How to Do a Frontside 180 on a Skateboard
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 1 min read
In 1977, 14-year old skateboarder Alan “Ollie” Gelfand invented the ollie—a skateboard trick that would revolutionize the world of competitive and street skating. An ollie is a trick that increases a skater’s airtime, making it possible to pull off more complex maneuvers, such as the frontside 180 ollie.
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What Is a Frontside 180?
A frontside 180 is a skateboarding trick that combines an ollie with a 180-degree turn, leading with your chest (front). The frontside 180 is a simple foundational trick skaters can learn after they’ve mastered the ollie.
How to Perform a Frontside 180
To do a frontside 180, you must first have to know how to do an ollie.
- 1. Get the proper foot position. Position your feet as you would to perform a basic ollie.
- 2. Turn your torso. As you’re about to snap the tail of your board, open up your shoulder and turn your torso in the frontside position. This will provide the momentum to make your board spin frontside 180 degrees. If you find you’re not spinning a full 180 degrees, turn your shoulder even more.
- 3. Shift your weight. As you’re leveling out your board halfway through the turn, shift your weight toward your front foot, keeping your upper body over your back foot. This puts you in position to continue rolling—backwards—when you land.
- 4. Straighten your legs. Straighten your legs to bring the board down after you and the board have both turned 180 degrees. If you need to, you can land early on your front wheels (now at the rear) and pivot the rest of the way as you bring your back foot (now in front) down to complete the 180.
Want to Learn More About Skateboarding?
Whether you’re just learning how to ollie or ready to tackle a Madonna (the vert trick, not the singer), the MasterClass Annual Membership can help you find confidence on your board with exclusive instructional videos from skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, street skater Riley Hawk, and Olympic hopeful Lizzie Armanto.
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