Every sport has a fundamental skill. Like skateboarding, one of the things you want to learn first is an ollie. And once you master such a skill, your horizon with other tricks will broaden and open a new learning door.
We know that ollies initiate from the tail and nollies on the nose. But can nollies be more challenging? Absolutely!
Today, we’ll improve your nollies by mastering how to nollie heelflip on a skateboard. In a while, you’ll realize how simple this trick is and what more skills you can unleash from a nollie.
Table of Contents
What is a Nollie Heel Flip on a Skateboard?
Before getting into the process, let’s first identify a nollie skateboard heel flip.
A nollie heelflip is a trick skateboard pros combined from two skills, nollie and heelflip. Nollies are the exact opposite of ollies, the ones that improved flatland skateboard tricks. Here, the skater snaps the skateboard’s nose instead of the tail.
By then, the tail tosses higher before the skater lands back down.
How About a Heel Flip?
A heel flip is achieved when the skater uses the heel to flip the skateboard on its length. Such a heel should come from the opposing foot that performs the ollie or nollie.
Essentially, a nollie heel flip consists of two separable tricks combined to create a new one balanced by the nollie being primary anfd the heellip being a more challenging skill.
What to prepare
Even in a nollie heelflip fingerboard setup, this trick doesn’t require specific park obstacles to perfect. But be sure to have the following.
- A skateboard for tricks – If you have already come across several skateboard buying guides, you would agree that you need hard wheels. Also, your deck’s width should go around 7.75″ to 8.25″. Ultimately, your pair of trucks should match your deck’s width.
- An open skating spot – As mentioned, ramps and rails are not necessary to perfect this trick. What’s more important is practicing it on a flat and smooth riding surface.
Like many skaters on Reddit suggest, safety gear works, but it may not be that necessary.
Performing the Nollie Heelflip
Trying the nollie heel flip suggests that you have already perfected its core tricks. So, let’s begin to incorporate them.
Step 1: Doing the nollie
Observe your most comfortable footing in this trick because your front foot dictates your execution’s success. For discussion purposes, let’s use the regular as this tutorial’s foot position.
So, push your skateboard forward. Once you get enough momentum, pop the deck’s nose. Ideally, your rear wheels and tail will take off the ground.
Next, raise your feet to provide room for the skateboard to lift. Like a regular ollie, you only have to land back down with your feet. But before doing so, take the second step.
Step 2: Performing the heelflip
Let’s say you paused mid-air after doing the nollie. What should you do next?
Extend your left foot forward, like aiming for the skateboard’s nose. Then, find the deck’s tail by sliding your back foot on the grip tape slightly.
Once your rear foot is on the destined spot, kick the pocket of the tail farther from you. Such a move will initiate the skateboard’s rotation in the air.
Assume your skateboard has completed its rotation. Use your feet as you aim for the front and back truck bolts. Such will help you balance when landing. And as one of the popular skateboard trick tips, bend your knees as your skateboard touches the ground.
Conclusion
Like your skills, skateboard tricks also keep growing. One mixes up with another, or a fundamental trick takes a different height. That said, nollies not only match heelflips. You can also try a nollie kickflip session or combine them with other stunts.
Knowing how to nollie heelflip on a skateboard, you can now visualize incorporating other skateboard tricks. And that’s a good sign. Who knows, you will create a new stunt someday.
Nollie heelflips are challenging. Yet nothing is impossible if you master each fundamental skateboard trick and combine them to unleash a new one.
Hi, I am Charles Harris. I opened this site to write as much as I can about my biggest passion – skateboarding!
I started as a clumsy yet passionate rookie 10 years ago to now a still passionate yet much better skateboarder! But I have to tell you, the whole journey has always been fun and rewarding, indeed not without hardship.