skate

Boarding
 LONDON, NEW YORK, MUNICH,
MELBOURNE, and DELHI

Created by Tall Tree Ltd.

Editor Jon Richards
Art Director Ed Simkins
Designer Ben Ruocco

For DK
Senior Designer and Brand Manager Lisa Lanzarini
Publishing Manager Simon Beecroft
Category Publisher Alex Allan
DTP Designer Hanna LŠndin
Production Amy Bennett

First published in the US in 2006 by

Dorling Kindersley Limited
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL
A Penguin Company

06 07 08 09 10 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the
copyright owner.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Gifford, Clive.
Skateboarding / written by Clive Gifford.-- 1st American ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-756620-74-5 (pbk.) -- ISBN-13: 978-0-756620-75-2 (hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-7566-2074-0 (pbk.) -- ISBN-10: 0-7566-2075-9 (hardcover)
1. Skateboarding--Juvenile literature. I. Title.
GV859.8.G54 2006
796.22--dc22
2005034048

High-resolution workßow proofed by Media Development and Printing Ltd, UK

Printed and bound in China by L. Rex Printing Co, Ltd.
 SKATE
"/!2$).'
Clive Gifford

Photographer Adam Kola

Illustrator Des Higgins
 #/.4%.43
 Introduction  Boardslide
 Old school skateboarding  50-50 grind
 Wheels  Nose grind
 Board talk  Dropping in
 Skate safety  Pumping
 Pushing off  On the edge
 Tic-tac attack  Getting air
 The Ollie  Skateparks
 Frontside Ollie  The highest level
 The Nollie
 Nollie 180  Glossary
 Kickflip  Index
 Heelflip  Acknowledgments

In preparation of this book all due care has been taken with regard to the advice, activities, and techniques
depicted. The publishers regret that they can accept no liability for any loss or injury sustained. When learning
a new sport it is important to get expert tuition and to follow any manufacturers’ instructions.
! STREET MOVE
¯JUMPING DOWN
SOME STEPS
).42/$5#4)/.
Skateboarding is a really amazing
sport. It gives you the freedom
to cruise around and try out
awesome tricks. No matter
how good you get, there are always
new moves to learn and nail
and different places to ride.
Even top skaters find new
challenges to tackle.
This book will get you into
skateboarding and help you
learn the basics—from board
care and how to bail out
when falling to performing your
first Ollie. It will also show you
some of the latest and
greatest tricks around.

Street skating lets

you use any piece of
street furniture, from
benches and curbs to
steps and rails. Just
make sure you’re skating
in a place where it’s
safe and legal!

6
! VERT MOVE
¯GRABBING THE
BOARD WHILE
-E -Y 3KATEBOARD
SOARING ABOVE
THE RIM OF A
 !WESOME
SKATEPARK BOWL $ARYL

Two key flavors of skateboarding are

street and vert. Street sees riders use
parts of the urban landscape, like curbs,
concrete slopes, and handrails, to
try out moves on. Vert skating sees
skateboarders use bowls, ramps, and
pipes to perform spectacular tricks.

0RO LEGEND 4ONY (AWK

PULLS A HANDPLANT TRICK
AT THE TOP OF A RAMP
 Skateboarding has a
long history. It is a
! SIDEWALK SURFER huge sport now, but at
CRUISES THE BEACHFRONT
BACK IN THE S the start of the 1960s,
only a handful of

/,$ 3#(//,
people had boards. The
1960s saw the first
wave of skateboarding
when surfers started
cruising on boards with

3+!4%"/!2$).' wheels when there

were no waves to surf.
This boom was called
sidewalk surfing.
8
 %MPTY SWIMMING POOLS
PROVED THE PERFECT
BOWLS FOR BOARDING

The 1970s saw lots of new inventions. These

included urethane wheels which gripped and
rode better, kicktails (the curved upward part of
the board at the back), and wider skateboards.
These helped riders invent lots of new tricks
including, in 1978, the Ollie (see pages 26–27). 3KATEBOARD PIONEER
4ONY !LVA PULLS A

