Thursday, June 28, 2012

5 Easy Steps on How to Ollie

Knowing how to ollie on a is one of the most basic tricks in skateboarding and by basic it meaning essential and important. Many tricks would require you to know how to ollie before proceeding to more complex ones such as kickflips, heelflips, etc.

Beginners like myself need to practice and eventually master this trick without flaws. Ollie is easy to practice but difficult to master. With the two years I spent skateboarding, I am able to ollie but haven’t mastered it to my advantage, heck I am still not able to make it 2 stairs down!

Even then, I am still willing to skate and accomplish such a feat and to help others like me, I made this post for people that are hoping to do the ollie for their first trick (well, it is encouraged that you start with it.).



Local Skater Eric Perez with an Ollie

Listed below are the steps on how to ollie on a skateboard:



  1. Stand on your skateboard depending on your stance.
  2. Place your popping foot just right within the tail and the brushing foot near the middle of the board.
  3. Pop the board and brush your foot to assist the pop. Synchronize this movement until you grow accustomed to it.
  4. Apply it on flat ground with the wheels rolling and ollie your way through little obstacles like lines, cracks and leaves. Then if you are more comfortable, make obstacles a bit challenging like gaps, rocks and small gutters.
  5. Keep on practicing until you have the balls to go down a couple of stairs and gaps.

These instructions are not the “actual” rule when it comes to knowing how to ollie. You have the prerogative to switch to other positions depending on what makes you comfortable. As long as the skate jumps along with you, it’s an ollie.

It is all about getting used to riding a skateboard. As a beginner, you are not expected to go down huge stairs or gaps, just have fun with what you are doing and persevere. Eventually, you will get to do all those things that you are dreaming about in skateboarding.

Have fun and skate safe!



PS: My Press Release got approved for Davao Skateboarding. You can check it out here.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

When Females Dominate Skateboarding

Lacey Baker
Skateboarding is mostly dominated by men but behind their shadows are female pro skaters eager to be as good as men. Female skaters are rare and are often criticized for being surrounded by males in a male dominated sport. But still females still strive to keep up in the world of skateboarding.

I am a woman and I have been skating for more than 2 years now and still I am scared to do complex tricks! The good thing is, for me skateboarding is not a competition but more of fun and having fun with the people around you. So I do not pressure myself to compete with males, I just go with the flow and learn tricks at an easy pace.

But even if pro skater girls are behind men when it comes to tricks, hats off to them. Why? Because they have bigger balls than some skaters I know. Yes, these girls are not pros for nothing. They have the skill to land such a reputation in the skateboarding world and being able to dominate it is a feat itself.

Here are some of the best current female skaters I know and If you think I missed out on someone, do not hesitate to comment.

  • Leticia Bufoni. Leticia Bufoni is a 19 year old pro skater and is one of the youngest female pro skaters out there. Riding goofy, she had rubbed elbows with pros from Volcom, Osiris, Foundation, Rock Star Bearings, Bones wheels and Crail.
  • Lacey Baker. A 20 year old goofy skater from California. Lacey is sponsored by Billabong, Element Skateboards, Indy, Bones (flow), Pawn Shop Skate and Vans (flow). She had long hair before, I just learned that she cut it short.
  • Elissa Steamer. Elissa is one of the most amazing female skaters around the world. She had won lots of competitions including Slam City Jam in 1998 in which after she was named as a “pro”. Elissa is sponsored by Zero, Nike SB, Thunder and Tampa Skatepark.
  • Marisa del Santo. Marisa is a boyish skater from Illinois and is as gnarly as Leticia or Lacey. She is currently sponsored by Nor Ill Skate Shop, Zero and Emerica (flow).
  • Evelien Bouilliart. A very competitive woman “Evie” had participated in the female X games since 2000 and is a top competitor. Her sponsors are  Hoopla Skateboards, Etnies, Nixon, Von Zipper, Bones, Zumiez, Rockstar Bearings and Girls from Omsk.
  • Vanessa Torres. Ms. Torres is a regular skater that attained dozens of awards and have participated in the X games side by side with all the female skaters in the event. She rides with Element and Rockstar Bearings.
  • Amy Caron. A regular peo skater from California, Amy Caron had been competing in the X games 1996 and have been a major competitor since 2005. She is with Element, Circa, Rockstar Bearings and Bones Wheels.

In skateboarding, sexism does not exist but we have to admit that it is a male dominated world. But men have to bow down to these women that dominated the sport and are still continuing to WOW the crowd.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Streetleague Skateboarding: What it means for its Audiences

When we talk about Skateboarding, we always think about pros and their sick tricks. No doubt about it, sick tricks are indeed featured in this annual skateboarding event: Streetleague Skateboarding. Rob Dyrdrek and DC came up with the great idea to bring together the best of the best skaters all over the United States for supremacy.

There are three events of the season, this time the event is held in Kansas and recently in Ontario, California. Each skater has to outscore each other with their tricks and hope to impress the judges with it. They have to have the balls, creativity and technical skills to overcome sections around the course.



DC Streetleague Skateboarding


Watching streetleague online

For us in the Philippines and the rest of Asia, we have to wake up early in order to do so. Some of us really stay awake during the night time just to witness and support their favorite pros battle it out. Good thing is that we do not have to painstakingly look for online streaming because it is generously provided by Streatleague.com.

Like all events, skaters within the city bet on their favorites just to spice up their viewing experience and make it more exciting. They bet on any kinds of things from small skateboard parts to petty cash, even food!

Many skaters watch it together with food and drinks provided by the hosts. They cheer to their favorite skaters as if they could hear them shout in front of the computer. It seems that the audiences themselves are more nervous than the pros that are playing!

The good thing about it is that, like the annual go skate day, it brings together people that share a common hobby: Skateboarding.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Davao Skateboarding


Let’s Rock the Streets for GO SKATEBOARDING DAY!

Skateboarding is now the urban sport of the city streets, anywhere in the world. Many young and young at heart gather around to sprain their ankles or cut their skin all for the sake of reputation. Reputation that can be counted with how many tricks you have whether on the ledge, rail or flat ground.

Many people have considered this sport not only as a hobby but a passion and with it, comes in Go Skateboarding Day or GSD. It is a worldwide event that gathers many skaters within their local groups to participate in activities that culminate their sport. Small events such as skate competitions and games.

This Thursday, June 21, 2012, skaters from all over the world will once again head to the streets and thrash their boards under the heated sun to celebrate this said event. Depending on where you are at right now, hundreds of skaters flock to skate parks and other spots to participate.

Booze, free perts and more booze are pouring in to celebrate Go Skateboarding Day and it will continue on in the following years, that’s if the world will not end in December this year (Who knows?).