How to nollie

A nollie is short for "nose ollie": instead of popping the tail with your back foot, you pop the nose with your front foot, and slide your back foot toward the tail. You're still rolling forward in your normal stance. It feels backwards at first because your feet are doing each other's jobs, but once it clicks, it opens up a whole stance of tricks.

Feet

• Front foot: ball of the foot on the nose, roughly in the middle, like your back foot on the tail for an ollie.
• Back foot: just behind the back bolts, roughly across the board.
• Shoulders: in line with the board. Many skaters lean slightly forward over the nose.

The motion

1. Crouch, with a bit more weight over your front foot than in an ollie.
2. Pop the nose down hard with the ball of your front foot.
3. Slide your back foot up the grip toward the tail. That's what lifts the back of the board.
4. Lift your knees so the board levels out under you.
5. Land with both feet over the bolts, knees bent, and keep rolling forward.

It's an ollie in mirror image: front foot pops, back foot slides.

Why it feels weird

Your front foot has probably never popped anything. It's used to sliding and guiding. Your back foot is used to popping, not dragging. So your body has to learn new jobs. Expect the first few sessions to feel awkward. That's normal.

A practice plan

1. Stationary on grass or carpet: just pop the nose and slide back.
2. Stationary on smooth ground, holding something for balance.
3. Rolling slowly.
4. Rolling at normal speed.
5. Over a crack, then a small object.

A worked example: the nose won't pop

Mia's nollies barely lift. She films from the side and sees her weight sitting on her back foot, so her front foot can't press the nose down. She shifts her shoulders forward over the nose, crouches lower, and snaps the nose like she would the tail. The board starts popping, and the back foot slide brings the tail up level.

Nollie vs fakie

These get mixed up a lot:

• Nollie: rolling forward, front foot pops the nose.
• Fakie: rolling backward in your normal stance, back foot pops the tail (which is now leading).

Both pop off the end of the board that's in front of you, but the stance and direction are different. In a game of SKATE, a nollie trick and a fakie trick are different.

Fixes for the usual problems

• Board doesn't pop: put more weight over the nose, and pop harder.
• Back of the board doesn't lift: your back foot isn't sliding. Drag it toward the tail.
• Landing on the nose: level out by pushing your back foot back at the top.
• Leaning back: shoulders over the board, slightly forward.

Nollie tricks

Once the nollie is solid, the same pop opens up a full set:

• Nollie shove-it: the front foot pops and scoops the nose, and the board spins under you.
• Nollie 180s: frontside and backside, turning from the nose pop.
• Nollie kickflip and nollie heelflip: the back foot does the flick or the heel kick, since it's the one sliding toward the end of the board.
• Nollie flip variations later on.

In a game of SKATE, every one of those is its own trick, and a lot of skaters avoid nollie, which makes nollie tricks good sets.

Nollie on obstacles

Nollies are great for getting onto ledges and curbs from the "wrong" side, or for tricks where you want your front foot to do the work. A nollie onto a curb follows the same steps as an ollie onto one: approach at a slight angle, pop a little early, level out, land on top. Learn it on flat ground first.

Common mistakes

• Weight on the back foot. You need it over the front.
• Not sliding the back foot. It's the mirror of the ollie's front-foot slide.
• Rushing to roll fast. Stationary first.
• Giving up after one session. It takes time to feel normal.

FAQ

Is a nollie easier than an ollie?

For most people, no. It feels awkward until your front foot gets used to popping.

What's a nollie heelflip?

A heelflip done from nollie stance: front foot pops the nose, and your back foot kicks with its heel.

Can I do nollie in a game of SKATE?

Yes. Global SKATE games include tricks in Nollie stance.

Is a nollie the same as a switch ollie?

No. A switch ollie is in your opposite stance, popping the tail. A nollie is in your normal stance, popping the nose.

Next: Fakie and switch, explained

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