• Skateboarders use tricks to impress onlookers and win competitions.skateboard image by bacalao from Fotolia.com
  
  Over the years, action sports have become a part of the mainstream sporting world. Events such as the XGames and Dew Tour are major competitions for skateboarders to display their talents. To win these contests, competitors use a variety of tricks to win events and dazzle their fans. Over time, tricks have become more flashy and difficult to complete. Performing tricks on skateboards can be dangerous so wear protective pads and helmets for your safety.
  
  

Ollie

• The Ollie is one of the fundamental tricks of a skateboarder. This trick often works as the beginning step in other moves such as the heel-flip or kick-flip. Allen “Ollie” Gelfrand is credited with creating the maneuver during the 1970s. To complete this trick, the rider must push down on the back of the board, causing the front end to rise up. The force of the downward push on the tail, causes the board to strike the ground and bounce into the air, nose leading first. The boarder levels out the board by using a front foot to push down on the front end. By pushing down with their legs harder and jumping with the board, the rider can reach higher altitudes using the Ollie. Variations of this trick include the nollie, a reverse Ollie in which you pop the board into the air tail first rather than nose first.
  
  

The Shove-It

• The shove-it, or shuvit, is another jumping skateboard trick. Here the rider pushes the board with either foot to make it spin in the desired direction. The boarder begins this trick by doing an Ollie on the board. Keeping one foot in place, the other foot is used to push the board in either direction. The trick is completed when the rider lands back on the board with both feet. The rider can allow the board to spin a number of directions either 180 or 360 degrees. More experienced skateboarders use body varials while completing the shove-it trick. This means their body is also rotating as the board spins. The Big Spin is a variation of this trick where the board spins 360 degrees while the rider turns 180 degrees in the opposite direction.
  
  

Grinds

• Board grinding is another trick available to skateboarders. Riders grind their boards across metal bars such as hand railings. Ramps such as quarter pipes also have a metal coping that allows riders to grind those areas while using these ramps. Depending on the trick attempted, the rider jumps and lands on the rail with his bar facing parallel or perpendicular to the railing. The rider then maintains that position while the board continues moving or grinding in the current direction. Many variations of this trick are available including the front side grind, when you grind using the front end of your board facing forward. This trick can be combined with other tricks such as a heel flip, when you jump off the railing.