the right body positioning and making sure your front foot is in an area where it can flick well. To start, you should be standing on your skateboard with your feet shoulder-width apart and slightly angled outward. Your back foot should be placed firmly on the tail of the board, while your front foot should be placed near the middle of the board with your toes hanging off slightly.

Once you’ve got your stance down, it’s time to begin flipping! Start by pushing off with your back foot and then quickly flicking your front foot up and outwards in one quick motion. As you flick, make sure to keep your upper body straight and stable so that you don’t lose balance during the flip. Once you’ve flicked, use both feet to catch the board as it flips over and land safely on all four wheels.

Frontside 180:

A frontside 180 is a skateboarding trick that combines an ollie with a 180-degree turn, leading with your chest (front). This trick is a great way to show off your skills and impress your friends. To do the frontside 180, you’ll need to jump and spin in one motion while keeping the board close to your feet.

Start by positioning yourself on the skateboard facing forward. Place both feet on the board with your back foot near the tail of the board and your front foot near the middle. Bend your knees slightly and lean forward. As you push off, jump slightly and spin ½ rotation so that you’re facing backward when you land. Make sure to keep the board close to your feet as you spin and land in a crouched position for balance.

Practice this trick slowly at first until you get comfortable with it. Once you’ve mastered it, try doing it faster or adding some extra style by popping higher or spinning more quickly. With practice, you’ll be able to do this trick like a pro!

Backside 180:

The backside 180 is a popular skateboard trick that combines an ollie with a 180-degree turn. It looks impressive and is a great foundation for many grinds, slides, and flip tricks.

To do a backside 180, you start by doing an ollie. As you jump off the board, spin your body around so that your back faces the direction you are going in. You should aim to land on the tail of the board with both feet at the same time.

Once you have landed, it’s important to keep your balance and stay centered on the board. This will help you maintain control as you ride away from the trick.

It’s also important to practice this trick on flat ground before attempting it on ramps or other obstacles. This will help build up your confidence and give you more control when performing the trick in different situations.

50-50:

The 50-50 grind is one of the most important skateboarding tricks and a great way to learn how to grind. It involves both trucks sliding across a curb, ledge, rail, box or coping.

To do this trick, you need to roll toward the curb at less than a 30° angle with some speed. When you get within 6”[150mm] start to ollie. Ollie up onto the curb aiming your back truck at the edge and land on it with both feet evenly distributed over the board.

You will also want to lift the front of your skateboard up by slightly pushing down on your tail so that you can pop off the ledge and land on it with both trucks evenly balanced.

Once you have mastered this trick, you can move on to more advanced variations such as backside 50-50s, which involve riding up with your back foot leading and popping off the edge with an ollie while keeping your weight centered over the board.

Rock to Fakie:

The Rock to Fakie is a classic skateboarding trick that combines two moves – a rock ‘n’ roll and a fakie.

A rock ‘n’ roll is a ramp trick where you ride up the coping of the ramp and then drop back in, while a fakie is when you ride backwards. To do this trick, you’ll need to have enough speed to get your front trucks over the coping, while keeping the back trucks on the ramp.

As you approach the ramp, lean forward and pop off your tail to get extra height. Once your front trucks are over the coping, pull your feet back towards your body and shift your weight onto them. This will help keep you balanced as you drop back in.

The Rock to Fakie can be tricky at first but with practice it can become an essential part of your skateboarding repertoire. It’s important to remember that safety should always come first when attempting any skateboard trick. Make sure you wear protective gear such as pads and a helmet before trying this maneuver.

5-0 Grind:

The 5-0 Grind is a skateboard trick that involves grinding with the back axle on an edge or rail. It is considered to be an advanced version of the 50-50 grind, as it requires more balance and control. To do this trick, you will need to pop an ollie and then shift your weight onto your back foot as you land on top of the rail or edge. You must then keep your balance and grind along the surface until you reach the end.

It is important to practice this trick at a slow, comfortable speed before attempting it at higher speeds. Make sure you are familiar with other grind tricks such as 50-50s and boardslides before attempting a 5-0 Grind. Additionally, make sure you have all the necessary safety gear such as helmets and pads before trying any skateboard tricks.

Once you have mastered the basics of this trick, there are many variations that can be done such as frontside 5-0 Grinds, which involve grinding with a 45° angle shift from regular 5-0 Grinds. With enough practice, you can master these variations and become a pro skater!