4HERE ARE NO RULES

GREAT MOVE WHILE
POOL RIDING
ABOUT WHAT TRICKS
YOU CAN AND CAN³T DO
)NVENT YOUR OWN
'US
Skateboarding in empty swimming
pools was popular in the United
States in the 1970s. As more and
more people owned skateboards,
the first concrete skateparks
were built in North America and in
Europe. The first opened in 1976.
9
'%44).'
/. "/!2$
Skateboards come in lots of
different designs. Your first
board is an important buy. An
unsuitable board might put you
off. So, make sure you get advice
and a good quality board from
a specialist skate shop.
7(%. ) 34!24%$
) 53%$ 3-!,,%2 7(%%,3
"%#!53% 4(%9 !2% ./4 !3 &!34
4AYLOR
The hardness of a skateboard
wheel is measured by a device
called a durometer. The higher
the number, the harder the wheel.
Softer wheels with a reading of
75-90 are good for cruising on
roads and rougher ground. Harder
wheels with a reading of 95-98
are used in street skating.

7HEELS COME IN LOTS

OF COLORFUL AND
GREAT LOOKING DESIGNS

,ARGER WHEELS
 INCH OR
MORE ARE GOOD
FOR CRUISING AND
VERT RIDING

3MALL WHEELS 

INCH OR UNDER ARE
GOOD FOR PULLING
12 /LLIES AND OTHER
 7HEELS SHOULD RUN
SMOOTHLY ON THEIR AXLES
4HEY ARE HELD IN PLACE BY
HEX NUTS

Between the wheels and the

axles are rings called the
bearings. These contain
small steel balls that ensure

7(%%,3
your wheels turn smoothly.

Wheels are a really important part of

your skateboard. They are attached to
the deck by the metal parts called
trucks. Good quality trucks are made
3TREET SKATERS of aluminum. Wheels come in different
USE LIGHTWEIGHT sizes and different levels of hardness.
TRUCKS TO HELP
THEM /LLIE UP ONTO A good skate shop pro can help choose
RAILS AND LEDGES the right wheels for you.
13
 "/!2$
4!,+
+EEPING THE DECK A skateboard has three main
OF YOUR SKATEBOARD parts—the deck, the wheels,
CLEAN AND DRY WILL and the trucks. Decks come
HELP IT LAST
in different sizes but most
curve upward at their front,
called the nose, and the back,
called the tail. Grip tape is
a sandpaperlike material
that helps riders to
grip the board and
perform tricks
more easily.
"UY A SKATE
TOOL TO
HELP MAKE
ADJUSTMENTS

Trucks are fitted to

the deck by bolts.
You can tighten or
loosen the bolts
a little. Looser bolts
make turning easier.
But always keep the
bolts tight enough so that
you cannot undo them with
just your fingers.
 Before riding, give
your board a quick
check. Make sure all
the bolts are tight
and that the wheels
run smoothly. If your
wheels are worn on
their outer edge,
you can turn them
round to make them
last a little longer.

9OU CAN CUSTOMIZE

YOUR BOARD WITH LOADS
OF COOL PICTURES

-9 3,)#+
$%#+ )3 3().9
5.$%2.%!4(
)4 )3 !7%3/-% &/2
3,)$).' !,/.' 2!),3

'US 15
34!24).'
/54
Ready to ride? Make sure you
begin to learn skateboarding in
a safe place away from roads
and other dangers. Start your
skateboarding under the eye of
more experienced riders. They
can help you to learn the basics.
 3+!4%
3!&%49
Skateboarders always fall. So it makes
sense to protect yourself. Skating in
safe areas and never skating on your
own will cut down the dangers. So will
4HE STRAP OF YOUR wearing good quality safety gear like
HELMET SHOULD ALWAYS knee and elbow pads and helmets. Safety
BE SECURED TIGHTLY

+.%% 3,)$%
gear lets you skate another day. Learning to
bail—ways of falling safely—will also help.

