Skateboard Bowl Tricks

Before the invention of bowl skateboarding, skaters in the mid 1970s would ride dried-up swimming pools in southern California during the drought months of summer. Modern skaters created circular shaped skateboarding bowls, often made of wood or concrete, to imitate their innovative pool-skating idols. Skaters must master the basics of skateboarding, such as board control and balance, before attempting to skate the steep transitioned walls of the skateboarding bowl.

The Drop In

The fundamental trick in modern bowl skating, called the "drop in," allows the skater to achieve enough speed to perform tricks around the corners of the circular bowl as well as reaching the metal or cement coping of the ramp. The skater places the tail of the board on the coping, located at the top area of the ramp, allowing the front and back trucks of the board to hang over. (The metal parts on the skateboard, including the axels, are called the trucks.) Dropping in for the first time requires a degree of commitment. The skater leans forward, going completely horizontal with the ramp face for a split second before touching the front wheels to the face of the bowl. The skater then rolls down the transitioned area and onto the flat bottom of the bowl.

Blunt to Fakie

The "blunt to fakie" is done on the coping of the ramp, which is located at the top edge of the skateboarding bowl. The skater rolls up the face of the bowl and allows the back wheels to roll over the coping. He then stalls momentarily on the small area between the tail of the board and the back truck. After carefully balancing for a moment he pops an "Ollie" away from the coping of the ramp and rides back into the bowl in the backward position, known as "fakie." The "Ollie" takes place when the skater puts pressure on the rounded area near the back of the board, referred to as the tail, while jumping into the air.

Frontside Air

Unlike the "drop in" and the "blunt to fakie," the "frontside air" involves grabbing the skateboard. "Frontside" means the skater approaches the obstacle with the front of her body facing the object. After reaching an adequate speed, the skater pops an Ollie above the coping and briefly grabs the board in the area between the two trucks. This allows the skater to catch air while keeping the board safely secured to her feet. After soaring across the face of the ramp, the skater drops back to the transitioned wall of the skateboard bowl.