How to nollie on a skateboard

The nollie is a variation of the classic ollie but with a subtle twist. Learn how to pull it off effortlessly.

From a technical standpoint, a nollie is very similar to skateboarding's core trick - the principles are the same.

It is called a nollie because, in reality, it is a nose ollie.

The only difference is that instead of popping your tail, you'll be popping the nose of the skateboard while moving forward.

If you're already familiar and comfortable with the switch ollie, you'll figure out how to nollie fast and easily.

"The nollie is a lot like doing a switch ollie while rolling backward," underline Per Welinder and Peter Whitley, authors of "Mastering Skateboarding."

"The challenging part of learning to nollie is getting your legs to cooperate with your mind."

"You may understand what needs to happen when you nollie, but your body will struggle to overcome your ollie habits."

You'll be telling your front foot to do what your back foot normally does.

It will feel a bit weird because you'll pop your opposite foot, but it really is only a matter of practice and getting used to it.

Nollie 101

The nollie is a spicy ollie that can be performed anywhere to add drama and technicality to the original maneuver.

Here's how to perform a flawless nollie in no time:

1. Ride your skateboard with your front foot far up on the nose and your back foot halfway between the middle of the board and the back truck bolts;
2. Your front foot's heel should be slightly hanging off the nose;
3. Adopt a low stance as if you were about to ollie;
4. Pop the nose of the board into the ground in a forward direction;
5. Slide your back foot backward, up the board, with the outer part of your shoe moving over the bolts;
6. By now, the skateboard should be flattened out and parallel to the ground for a brief moment;
7. Land and roll away;

Extra Tips

Your first nollie will probably be low to the ground, but that's not a problem as long as the motion and the mechanics look natural.

Practice it stationary - and moving at slow-to-medium speed, too - until muscle memory starts to kick in.

Riding switch for a while and getting comfortable with the unnatural stance also helps with landing nollies.

If you feel that the board is shooting out behind you, it's because you're pushing the board backward too much.

Try focusing on popping the nose down and forward, and make sure to lean on your back leg more.

It's harder to do a nollie over an obstacle or stair set because the board has to come off the ground before you get to the obstacle.

But not impossible whatsoever - all you need is to do is roll faster than you do with ollies.