How to frontside 180 on a Skateboard (Video and Images)

Frontside 180 is one of the first tricks I learned after the ollie because it uses the ollie position, and you only need to make some minor adjustments to add the rotation.

Learning frontside 180 will help you progress and help you out in the future; it will open up the possibilities for tricks like boardslide or disaster on mini ramps. It is also very fun to do on different obstacles.

You can do lots of variations to tricks once you learn to rotate, and this is especially nice if you want to destroy your friends at skate. This is a great trick to learn, so let's take a look at the key steps to learn frontside 180.

What is a Frontside 180

The frontside 180 is an ollie with a 180-degree rotation where you rotate with the board. It is called a frontside 180 since your stomach is facing the direction you are going as you rotate, while a backside 180 would be your back facing the direction you are moving.

The biggest difference between a frontside and a backside 180 is that it is easier to rotate with the backside, but it's also harder to land since your back is facing the direction you are going. You will be able to see the lading when you do a frontside 180; this makes it an easier trick to do on obstacles such as stairs or rails.

How to Frontside 180 on a Skateboard

The frontside 180 is performed by simply twisting towards the heelside before you pivot and do an ollie. The hard part is staying balanced and not shifting the body weight away from the center of your feet. Your feet follow the board as you rotate in the air.

Frontside 180 Stance

The frontside 180 stance is basically the same as an ollie stance, except that your front foot is a little further towards tour toeside to make it easier to spin; it is placed a little under the hardware on the front trucks.

Your back foot is the same as the ollie position, at the center of the end on the tail. Keep the rest of your body weight centered between your feet throughout the whole trick to make the landing smooth and decrease the chance of falling.

Try to keep your eyes focused on the nose as you are learning the trick; this will help you to land more naturally instead of trying to look where behind you.

Body Movement

You need to wind up your body to make it easier to rotate; you can do this by twisting so that your back faces forward before you start the trick. Start rotating your body right before you kick down on the tail.

Kick straight down while jumping, and keep your knees up until you reach the peak. It takes a little more force than spinning around on a backside since you are rotating towards the heel side.

What to do in the Air

You mostly need to focus on the landing while in the air; you should focus on the edge and nose of the board at the start to make it easier to land correctly. It is easier to see the landing than on a backside since your front faces the direction you are going; use this to your advantage if you want to do the trick on obstacles.

The Last 90 Degrees

The first 90 degrees will be done easily with the twist you did before the jump, but the last 90 degrees is a result of the spin motion from your feet, waist, and shoulders.

Stop the Momentum

You need to stop the momentum as you come in for the landing; you do this if you stop rotating your upper body. Face forward as you land and stay there for a really short while to stop the momentum.

Look down on your front foot as you are landing (the foot by the nose); this will help you to get your legs used to the landing. You can stop doing this after you get everything down, but it will help you a lot in the beginning.

You will be riding switch on the landing, so make sure you know how to ride switch to make it much easier to stick the landing. A good way to practice riding switch is riding up a ramp and rolling backward while navigating through the park. You can also go skateboarding in mini ramps to get control of riding switch.

How to Practice Frontside 180

You should start by trying it while standing still if you don't already know how to perform an ollie while moving. It is easier to do while moving, but it can be more sketchy if you're not comfortable with it.

Find a flat area to practice, and there should be enough space to not stress while getting the foot position and the stance right. Practice it while standing still if you don't have enough space.

Safety Gear

It is easy to hurt yourself while trying new tricks, so make sure that you are properly protected while riding. It is most important that you use a helmet, but I also recommend using wrist and shoulder guards; you often land on your wrists when falling, and they can get easily damaged, so take extra care of them.

Conclusion

You need to know how to ollie before learning the frontside; the ollie has all the principles you need, like having your knees bent and some extra experience while riding flat ground.

Your front wheels are going to hit the ground first, so have your front foot around your front bolts when landing.

Remember to use safety gear as you practice; it is more common to injure yourself when you practice something new.