How to pop shove-it

The pop shove-it is usually the first trick people learn after the ollie, and it's a great one. The board spins a half-turn under you while you jump straight up, and it teaches you to control the board with your back foot, which every flip trick needs later.

What's actually happening

In a pop shove-it, the board spins 180 degrees flat, like a record, while you stay facing the same way. Your back foot does almost all the work: it pops the tail and scoops it around at the same moment. Your front foot mostly gets out of the way and then catches.

The standard version is the backside pop shove-it, where the tail scoops behind you, toward your heels. That's the one most people learn first.

Foot placement

• Back foot: on the tail, with the ball of your foot toward the toe-side edge. You want your toes on the corner so you can scoop.
• Front foot: lightly on the board, behind the front bolts or a little closer to the middle. It doesn't need to be in a perfect spot; it just needs to come off cleanly.
• Shoulders: square with the board, and they should stay that way.

The motion

1. Crouch a little, like an ollie.
2. Pop and scoop. Snap the tail down and, in the same motion, sweep it backward behind you with your back foot, as if you're scooping something off the ground with your toes.
3. Jump straight up. Lift your front foot off and let the board spin under you. Don't jump forward or turn.
4. Watch the board. After half a turn, the nose is where the tail was.
5. Catch it with your front foot first, or both feet at once, over the bolts.
6. Land with knees bent and roll away.

A practice plan

1. Shove-it without the pop. Rolling slowly, just push the tail around with your back foot so the board spins flat, and hop over it. That teaches the spin.
2. Stationary pop shove-its on grass or carpet. The board won't roll away, so you can focus on scoop and jump.
3. Stationary on smooth ground, catching with your feet over the bolts.
4. Rolling slowly, then at normal speed.

A worked example: the board keeps over-spinning

Mia's shove-its keep spinning too far, to about 270 degrees, and she lands on the side of the board. She films a few tries. Her scoop is huge and her jump is low, so the board has too much time to keep turning. She scoops a little softer and jumps higher, so she can put her feet down right at 180. Next session they start coming around clean.

Frontside vs backside

• Backside pop shove-it: the tail goes behind you, toward your heels. Back foot on the toe-side corner of the tail, scoop backward.
• Frontside pop shove-it: the tail goes in front of you, toward your toes. Back foot more toward the middle or heel side of the tail, and you push the tail forward instead of scooping back. Many skaters find it harder at first because your body wants to turn with it.

In a game of SKATE, they count as two different tricks, and so does each stance: fakie, switch and nollie shove-its are all their own tricks.

Fixes for the usual problems

• Your body turns with the board: you'll end up doing a 180 instead. Keep your shoulders square and look forward or down at the board.
• The board doesn't spin all the way: scoop harder, and make sure your back foot is on the toe-side corner of the tail.
• The board flies away: your scoop is going outward instead of around. Scoop backward under you.
• You land on the board sideways: you jumped too low or caught too early. Jump higher and wait for the half-turn.
• Your front foot drags: it's staying on too long. Lift it off as soon as you pop.

Common mistakes

• Turning your shoulders. Square shoulders keep you over the board.
• Jumping forward. Jump straight up; the board stays under you.
• Catching with your toes on the edge. Aim to land over the bolts.
• Skipping the plain shove-it. It's the best way to learn the spin.

FAQ

Is a shove-it different from a pop shove-it?

Yes. A plain shove-it spins the board without a pop; it stays close to the ground. A pop shove-it adds the pop so the board leaves the ground.

Which one should I learn first, frontside or backside?

Most people find backside easier first, because the scoop feels natural.

Do I need an ollie first?

It helps a lot. The pop is the same, and a solid ollie means you can focus on the scoop.

Does a 360 shove-it use the same motion?

Similar, but the scoop is stronger to get a full turn, and you have to jump higher.

Next: Frontside and backside 180s

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