Activity: How to nail an ollie

Amanda shows how to land an ollie on her skateboard

Skate boarding's a scientific process. Being aware of the forces of physics will help you to understand it a bit better.

On the SCOPE Extreme Sports episode Amanda showed you how to nail an ollie. It's all about gravity, weight and rotation.

What you need

• A skateboard
• A hard surface
• Perseverance

What to do

1. Firstly, stand on your board with one foot on the back of the board and the other foot in the middle of the board.

2. To start an ollie you push down on the back of the skateboard – weight.

3. This causes the front of the board to rise off the ground – rotation.

4. To do an ollie properly you need to slam the very back of the board into the ground so it doesn't just lift up but bounces up.

5. Air time! When you are off the ground slide your front foot forward and push it down – more rotation. This will level out the board. It should look like your feet are stuck to the skateboard – gravity.

6. At the maximum height of the jump there's only one way to go. Gravity wins out and starts pulling the board and you towards the ground.

7. As you land bend your knees to absorb the impact of the jump.

Remember to be careful when trying these tricks; wear your safety gear because you will have your fair share of stacks. But practise makes perfect!

Check out the film clip of Amanda's ollie demo to see how it's done!

For more information about how to do an ollie visit the Exploratorium website http://www.exploratorium.edu/skateboarding/trick02.html