 As you feel yourself

starting to fall, step
off the board.
 As your foot hits the
ground, bend your knees
and fall onto your pads.
 Slide until you stop,
with your knees
together and feet tucked in.
The skaters featured in this book sometimes skate without their safety gear on. You
18
should always wear full safety gear when performing tricks marked with this symbol.
 3OME SKATEPARKS
INSIST YOU WEAR
SAFETY GEAR ON
RAMPS AND PIPES

.%6%2 34)#+
/54 9/52 !2-3 4/
"2%!+ ! &!,, /2 9/5
-)'(4 "2%!+ 4(%-

'US 19
 Get used to your stance on your
board while it’s not moving. Your
feet should be across the board,
toes pointing slightly forward. Each
foot stands just behind a set of
truckbolts. Choose a regular
(left foot forward) or goofy (right
foot forward) stance—whichever feels

053().' /&&
most natural to you.

 Pushing off is how you

get moving. Place your
front foot on the board,
 Kick your rear foot
backward in a
smooth movement to get
 As your rear foot
completes its kick, twist
your front foot so that it lies
just behind the front trucks. moving. Use your arms to across the board. Bring your
Put your rear foot on the help keep your balance on back foot onto the board
ground, next to the board. the board. and get into your stance.

20
&RAN PUSHES OFF
3HE HAS A GOOFY
RIGHT FOOT
FORWARD STANCE ) 2)$% '//&9
"54 #!. 37)4#(
!.$ 2)$% 2%'5,!2
!3 7%,, &RAN

3TANCE AND
3TOPPING
Ride with your knees
bent and with your
head up. Practice staying
on your board until it
stops. You can also stop
by taking your back foot
off and dragging it
along the ground.

21
Move your back foot
to the tail and your
front foot to the middle.

 Press gently down

on the back of the
board and lift the nose.
Twist your hips to turn
the nose of your board.
 &RAN USES HER
ARMS FOR BALANCE
AS SHE KICKTURNS
) 53% 4(%
$OING A TIC TAC
ALLOWS HER TO
4)# 4!# 4/
KEEP MOVING +%%0 -/6).' /.
FORWARD
&,!4 '2/5.$
&RAN
 Get some weight over

!
4)# 4!#
the nose to bring it
down. Repeat the move to
twist the other way.

44!#+
You can perform gentle turns
by leaning forward a little and
pressing down on the front edge
of your board. This is a frontside turn.
For sharper changes of direction, you
can use a kickturn. This is where you

 Repeat kickturning gently press down on the back of the

to the left and right board, lifting and twisting the nose. A series
to perform a tic-tac.
of kickturns is called a tic-tac.
 ,%!2. !.$
"52.
Once you are comfortable pushing
off, turning, and stopping, you’re
ready to step up for some tricks. The
Ollie is the most important trick
around. Many other moves are based
on it. Don’t worry if it takes a long time
to master—learning any trick takes
patience. Remember, even pros struggle
with new tricks. Keep at it.
/ 4(%
,,)%
The Ollie is the key way of jumping
with your board without using your
hands. Take as long as it needs to get
this move right as you’ll use it to
perform lots of other different tricks.

 Get rolling and put your back

foot on the tail. Your front foot
should be between the middle
 Push the tail down hard onto
the floor and take all the
weight off the front foot. Jump
and the front trucks. your back foot up and forward.
26
 429 !. /,,)%
7)4( 4(% "/!2$ ./4
$RAG YOUR FRONT
FOOT UP TO THE -/6).' !4 &)234
NOSE AS SOON
AS YOU LIFT YOUR 'US
BACK FOOT

 Lift your knees as you continue to

drag your front foot to the board’s
nose. The dragging and lifting actions
 Control the board with your
feet to level out in the air.
Aim to land on all four wheels at
help suck the board up with your jump. the same time. Crouch as you land
Keep your body over the board. to absorb the impact. 27
Get into your regular
Ollie position but as you
start to crouch, wind up
 As you pull the Ollie,
unwind by swinging
your arms and shoulders
 As the board levels
out in the air, use your
feet and legs to help guide
your body by turning your and pulling your front leg the board around its turn.
shoulders back. around in the direction of Your back foot should push

&2/.43)$% /,,)%
your planned turn. forward, your front leg
should pull back.

