Longboard Tricks for Beginners

Longboarding has not always been as popular as skateboarding, especially considering the length of the boards. However, newer longboards are the perfect hybrid between a skateboard and surfboard, offering a superior cruise feel – perfect for basic riding –but also have enough flex to allow you to perform powerful tricks. 

If you are looking to do more than cruise on your longboard, why not try some of these longboard tricks for beginners?

8 Longboarding Tricks For Beginners

This list of eight beginner-friendly longboard tricks form the basics of longboarding tricks and are crucial to learn if you are getting into longboarding. Because these fundamentals allow you to create your variations.

This list of eight beginner-friendly longboard tricks form the basics of longboarding tricks and are crucial to learn if you are getting into longboarding. Because these fundamentals allow you to create your variations.

1.Pivot

A pivot is a basic 180-degree turn. Not only are you doing a 180-degree turn with your board but will your body as well. The most important aspect of this trick is to twist your upper body to prepare for the turn. This means leaning back with your back shoulder and using your arms to guide the process and give you additional control. You can then turn quickly and maintain your balance instead of trying to use your lower half to control the movement. Be sure that before you pivot you bend your knees as this ensures you’re stable and ensures you’re avoiding any injuries. 

Key Points to Nailing This Trick: 

• Lean back slightly with your upper body
• Shift your weight to your front foot to give the board height as your turn

2.Fakie Shuvit

This trick is very similar to the pivot, but there are a few variations and a flip. The first variation is that you’ll be riding fakie – you can also ride nollie if you’d like. A fakie means riding the board in reverse with the tail in the front but still riding the way you’re facing. 

When you’re doing a shuvit, instead of leaning back and twisting with your upper body, your body will remain in a neutral position turning only slightly. Keep your knees bent. Place your weight on your tail and then move the board as though you’re doing a pivot. However, at 90 degrees, you are going to jump up and bring your foot that was on the tail to the front of the board as you land. 

Key Points To Nailing This Trick:

• Instead of riding nollie try starting the trick by doing a pivot
• Jump when your board is at a 90-degree angle

3.Front Side Pivot

The front side pivot is exactly like the pivot, however, instead of facing in the direction of the way you’re going, your back will be facing in that direction. You’ll then look over your shoulder before twisting your upper body, bending your knees and completing a 180-degree pivot.

Key Points To Nailing This Track:

• Start by learning how to pivot
• Get used to riding backside
• Practice where you’ll have enough space to perform the trick without worrying about obstacles

4.Ghost Ride

Knowing how to ghost ride can be very helpful if you’re simply looking to bring style to a simple cruise, but can also help you perfect other tricks. To complete a ghost ride, simply start cruising. When you are ready to begin the trick balance on your front foot, swing your back foot around so that both feet are on one side of the skateboard, then your back foot will return to be in the front position of your skateboard, almost as though you’re doing an infinity sign or figure-eight as you’re riding your skateboard. 

Key Points To Nailing This Trick:

• Practice the trick while you’re cruising slowly
• Try doing a simple jump by jumping off then back on your board

5.Ghost Ride Kickflip

This trick begins as an ordinary ghost ride but with a twist. As you’re jumping back onto your board you’re going to perform a kickflip. This is where you scoop your board into the air so that it flips 360 degrees and you can jump back on. It’s a trendy trick that makes your ride look more advanced and adds some swag to simple cruising. When you do this trick in combination with other tricks no one will doubt your longboarding abilities. 

Key Points To Nailing This Trick:

• Don’t take a walk in the park. Try to perform the kickflip as soon as you’ve hopped off the board
• Focusing on scooping the board with your foot and not kicking it, this way you’re directing where the board should go

6.Front Side Tigerclaw

This is a fun and easy trick to do but looks pretty cool once you perfect it. The FS Tigerclaw is also safer because of the way you pop it. You’re going to pop the board shifting your body weight to the backside of the board with your knees bent before popping. This way your body will be behind your board while it’s in the air, giving you more control to grab the board with one hand, twist the board so that it’s front-facing and jump back on. 

Key Points To Nailing This Trick

• Pop the back of your board so that it lifts off the ground and is easier to catch 
• Flip your board while it’s still in the air before landing
• Practice the manoeuvres separately and slowly when you start

7.360 Pirouette

Turn the inside of your front foot outward while you’re cruising on your board. While you’re still cruising, jump up while doing a 360 turn using your body only. You can practice the manoeuvre on the ground and then once you’ve got a fluid motion move to doing it on your board. This sleek trick is possibly one of the most cinematic of manoeuvres and makes riding your longboard a joy, even if you don’t plan to learn more intricate tricks.

Key Points To Nailing This Trick

• Practice on the ground and perfect a 360 pirouette 
• Ensure your front foot is facing the correct direction before performing the trick
• Do the trick while the board is not travelling too fast

8.Front Side 180 No Comply

This is a perfect trick to learn at the very beginning of your journey into longboarding as this is going to help you perfect the fundamentals needed to perform most longboard tricks. This front side 180 No Comply teaches you how to pop your board, similar to how you would for other tricks. 

To do this trick, you need to understand the movements your feet will make. 

Firstly, your front foot is going to stand on the edge of your board so you’re making a heelside carve. Meanwhile, your back foot is going to pop your board with a diagonal pop so your board will make a 180, your back foot will also guide your board around so that it stays under control as you jump back on it with your front foot. 

Key Points To Nailing This Trick

• Begin by getting the right foot placement. Your front foot should be toward the centre of the board with your heel hanging over the edge and your back foot should be in the centre of your board’s tail.
• Shift your weight from your front foot to your back foot as you pop your board.
• When you pop your board be sure to move your foot into a diagonal position so you don’t pop straight up but instead guide it so you can nail the landing.

Some of these tricks are easy to learn in just a day, but your primary focus shouldn’t be on learning the trick itself, but rather the movement. Every longboard trick has a basic set of movements that – when completed fluidly – make up the trick. When you’re learning longboard tricks for beginners, you can focus on each movement and become comfortable with it before trying to put the movements together. For example, if you don’t have great balance, trying to do a pirouette is going to be extremely difficult, especially on a moving board. Similarly, if you don’t have your popping technique perfected doing any trick where popping is required will be more challenging.

Remember, learning to perform tricks on a longboard should be fun, so don’t be too stressed if it takes you awhile.