Skateboarding: Learning how to Ollie

The ollie is a trick that every beginner in skateboarding needs to learn. I remember when I first started skateboarding I did not even know what an ollie was or how to do it. The first time I saw one was when my friend stepped on a skateboard in front of me and did it with ease. I remember my first time trying I jumped straight up in the air, confused as to why the skateboard was not following my legs.

One of the first principles you must master in order to learn the ollie is the manual. A manual is basically leaning backwards, so that the front wheels of your skateboard are supsended in the air. The purpose of learning the manual is it teaches you how to lean backwards onto your tail and then revert your balance to the normal standing position. An ollie is basically a very quick manual, with your tail smacking the ground. After your tail smacks the ground you jump up and level out just as if you were leveling out from a manual.

Remember that when you first start learning the ollie to not give up. Another method that helps in learning the ollie is to practice it over cracks in a sidewalk, as this will help you learn the essential timing behind the ollie.

Your stance during the ollie is what will determine how high and how long you ollie. In order to ollie you must bend your knees, making sure that your shoulders are parallel with the board. Now comes the most critical aspect. You must jump at the same time you smack your tail into the ground. Remember to have your back foot pressuring the tail of your board while your front foot is below the bolts of your front truck, preferable in the middle of the skateboard. At the same time you are jumping and hitting your tail on the ground you must also extend your front foot forward. Then all that is necessary is sucking up your knees again, so that once in the air you are in a crouched position.



To ensure a solid landing you must straighten your legs out while in the air and then land with both your feet directly on the bolts of your trucks. Crouch down when you land so that you absorb the impact and don't end up flat on your ass.

That is all there basically is to learning an ollie. Make sure that you keep practicing everyday and you will have the ollie in no time.

Tips: - Practice riding off a raised ledge, such as a sidewalk, to learn how to absorb the impact after ollieng.
-Once you can air off the ground, practice ollieng over small things such as soda cans or bricks and move your way up to larger or wider things. This will build your timing as well as the hight of your ollie.

So you want to start skateboarding?

For some reason or another you've decided that you want to start skateboarding. You might wonder what do I need to buy, where can I skate, and how am I going to avoid getting hurt?
The first thing you need to worry about is getting a skateboard. Don't even think about buying one of those cheap 15 or 20 dollar skateboard completes from any department store. They make the wheels out of hard plastic that will chip off and the decks will not grind correctly, the grip tape with fall off, and the board will feel boxy.
I recommend that you first go to a sports store. They will have complete blank skateboards(the decks with only one color and a brand name) and they are usually priced around 35 to 50 dollars. If you are just starting these are perfect because they will allow you to learn the basics without destroying a more expensive board and will let you decided if you want to continue skateboarding or not and will save you a lot of money if you decide skateboarding isn't for you.
If you want an extra layer of confidence for skateboarding it would be a good idea to pick up some knee, elbow, and wrist pads, keeping in mind that most skateboarding injuries occur when beginners try something above their ability level in the first 2-4 weeks of skateboarding. If you want access to the local skate park it might also be a good idea to pick up a skateboarding helmet that is vented and fits comfortably without inhibiting eyesight. Make sure it is a skate helmet, not a bicycle helmet that is only designed for one impact.
Now that you have your new skateboard it would be a good idea to get a pair of some decent skate shoes. Skate shoes differ from any other pair of shoes in that they are protected in the areas of the shoe that come in constant contact with the board( the toe of the shoe) and that they are have a flat bottom designed to grip with the skateboard, as you can see in the design of the shoe. You should be able to find a skate shoe that is acceptable around 30 to 40 dollars at a department or shoe store. Do not buy the shoes priced around 15-25 dollars that look like a skate shoe, as these will wear down extremely fast and are too cheap to properly support and cushion your foot when your skateboarding. A general reference for a good shoe is a shoe that has a back somewhat below the tongue of the shoe with added protection around the lip of the shoe and is flexible enough to bend the lip out of position to any side.
Now you have to figure out were you are going to skate. Make sure that its a place that's clear of rocks and debris and doesn't have too many cracks. It also should be completely clear of all vehicle traffic and anything that can break, because your skateboard is about to go flying in every different direction, and as I've seen from personal experience frantically waving and screaming at a senior citizen to stop usually causes your skateboard to get ran over as they drive away as fast as they can. Usually a school or empty parking lot will suffice.
Now you are ready to start learning.

Life

I was born into this world
for a certain purpose
A purpose that is yet unknown to me.

Shall I follow the program, live the American Dream
Spin around a predetermined path as if I was the record,
the record player playing everyone's song from the the start of the circle until the very center

But as each song ends, it will only fade into the dead memories of other records played
Casually changed a new song takes it place, and so the cycle continues.

Learn nothing more of knowledge then the reflection you see in a pond in 12 years.
You will barely even skim the surface the next 4 years, only merely catching a fish.
The fight between you and this fish will be life-long, and to as never actually reel it in.
But to hold on to the fish your entire life, taking everyone with you in your boat.
You shall never lay eyes upon this fish, nor taste it.
As you can only imagine what it could look like and how it tastes.

If one were to only dive head first into this pond of life, they would fully understand that life is not about catching your fish, but rather immersing yourself into the fish.
It's better to be fully immersed than on a boat above,
in this fairly overfished pond that we call our lives.