Frontside means performing a move with your

chest facing an obstacle or pointing in the opposite
direction to a turn. A Frontside Ollie is an Ollie but
with a twist... a twist through 180 degrees in the air
so that you land facing the opposite way.

-!+% 352% 9/5 452.

4(% &5,,  3/ 4(!4 9/5 #!.
2/,, !7!9 7(%. 9/5 ,!.$
28 'US
 'US PULLS HIS FRONT FOOT

 Land on all four

wheels with the tail of
your board now pointing
BACK AND PUSHES HIS
TAIL FOOT FORWARD TO
COMPLETE THE FULL TURN
forward. You should be
able to roll away.

29
 don’t
slam
the nose so
that your board
stops dead.
Taylor
4(% ./,,)%
A Nollie is like an Ollie but the other way round. 3LIDING HIS
BACK FOOT
You push the nose down to get the tail riding into TO THE TAIL
the air. Start with your back foot between the 4AYLOR PULLS
two sets of truckbolts. The ball of your front foot A HIGH .OLLIE
should be on the middle of your board’s nose.

 As you roll forward,

push your front leg
and foot down on the
 With the weight off
your back foot, drag it
up to the tail as you jump
 Let the nose of your
board and your front
foot rise so that the board
nose. This sends the tail up off your front foot. Your levels out. Get your feet
of your board up. board should rise. planted before landing.
  Get low as you roll along
backside and set up to  Snap the nose of your
board down nice and

./,,)% 
perform a Nollie move. hard. As you start to pull the
Nollie, twist your hips and
shoulders around.

Got your basic Nollie nailed well and truly?

Then this is the trick for you. The Nollie 180
sees you pull a Nollie and turn 180 degrees
in the air to land frontside.

) ,/6% 05,,).'
./,,)% 3 /6%2 34%03
!.$ /&& ,%$'%3
$ARYL
32
 Stay crouched
throughout the turn.
This will help you to guide  Keep turning as you’re
in midair. Your legs and
the board and to absorb hips guide the board around.
the impact of landing.

 Try not to lean too

much and look to
nail a landing on all four
+NEES PULL UP TO THE wheels. Your board should
CHEST AS $ARYL RISES HIGH be pointing forward so you
WITH HIS BOARD IN MID AIR can roll away.
33
 !./4(%2
,%6%,
Mastered those Ollies and Nollies?
Great. Now you’re ready to take your
skateboarding to another level. Here
are some street skateboarding tricks to
impress your friends with. Slides, grinds,
and flips are crucial moves. Practice
grinds and slides on low-level objects
until you’ve mastered them. And never
use curbs on roads with traffic.
KICKFLIP
A kickflip
keep working
on the kickflip
until you nail
combines
an Ollie with it. it’s a
your board spinning
around 360 degrees in the
great move.
air. It is a great-looking move Gus
but will need lots of patience
to master. Start as you would a
regular Ollie but with your front
foot slanted across and your
heel hanging off the board.
'US KEEPS
HIS EYE ON HIS
BOARD AS IT
SPINS AROUND
IN MID AIR

 Prepare yourself as
if you’re about to
pull an Ollie. Bend your
 As you bring
your front foot
forward, it should
 Use the toes of
your front foot to
flick the heelside edge
 Catch the board
with your feet
once it has spun 360
knees and push down move across the board of the board. This will degrees. Bend your
on your back foot. towards the heel side. make it spin. knees as you land.
 (%%,&,)0
Heelflips are similar to kickflips except
that it is the heel of your front foot
that flicks the board over. Heelflips and
kickflips can be done along the ground
or, as shown here, off a jump.

