Most skateboarding tricks start with a push on the board. This way, we obtain enough momentum to go over bumps, rails, or ramps. Having said this, are there tricks that do not need a push but keep you moving? Yes, a tic tac is one of them!
If you find this skill unfamiliar, let me teach you how to tic tac on a skateboard. In this simple tutorial, we will work on pivots and some basic moves to help you run the skateboard without pushing.
So, keep reading as we learn this unique but easy trick today.
Table of Contents
What You Need
The good thing about this tick tack skateboard trick is it’s not as demanding as other skills. All we need is enough control and discipline when doing each step. Here’s what to prepare.
- An open space – It could be trivial in some tutorials, but we always advise practicing in places that are skateboarding-suitable and free from potential hazards. So, it could be a less busy street or a smooth, flat ground at the skatepark.
- A street skateboard – As a rule of thumb, we use a street skateboard when taking on the streets. Ideally, it should have an 8.0″ to 8.25″ skateboard deck width, a set of hard wheels sized 50mm to 53mm, and low trucks for stability and trick execution.
Doing the Tic Tac
A perfect tic tac parkour should get your body swinging in identical, reasonable angles while moving forward. With your tic tac skateboard toy, let’s do these steps.
Step 1: Positioning and kick turning
Perhaps, you are now asking why we should start with a kick-turn. The entire tutorial will revolve around doing this skill repeatedly. Don’t worry, this is the same kick turn skateboard users loved.
So, begin by putting your skateboard on a surface where motion is rougher, like grass or any similar pavement. Put your back foot on the tail and your front foot behind the front truck bolts.
Do a few kick-turns to your left and right in this skating position. Such a move will help you get used to performing the tic tac on smooth surfaces.
Step 2: Training the body
Before working on the legs and feet to turn on a skateboard, it’s best to train other parts of our bodies for this trick first. They will help support our movements when swinging left and right.
So, still in your skating position, try to swing your hips and shoulders toe-side and heel-side while pivoting around your back foot. Your pivots should only be around 45°. Overturning will not yield decent results.
Next, improve your swings by pressing on the skateboard’s tail and raising the nose every turn. At this point, you may see your skateboard tic tac not moving just yet.
Note that you don’t need to lift the skateboard’s nose too high. Raising it too high might cause you to lose rhythm upon changing directions.
Step 3: Swinging front and back
We will combine the first two steps now.
Put your skateboard on a smooth pavement with the nose pointing towards an open, safe space. Place your feet on the board in the skating position.
Press the skateboard’s tail slightly as you lift the front truck and wheels. Simultaneously, drive the front part of the board with the help of your hips; swing towards the direction you want: toe-side or heel-side.
Once the swing reaches around 45°, put the skateboard’s nose lower as you guide it in the opposite direction.
Doing these steps repeatedly will move the deck forward.
Step 4: Practicing and speeding up
The rule for a tic tac skateboard trick is simple; the more you swing, the faster you go. But before working on better speed, where a tic tac longboard could help, it’s best to find your perfect rhythm first.
It doesn’t matter how fast you move with a tic tac. It’s more about how you give your skateboard momentum consistently.
So, keep practicing as you get comfortable with your turning angle. By then, speeding up would be less complicated.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest trick on the skateboard?
A tic tac is one-way skateboards get relieved from jumps and grinds. Here are a few more easy tricks you may want to try or master.
- Pop Shove-It
- Ollie
- Nose Ollie
- Frontside 180
- Kickflip
How do you go forward on a skateboard without pushing it?
A skateboard tic tac is the most effective way to move on your skateboard without pushing it. From afar, this trick might look similar to turning on twisty skateboards like a Ripstik.
Of course, letting the board slide downhill is different. There’s no need to force the wheels to roll in this situation, as the sloped area will allow them to move.
Conclusion
Sometimes, the fun parts of skateboarding rest on mastering a few unique, easy tricks. They may not earn you applause, but they can help you enjoy skating more.
Some of these tricks are ollies, kickflips, and tic tac. And now that you know how to tic tac on a skateboard, casual skating on the street can become more exciting.
Always remember to swing your shoulders with your hips, and never drive your skateboard’s nose too high. If you master these movements, you can be a tic tac master.
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.