Nosegrind:

Nosegrind is a skateboard trick where the skater grinds with only the front truck of the board.

It is considered to be a more difficult trick than other grinds and slides, as it requires balance and control.

To do a nosegrind, you need to press up and grind while riding on a ledge or rail. You will need to keep your nose down and follow the line of the railing until you are able to jump off.

If you are playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, there are some additional challenges that involve doing a nosegrind.

For example, in the Mall level, you can complete the Coffee Grind gap by pressing up + grind while grinding on a rail.

In another challenge, you will need to do a nosegrind over an entire halfpipe in order to complete it.

Heelflip:

There is nothing more thrilling than landing a heelflip trick on a skateboard.

This trick involves flipping the board off of your back foot and controlling the rotation so that you can land safely on all four wheels.

To get started, position yourself on the board with your back foot near one of the edges.

Push down hard with your back foot to pick up speed and rotate the board in midair with slight body movements.

As you make contact with the ground, be sure to complete the full turn and control it by using your front foot to slow down or speed up rotation until you land safely on both feet.

Pop Shuvit:

The Pop Shuvit is a skateboarding trick that involves spinning the board 180 degrees around its front edge while the body remains in place. It’s a great trick to learn for beginners, as it combines the shove-it with the pop of an ollie.

To do a Pop Shuvit, start by placing your weight on the balls of your feet and evenly distributing it. Then jump and initiate the shuvit.

As you land, use your back foot to push off the tail of the board and rotate it 180 degrees towards the backside of you. Make sure to keep your front foot on top of the board throughout this motion so that you don’t lose control.

Once you’ve mastered this trick, you can try variations such as a Frontside Pop Shuvit or a Backside Pop Shuvit.

Difficulty Levels of Skateboard Tricks:

From the basic tricks to advanced maneuvers, skateboarding offers an endless array of possibilities for any skateboarder to enjoy. However, not all tricks are created equal, and some are more challenging than others. Now, I’ll dive deep into the levels of difficulty in skateboard tricks and explore what makes each trick more challenging than the next.

Beginner Level Tricks

The easiest tricks for skateboarders to learn are the basic tricks. These tricks are typically done on flat ground and involve little to no air.

The beginner level tricks include board flips, shuvits, and pop shove-its. Board flips are the most basic trick, where riders kick the board, and it flips through the air.

On the other hand, shuvits involve spinning the board 180 degrees while jumping, and pop shove-its combine a shuvit and a board flip in one maneuver.

Intermediate Level Tricks

Once skateboarders perfect the beginner level tricks, they need to progress onto intermediate level tricks.

These tricks involve getting some air and performing more complex tricks. The intermediate level includes tricks like kickflips, nollies, and heelflips.

Kickflips involve kicking the board to flip into a 360-degree spin, while nollies involve the nose of the board popping into the air before executing the trick.

Finally, heelflips are similar to kickflips but are executed with the heel instead of the toes.

Advanced Level Tricks

The advanced level includes trickier maneuvers that require a great deal of skill, practice, and patience.

These tricks involve high air and require rapid body movements. Some of the advanced level tricks include 360 flips, varial flips, and frontside flips.

360 flips require the board to spin a full 360 degrees while simultaneously flipping, while varial flips involve the board doing a 180-degree spin and a kickflip or heelflip together.

In contrast, frontside flips involve flipping the board in the direction of the rider’s heels.

Expert Level Tricks

Lastly, the expert level requires skateboarders to perform the most complex maneuvers. These tricks require an incredible level of skill, balance, and precision.

Some of the expert level tricks include the hardflip, inward heel, and laser flip. The hardflip involves spinning the board and doing a heelflip all in one motion, while the inward heel involves spinning the board and doing a kickflip at the same time in the opposite direction.

Lastly, the laser flip consists of the board doing a 360-degree spin and a heelflip at the same time in a fluid motion.

Final Thoughts

Though, skateboarding is an art that allows riders to express their creativity through various tricks.

Although there are some standard tricks, such as the ollie, other techniques vary greatly and can be combined for more interesting challenges.

Skateboarders embrace the unexpected and continue to find ways of improvising on existing maneuvers or inventing their own.

This has kept skateboarding popular and exciting for decades as savvy skaters keep pushing boundaries in search of new challenges.

No matter what skill level you may be, there’s always something new to learn and practice, helping to make skateboarding a fun and rewarding activity for everyone.

So grab your board and get ready to hit the streets! You never know what you might come up with next.