+%%0 4(% "/!2$

2)'(4 5.$%2 9/52 "/$9
'US

 Set up as if you were

performing a kickflip but
with one crucial difference.
 Keeping your body
straight and holding
your head over the board,
Get the toes of your front pop an Ollie. Jump and
foot hanging just a little keep your body directly
38 over the edge of the board. over the board.
 !S YOUR FRONT
FOOT KICKS
OFF THE BOARD
ITS HEEL CATCHES
THE EDGE

 Your front foot kicks

diagonally off the
board. Its heel catches the
 Lift both legs to give
the board room to
flip over. As soon as you
 With your feet on
the board, push it
down and land. Bend
front edge of the deck to see the top of the deck your knees slightly to
flip the board so that it reappear, get your feet absorb the landing
spins over. down on the board. and ride away. 39
4(% -/2% 30%%$ 9/5
53% 4(% ,/.'%2
9/52 "/!2$3,)$%
#!. "% 4AYLOR

 Approach your target

obstacle at a slight angle.
Have your feet and body in
 Pull an Ollie to get your
board above the obstacle.
As you travel upward, turn

"!2$3,)$%
position to perform an Ollie. so that the board will land,
straddling the rail.

A great trick for the street or skateparks, boardslides

see you travel along a narrow object like a rail using
the underside of your deck. Start off your first
boardslides with low-level objects. Skateparks
40 usually feature low rails and ledges.
 "ALANCE IS CRUCIAL FOR
A GOOD BOARDSLIDE 4HE
MIDDLE OF THE BOARD
SHOULD TRAVEL ALONG THE
RAIL WITH THE RIDER³S
FEET AN EQUAL DISTANCE
EITHER SIDE

 Land on the middle

of the board with
knees bent and arms out
 When you travel
off the end of the
obstacle, twist your body
to help with your balance. to drag the front of your
Keep the deck level with board to point forward.
the ground as you Land and roll away.
move forward.

41
 Choose a short, low
obstacle such as halfway
along a curb in a skatepark.
 As you get close to
the obstacle, pull
an Ollie and land both of
 As you land, lean
back a little and feel
the grind of the trucks.
Ride towards it at a your trucks on top of the Use your arms and body to

  '2).$
moderate speed. edge of the obstacle. stay on the edge.

Grinds are moves where you travel along narrow objects on

your skateboard’s trucks. The 50-50 grind sees you ride on
both trucks along a narrow curb or the top of a ramp.

429 4/ 05,,
 S &2/- &2/.43)$%
!.$ "!#+3)$% 0/3)4)/.3
42 4AYLOR
 As you feel your board
slowing, pull a gentle Ollie
to get off the edge. Turn your
shoulders in the direction you
want to come off.

4AYLOR IS ABOUT TO
PERFORM A  
GRIND IN AN INDOOR
SKATEPARK

43
$/.³4 053( $/7. 4//
(!2$ /2 9/52 $%#+³3
./3% 7),, 4/5#( $ARYL

 Approach the obstacle,

such as a curb or the
edge of a ramp, at a good
 Push your front foot
past the normal Ollie  Aim to land your front
trucks. Keep most of
position ahead of the front your weight over the front of
speed. Get ready and then truck. The board’s tail rises as the board. Keep a little weight
pull an Ollie. the nose falls. on the tail to control it.

./3% '2).$
Grinds come in many flavors and can be tried
out on lots of different obstacles. A nose grind
sees contact only with your front truck and the
obstacle. The crooked version sees the board
skewed so that it’s not directly over the obstacle.
44 Both are tough moves to nail so be patient.
 When you feel the
board slow, pull an
Nollie to get off, bending
your knees as you land to
absorb the impact.

$ARYL KEEPS THE

BOARD³S TAIL UP AS HE
PULLS A NOSE GRIND

45
6%24
!,%24
Street is neat, but at some time or
other, you’re going to want to ramp
it up and try out vert riding. Major
skateparks and smaller constructions in
local parks often have bowls, ramps,
and half- and quarter-pipes to try out.
Watch other, more experienced vert
skaters to pick up useful tips.
 $2/00).' ).
You can join a half-pipe or a vert ramp from the top
using a move called dropping in. Standing at the top
looking down can be a bit scary at first. Make sure you try
out the move on the smallest ramp or pipe you can find.

