The difference between me and the 13-year old kids out there who are better than me is that the kids figure things out faster than I do. I’ve been skating for 20 years and I just figured out something that anybody who is good either does without thinking about it, or learned early on, which is that the secret to doing flip tricks well is rolling your ankle before the kick.
To illustrate, open your May 2006 issue of Transworld to pages 108-109. I want you to take a close look at the third frame of Silas Baxter-Neal’s nollie 180 heelflip. Notice how his left foot is rolled completely to the side in preparation for that flick that spins the board?
But don’t restrict this knowledge to flip tricks. Now turn to page 104 and examine Leo’s how to on frontside nollie 180s. Again, check out the third frame. Notice how the bottom of his shoe isn’t touching his deck at all, but only the side of his shoe? You see, there’s a secret as well.
I’m 30 years old, so it’s a little late for me to have grasped this secret. It’s probably too late for me to get sponsored, but you, young reader, still have a chance now that you know one of skateboarding’s secrets. Get to it.
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Thats right, kids, there’s a secret to every trick.
Scan the pics!
Scan those pics please!
isnt it a bit of an understatement to say that being good at skateboarding is all in the rolling of the ankle ? think about commitment, balance, leaning the right way into tricks, focus, practise ….
You mean an overstatement? But point taken, yeah, it’s all about those things too.