How to Do a Nollie on a Skateboard in 6 Steps

A nose ollie, or a “nollie,” is a variation of the ollie, except instead of snapping down on the tail of the skateboard to pop the front wheels, you use your front foot to snap down on the nose of the board, which pops the tail. The board lifts off into the air, and the skater catches it with their feet, before landing solidly on the ground.

A basic ollie snaps down on the tail of your skateboard and pops the nose of your board, while a nollie snaps down on the nose of the skateboard and pops up the back wheels.

The nollie is a good trick to learn for skateboarders. To learn how to perform a nollie, check out the steps below:

1. 1. Position your front foot. Balance your front foot’s weight on the nose of your skateboard.
2. 2. Position your back foot. Slide your back foot to the middle of your skateboard. The closer your back foot placement is to the front of the board, the higher you can nollie, but the less stable you’ll be.
3. 3. Balance. Make sure you can hold this position on your skateboard, as balance is critical to execute and land the trick successfully.
4. 4. Bend. Bend your knees so you’re crouched down and ready to explode upward.
5. 5. Pop the nose. Use your front foot to press down on the nose of the board at a slight angle, popping the rear of it upwards, and sliding your back foot back to the tail.
6. 6. Catch the board. Stay centered as you return to your original foot position in order to level out and land parallel to the ground.

Whether you’re just learning how to ollie or ready to tackle a Madonna (the vert trick, not the singer), the MasterClass Annual Membership can help you find confidence on your board with exclusive instructional videos from skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, street skater Riley Hawk, and Olympic hopeful Lizzie Armanto.