 Stand on the tail of your board with your

back foot. With your weight over the back
truck, bring your front foot forward.
 Step out confidently with your front
foot and place it over the front truck
of your board.

) 2%!#( /54 4/ -9 "/!2$³3 ./3% 7)4( -9

&2/.4 !2- )4 -!+%3 $2/00).' ). %!3)%2

48
'US
 Crouch over the board
and lean slightly forward
as the front of the board starts
 As the front wheels grip
the ramp or pipe, stand
a little more upright. You
dropping. Look forward. can balance your weight out
so that it is over the center
of the board.

0USH DOWN WITH YOUR FRONT

FOOT AND GET YOUR BODY
WEIGHT OVER IT TO MAKE
DROPPING IN EASIER
49
PUMPING
Pumping helps you to build up speed on a half- Taylor switches
pipe without your feet touching the ground. The to fakie stance
action takes place as you reach the transition as he rolls down a
half-pipe.
—the curving part that joins the horizontal and
vertical parts of the half-pipe.
 As you reach the transition
to the vertical parts of the
half-pipe, straighten your legs
 As you go down,
crouch and lean
into the direction
 Extend your legs as you
go up the other side of
the half-pipe and switch to
and stand tall you’re heading. fakie stance at the top.

) 53% 05-0).'
4/ '%4 -% !"/6%
4(% 4/0 /& 4(% (!,&
0)0% 4/ 05,, !)23 4AYLOR
 4(% !8,% 34!,, )3
! ")4 ,)+% !  
'2).$ 7)4(/54 -/6).'

'US
As you get better at pumping, you’ll reach the
top edge, sometimes called the lip, of ramps,
bowls, and half-pipes. You can use this edge to
perform a number of grinds, slides, and other

/. 4(% %$'%
moves such as the axle stall shown here.

 Ride up the ramp and

just before your front
truck reaches the edge,
 Twist your body
through 90 degrees
as your back truck hits the
 You’ve pulled an
axle stall! Now,
push on the tail to lift
perform a kickturn so edge. Lean on your heels to your board’s nose up
that your back faces bring the front truck down and turn the nose back
52 the top of the ramp. on the edge as well. down the ramp.
'US IS TURNING OUT OF AN AXLE
STALL AND SHIFTING HIS WEIGHT ONTO
HIS TOES )N A MOMENT HE³LL BE
HEADING BACK DOWN THE RAMP 53
 $/.³4 ,%!. "!#+ !3
9/5 452. ). 4(% !)2
/2 9/5 -!9 #/-% /&&
54
9/52 "/!2$ 'US
 Getting air (airborne) when vert
skateboarding is a real buzz. This
air move sees you ride up to the
top of a ramp or half-pipe, get
airborne, and twist through 180

'%44).' !)2
degrees before landing back on
the ramp.

 Ride with good speed

up the ramp at a slight
angle toward the direction
 As your board starts
to rise above the
top edge, twist your body
 Keep over the board
and brace yourself for
landing back on the ramp.
you’re going to turn. Get and swing your arms to Lean forward on landing
into a tucked position with pull yourself around. You to ride down the ramp or
your knees bent. should turn in mid-air. half-pipe.

55
3+!4% Skateparks are a great place to learn new
moves and improve ones you can already
do. Your first ever visit will be exciting but

0!2+3 may also be a little scary. The secret is to take

things gently and watch others and learn.

! LARGE INDOOR
SKATEPARK IN
%INDHOVEN .ETHERLANDS

Skateparks come in
different sizes and
3KATEPARKS CAN BE types. Smaller and indoor
parks often feature wooden ramps
FOUND INDOORS AND
and banks. Concrete is used to
OUTDOORS IN THE make half-pipes and large outdoor
CENTERS OF TOWNS bowls in which you can pull vert
AND CITIES moves. Snake runs are twisting
and turning downhill courses, while
moguls are small bumps.
56
Most skateparks have great street
skating features such as slide blocks,
curbs, and steel rails to practice
grinds and slides on. They may
also have small launch ramps
which help get you into
the air to perform a
jump or aerial move.

