Best Skateboard Tricks

Best Skateboard Tricks
Photo Credit skateboard image by bacalao from Fotolia.com

The best skateboard tricks are ones that captivate onlookers. Performing a skate trick that makes even the best skateboarders stop and stare in amazement certainly qualifies as one of the best tricks. Grinds, slides, ollies and flip kicks are just a smattering of possibilities when it comes to skateboard tricks, and skaters often make up their own variations in improvisational fashion. Whenever trying to perform the best skateboard tricks, make sure to wear safety equipment.

Grinds and Slides

Skaters can perform grinds and slides whenever there is an edge. Grinding, or sliding, happens when a skateboarder slides his board or truck axles along a right angle or curved edge. Park benches, the tops of half-pipes and rails provide excellent chances to grind. According to Skateboard-City, the frontside 50-50 simply has the skater leap while skating and turn the board 90 degrees in the air. He then slides along the rail with the rail bisecting the board horizontally. The backside noseslide is a trick that finishes with the skater pushing the front nose of the board onto the ground and sliding on it while the back end of the board is elevated. Neither set of wheels should be rolling. The switch backside crook requires the skater to grind the front axle on an edge or rail by leaping up and landing the axle precisely on the object on which he wants to grind.

Board Flips

Board flip tricks occur when the skateboarder kicks the board while skating and it flips vertically or horizontally in midair. The casper flip is one of the best board flip tricks, and it is done by elevating while rolling, then pushing the front end of the board around 180 degrees with the front foot, according to the Skateboarder 2.0 website. A pop-shove It is done by leaping to get the board airborne and putting pressure on the back tail of the board with the back foot, flipping it 180 degrees. The move is completed by catching the board with the wheels facing up.

Lip Tricks

Lip tricks utilize the top edge of a pool, half-pipe or skateboarding ramp and give riders the ability to show off. Lip tricks also get the skater's hands involved in tricks. The ho-ho has just as much hands involved as feet, as the rider accelerates up a half-pipe and places both hands on the edge while bringing the board up as a well. The final look should have the skateboarder doing a quick handstand on the lip with the board still on the bottom of the feet. Handplants also have the skater use his hands, but are different than ho-hos. Handplants have the skater place one hand on the lip and use the other to grab the board and raise the board in the air before bringing it back down to skate away.

References

Article reviewed by Jessica Lyons Last updated on: Jul 13, 2010

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