Fingerboard basic tricks: from ollie to kickflip in order

Most people who quit fingerboard try kickflip before having a solid ollie. It\'s the same mistake as in real skate, multiplied: here the trick is executed with two fingers, and if the base isn\'t there, flips don\'t even come close. This guide organises tricks in a clear progression: each unlocks the next. No shortcuts, no rushing.

Posture: where the fingers go

Before the first trick, finger position defines everything else:

• Back finger (middle or index): on the "tail", exactly in the centre. If you put it sideways, the deck will rotate accidentally. If you put it too forward, you\'ll have no "pop".
• Front finger (index or ring): near the deck centre, not on the nose. Its job is to guide and land; it doesn\'t put force.
• Hand position: relaxed, forming a soft "spider" over the deck. If you tense, the deck doesn\'t respond.
• Angle: hand makes about 45° with the deck. Neither perpendicular (stiff) nor parallel (no control).

Fingers don\'t squeeze: they rest. Trick force comes from body impulse through the arm, not from fingers.

Ollie: the fundamental trick

Ollie is jumping by making the deck jump with you. Without ollie, NOTHING else works. Dedicate time to this before anything.

Technique:

1. Back finger on tail, front finger near centre.
2. Push tail down with sharp tap ("pop"). The deck tilts and tail touches the surface.
3. While the deck rises by the pop\'s rebound, drag the front finger toward the nose. This drag levels the deck in the air.
4. The deck stays level in the air an instant; both fingers "follow" it and land at the same time.

Common ollie mistakes:

• Just popping without dragging: the deck jumps but doesn\'t level; lands tilted.
• Weak pop: the deck doesn\'t jump enough; doesn\'t lift off the ground.
• Tension in the fingers: if you squeeze, the deck doesn\'t respond freely.
• Lifting fingers off the deck in the air: the deck escapes; you must "follow" it all the time.

Signal to move to next trick: you get consistent ollies (at least 7 out of 10) with the deck clearly off the ground and landing level.

Shove-it

The deck spins 180° horizontally (on its vertical axis), without you going over. No flip, just spin.

Technique:

1. Back finger on tail, slightly displaced toward the toe-side (the far edge).
2. Soft pop, while pushing the tail diagonally back and to the side.
3. The deck spins horizontally while the front finger temporarily "lets go".
4. When it has completed the spin, fingers land on the new nose and tail.

The trick is relatively easy after the ollie. The hard part is coordinating the "letting go" of the front finger without the deck shooting off.

Kickflip

The emblem trick of fingerboard (and real skate). The deck rotates longitudinally (on its long axis) during an ollie.

Technique:

1. Standard ollie position.
2. Pop with back finger as in ollie.
3. Instead of dragging the front finger straight toward the nose, drag it diagonally toward the toe-side. This movement makes the deck rotate.
4. The deck rotates 360° longitudinally in the air.
5. When it has completed the rotation, fingers "catch" it before landing.

It\'s a hard trick. Many take weeks or months to land the first clean kickflip. Practise the front finger movement toward the toe-side slowly, without expecting it to come out, until the gesture is memorised.

Heelflip

Like kickflip but the deck rotates the other way. Instead of dragging the front finger toward the toe-side, you drag it toward the heel-side (the edge close to you).

Same concept, opposite direction. Most people have a "natural" side (kickflip or heelflip) and find the other harder. It\'s normal; work the "uncomfortable" one to have both.

Pop shove-it

Combines ollie + shove-it: strong pop, deck spins 180° horizontally while in the air, and you land with the deck level.

It\'s the first "compound" trick: two things happen at once. Important not to lose the pop when adding the spin.

Grinds and slides

Grinds and slides require an obstacle (box, rail, ramp). It\'s not just you, there\'s relation with the "park".

Grinds (trucks slide on an edge):

• 50-50: both trucks on the edge. The easiest.
• Nosegrind: only front truck on the edge.
• 5-0: only back truck on the edge.
• Smith: back truck on edge, deck tilted with nose side down.

Slides (deck slides on an edge, not the trucks):

• Boardslide: deck crosses perpendicular to obstacle, sliding by the centre.
• Noseslide: only deck nose on edge.
• Tailslide: only tail on edge.

Common technique: you need enough ollie to get on the edge, then "settle" the position and slide, and finally an "out" (small ollie to come off). Good obstacles (Blackriver, FlatFace) have finish that allows sliding; a poorly made one catches.

Manual

Balance the deck on the back wheels (or front, "nose manual") during a path. It\'s a balance trick, not a jump.

Technique:

1. With the deck rolling, gently press the tail to lift the front wheels.
2. Keep the deck tilted just right: too much, the tail touches the ground; too little, the front wheels fall back.
3. Keep rolling in that balance position.

It\'s one of the tricks requiring most fine finger sensitivity. Variants: nose manual (on front wheels), manual to flip out.

Combos

When you master individual tricks, composition begins:

• Simple line: ollie → manual → kickflip → shove-it → grind. Chain without the deck stopping.
• Obstacle combos: kickflip → boardslide → kickflip out (jumping out of obstacle with flip).
• Switch (with the deck on its opposite side): switch ollie, switch kickflip — doubles difficulty but signature of advanced fingerboarder.

From here there\'s no ceiling: pro fingerboard has combos of 15+ chained tricks.

Common mistakes at all levels

1. Skipping tricks in progression. Trying kickflip without consistent ollie leads to bad habits.
2. Tension in fingers. Fine sensitivity dies with excess pressure.
3. Inadequate setup. A plastic Tech Deck won\'t respond like a complete pro. If you\'ve spent weeks frustrated with ollie, consider investing in better material before giving up.
4. Wrong surface. Smooth wood is ideal; glass slides too much, carpet brakes the trucks.
5. Long sessions with fatigue. Fingerboard fine precision degrades with tiredness. 20-30 min better than an hour.
6. Comparing with pro videos. Instagram combos are months of work. Your progression is normal.

Frequently asked questions