4HIS GREAT SHAPED

CONCRETE BOWL IS AT
+LAMATH &ALLS IN /REGON

Skatepark designers
and builders keep on
trying to do something
new. In 2005, the
largest skatepark in
the world opened in
China. Called the SMP
Skatepark, it is over
144,000 square feet in
area and has a 167-feet
wide vert ramp.
57
4HE ()'(%34
,%6%,
At the highest level,
skateboarders are famous $ANNY 7AY USED A
GIANT RAMP TO LEAP THE
professionals—paid to ENORMOUS 'REAT 7ALL OF
perform. They are sponsored #HINA IN 
by skate and clothing
companies, make
videos, and compete in
huge competitions
such as the X-Games.

4HE WORLD³S
MOST FAMOUS
SKATEBOARDER 4ONY
(AWK PERFORMS A
GRAB IN MIDAIR
58
%LISSA 3TEAMER SLIDES
HER BOARD ON THE
WAY TO WINNING GOLD
AT THE TH 8 'AMES
IN 

&EMALE PRO 6ANESSA 4ORRES

IN ACTION 4ORRES WON GOLD AT
THE  8 'AMES
2YAN 3HECKLER WAS
JUST TEN WHEN HE Only a handful of talented
BECAME A SPONSORED skateboarders ever turn pro.
SKATEBOARDER (E Most achieved their dream
WAS ONLY  WHEN by practicing incredibly hard
to learn and nail tough new
HE WON THE 
tricks and moves. At all levels,
8 'AMES STREET skateboarding is fun and a
COMPETITION challenge. Enjoy it! 59
 ',/33!29
"!#+3)$% '//&9 34!.#%
When a trick or turn is executed with Skating with your right foot forward.
the skater’s back facing the ramp
coping or the obstacle. '2!"
Using your hand or hands to hold the
"!), board during a move.
To clear your board safely when a
move goes wrong. '2).$
A move which involves scraping your
#/0).' skateboard’s trucks along an object.
Metal piping or edging fitted to the lip
of a ramp or half-pipe. Gives grip. '2)0 4!0%
Sandpaperlike material fitted to the
#2//+%$ '2).$ top of a deck to give riders more grip.
Any grind performed where the deck is
not directly over the obstacle. +)#+452.
To turn your board by shifting the
$%#+ weight to the tail of the board
The wooden area of your skateboard and twisting.
that you stand on.
,)0
$2/00).' ). The top edge of a bowl or ramp.
A way of entering a bowl or half-pipe
from the top. ./,,)%
Short for a nose ollie.
&!+)%
Riding your skateboard backward. ./3%
The front of the board.
&2/.43)$%
When a trick or turn is performed with /,,)%
the skater’s front facing the ramp A move which sees you use your feet
coping or the obstacle. to pull the skateboard up into the air.

60
05-0).' 4!),
Moving your bodyweight on your The back end of a skateboard.
skateboard to build speed in a
half-pipe. 4)# 4!#
A series of short kickturns performed
15!24%2 0)0% in a row. It can give a boarder the
A quarter section of a pipe that has a momentum needed to travel across a
curved piece leading to a vertical ramp. flat area.

2%'5,!2 34!.#% 425#+3

When you skate with your left foot The metal attachments bolted to the
forward. Opposite of goofy stance. deck which connect the axles and
wheels to the deck.
3,)$%
A move where the underside of your 6%24 2!-0
deck slides along an object. A specially designed ramp for
skateboarding with a horizontal area
342%%4 3+!4).' at its top.
Using street furniture, such as curbs,
benches, and steps, to perform tricks. 6%24 3+!4).'
Performing moves and tricks in a
37)4#( 34!.#% half-pipe or ramp. It usually involves
Riding your board and performing getting air above the rim of the ramp
moves not using your normal stance. or pipe.

