The Ollie

• 1. Find a flat surface - a driveway, a smooth parking lot, a basketball court, a quite street - any smooth, flat surface will do.
• 2. Push a few times, so that you're rolling with moderate speed. (the faster you're traveling when you ollie, the farther you will go. Physics? Yep.)
• 3. As you're rolling, position the ball of your back foot on the tail, and place your front foot in the middle of the board.
• 4. Bend your knees
• 5. Here's where the trick is: You must simultaneously (at the same time) smack the tail on the ground, jump, and slide your front foot up the deck. (smacking your tail allows the front of the board to raise up off the ground, jumping allows your body to break the confines of gravity, and sliding your front foot up the board allows the deck to level out, thus raising the back of the board from the ground.) Sound simple? Well, it's not at first. But, practice makes perfect.
• 6. Stay over the board. At the peak of your ollie you should be centered on the board, your knees bent again ready for landing.
• 7. Important note: keep your shoulders in line with the direction you're travelling. (the ollie requires you keep shoulders in line, or will certainly lose balance.)
• 8. When you land, keep your knees bent to absorb the impact with the ground. (this will save your lower back.)
• 9. Upon landing, your back foot should be on the tail, though slightly closer to the back truck bolts (so as not to break the tail), and your front foot should be directly over the front bolts.