The art or skateboarding developed during the '70s, and has evolved a lot thereafter. One can perform many different tricks with the help of a skateboard. Most mentioned in this write-up have originated in the 1970s, and have undergone some changes over time, and newer ones have been developed too.
The 360 Spin
The '360 spin' trick was popular during the 1970s. This decade witnessed competitions between skateboarders who would perform the maximum number of rotations. The record of 163 full rotations set by Russ Howell in the year 1977 is still unbroken. Variations of the 360 spin are one-footed spins, nose spins, and hang-ten spins.
This trick is named after Bobby Casper Boyden. To perform this stunt, the back foot should be placed on the top of the tail, while the front foot must be near the nose. In order to exit, a rolling flip is performed. However, there are many different ways to exit the trick.
The Butterflip was invented by Keith Butterfield, and one needs to do a 'heelside railstand' to perform it. Once in a heelside railstand position, both the legs should be hopped and placed side-by-side on the board. The gap between the feet should hardly be 1 or 2 inches. The leg which is not above the wheels of the board is used to put pressure on the end of the board. As pressure is applied, the board pops up on the side of the body which has the foot placed above the wheels. The board is grabbed with the hands after it pops up.
The 50-50 trick is similar to the Casper. It is performed with the board held upside down. Here, the back foot should be placed on the back truck instead of the back tail. The trick could be performed either by holding the nose of the board with the hands, or by using the front foot.
The Ollie is considered to be the 'trick of all tricks', and allows the skateboarder to reach a certain amount of vertical height. While performing this trick, the skater pops down with the back foot on the tail of the board. With this, the nose of the board pops up, and the rider then drags it using the front foot, which helps in raising the board higher. He then lifts the back foot and stops the drag. The back portion of the board too rises to the same height as that of the front. The board is said to be 'leveled out' in this position. The rider then gets ready to land on the ground with all four wheels at a time.
To perform this trick, the skateboard should be used like a pogo stick. One foot should be placed on the bottom truck of the board, while the other foot should be pressed onto the grip tape side. Variation can be brought in this trick by lifting one of the feet off the board, and grabbing the nose.
Just be safe while enjoying these stunts, and make sure you wear all the required protective gear.