61
 ).$%8
aluminum 13
Alva, Tony 9 Great Wall of China 58
axles 13, 61 grinds 35, 42, 44, 52,
axle stall 52–53 57, 60
50-50 grinds 42–43,
bailing out 6, 18, 60 52
banks 56 crooked nose grinds moguls 56
bearings 13 44, 60
benches 6 nose grinds 44–45 Netherlands 56
board care 6 grip tape 14, 60 Nollie 180s 32–33
boardslides 35, 40–41, Nollies 30–31, 32, 35,
52, 57, 61 handrails 7 45, 60
bowls 7, 46, 56, 57, 60 Hawk, Tony 7, 58
heelflips 38–39 Ollies 6, 9, 12, 13, 25,
curbs 6, 7, 35, 42, 44, helmets 18 26–27, 28, 31, 35, 36,
57, 61 hex nuts 13 37, 38, 40, 42, 43, 44,
history 8–9 60
decks 13, 14, 15, 39, 40,
41, 44, 60, 61 kickflips 36–37, 38 pads 18
dropping in 48–49, 60 kicktails 9 pipes 7, 19, 48, 49, 61
durometers 12 kickturns 23, 52, 60, half-pipes 46, 48, 50,
61 51, 55, 56, 60
falling 18–19 knee slides 18 quarter-pipes 46, 61
flips 35 pumping 50–51, 52, 61
Frontside Ollies 28–29 ledges 13, 33, 40 pushing off 20–21

62
rails 6, 13, 15, 40, 41, street furniture 6 urethane 9
57 street skating 6, 7, 12,
ramps 7, 19, 42, 44, 46, 13, 35, 46, 57, 61 X-Games 58, 59
48, 49, 52, 53, 55, 57, surfers 8
58, 60, 61 swimming pools 9
wooden 56
rims 7 tic-tac 22–23, 61
Torres, Vanessa 59
safety 18–19 trucks 13, 14, 20, 26,
Sheckler, Ryan 59 42, 44, 48, 52, 60, 61
sidewalk surfing 8 truckbolts 20, 31
skateparks 7, 9, 19, 40, turns 25
42, 43, 46, 56–57 frontside 23
skate shops 10, 13
snake runs 56 United States 9, 57
stances 20–21
fakie 50, 60 vert skating 7, 12, 46,
goofy 20, 21, 60, 61 55, 61
regular 20, 21, 61
Steamer, Elissa 59 Way, Danny 58
steps 6, 32, 61 wheels 12–13, 14, 15,
stopping 21, 25 29,49, 61

63
!CKNOWLEDGMENTS
Dorling Kindersley would like to thank:
Daryl, Fran, Gus, and Taylor for all their hard work during
the photoshoot.
The people at Meanwhile Gardens Community
Association
Nick at the Halfpipe Skateshop, London
Rory and the guys at Bay66 Skatepark, London

$ARYL &RAN
Dan and Darren at Shiner Distribution

Picture Credits:
Many thanks to Martin hlander for cover photography
and for the skateboard photo on pages 12-13.
All photographs were taken by Adam Kola, except:
Alamy: Emma Smith/Photofusion 56tl
Courtesy Convic Design: 57bc
Corbis: Al Fuchs/NewSport 46-7, Larry Kasperek/NewSport 59bl,
Quiksilver/DC 58t
Courtesy Dreamland Skateparks, LLC, Oregon: 57tr
Courtesy Keith Folken: 14
Getty Images: Jamie McDonald 58, Christian Petersen 59tl, 59cr,
Kevin Winters 7br
James Hudson: 2tl, 61br, 62t, 63b 'US 4AYLOR
Pete Knowles: 8
Kobal Collection: Agi Orsi Productions/Vans Off The Wall/Pat
Darrin 9t/Glen E.Friedman 9b
Quiksilver.com: Boulgakow 57c
Courtesy of Skate One www.skateone.com: 2tr, 12
Every effort has been made to contact the copyright holders and
we apologize in advance for any unintentional omissions. We
would be pleased to insert the appropriate acknowledgments
in any subsequent edition of this publication.