Mastering the Ollie: Step-by-Step Guide with Dominick Walker

Blair AlleyAugust 2, 2023 3 min read

The Ollie is the gateway trick to the world of skateboarding, it's the way you're going to get your board off the ground to do anything else. It's the "magic" levitation that normies trip out on. Named after Alan "Ollie" Gelfand, the Florida vert skater who did it first on transigion. In this detailed guide, we've teamed up with pro skater Dominick Walker to reveal the technique of executing the perfect Ollie. Whether you're trying to learn it for the first time or you want to put more height in what you've got, tune in below.

Step-By-Step Guide to Ollies: A Beginner’s Tutorial

As Dominick states, “it is such an important trick to learn, from stairs and flatground, it’s one of the best tricks you can learn.” It all happens with a pop of the tail and a slide of the front foot. Here are the basic steps to perform an Ollie:

Step 1: Foot Placement

Start by placing your front foot in the middle of the skateboard just below the bolts and your back foot on the tail, where it feels most comfortable to pop. You can experiment with how far up and down your front foot is and see how much of the board and griptape it catches when you Ollie.

How To Ollie — Your front foot in the middle of the skateboard just below the bolts and your back foot on the tail.

Step 2: The Crouch

If you wanna go up, you gotta start down low. Watch how low pros get before they pop. Jump young grasshopper!

Step 3: Pop and Slide

This is the part that takes the most time/practice. Use your back foot to push down on the tail of the board, which will make it pop up into the air. As you do this, jump off your back foot to create upward momentum. The faster and stronger you pop, the higher the board will go. As you begin to jump, simultaneously slide your front foot up towards the nose of the skateboard.

Slide that front foot up, using the side of your shoe to catch the griptape. This simultaneous motion will cause the tail of the skateboard to pop up and level out: pop, jump and slide all in one motion.

Step 4: Lift Your Legs

As the skateboard pops up, jump up with it, lifting your back foot up and tucking your knees towards your chest. Check out the high Ollie guys: Their knees are in their chest and their back foot is tweaked sideways.

Step 5: Level Out and Land

No brainer here: As you level out in the air, extend your legs and land back on the board with both feet, bending your knees to absorb the impact. Always be guiding the board where you want it to go.

Practice and Progression

It may take some practice to get the timing and motion right, so don't get discouraged if it takes a few tries. It'll all be worth it though, you want Ollies to be second nature. You gotta be able to at least cruise down the street and Ollie up curbs or over cracks.

Tips To Ollie

Practice makes perfect. Ollieing takes time and repetition, so don't get discouraged if you don't get it right away.
Start by practicing stationary Ollies before attempting them while moving. This will help you get comfortable with the technique. Dominick recommends starting out on the grass (not the concrete). This helps to keep the board in place.