Hop – hopping with both wheels leaving the ground at the same time.
The bunny hop is one of the first moves you’ll want to learn on your scooter. It’s a staple move that opens the door to whips, grinds and a whole lot more. Once you’ve nailed the bunny hop, you might want to try a nollie – hoping off your front wheel instead of both.
Fakie – riding your scooter backwards
Learning to fakie allows you to do tricks that require riding backwards, either in to fakie and out of fakie like 180 and nose whip. It’s a simple enough move that requires balance and control. The simplest way to practice your fakie is to approach a ramp or pipe, roll up it slightly and let gravity do the rest.
Manual – riding on just the back wheel of your scooter
Manuals are easy enough in theory, but in practice can take some time to get right. Lift up too hard and your scooter will fly out from under you but lift up to little and you’ll struggle to keep your front wheel off the ground. You’ll need decent balance to stay in manual, but once you’ve got it down you’ll be able to build your speed and create some sweet combos.
Nose pivot – spinning your scooter deck using your front wheel (no jumping)
A nose pivot is a really useful trick to have mastered and makes for a simple way to transition in to (and out of) fakie. Combine a handlebar push with a forwards lean to shift your scooter onto its front wheel, and from there it’s just a case of turning around. Easy and useful – everyone’s a winner!
180 – jumping and spinning to face the opposite direction
Once you’ve got the bunny hop and the nose pivot down, your next stop is a 180 jump. Combine some decent air from a hop and twist your scooter around to face the other direction. You want to put some power behind the jump and loosen up for the turn before bending your knees on impact. Throw in a fakie in to a nose pivot and you’ve just completed your first combo!
Air – turning 180 above the coping on a half/quarter pipe
Getting air is essential to a lot of tricks, but getting this simple move right takes time and practice. As you get more comfortable landing air, you’ll jump higher off of the coping and be able to start building combos. The trick is to let your head lead your body and scooter by turning and facing the spot where you want to land. Make sure to bend your knees when you land.
One hander/no hander – taking one or both hands off the bars
Once you can get some decent air, test yourself by taking one hand off of your bars. You might be a bit wobbly at first, but this is a great step towards total scooter confidence and a sweet little move that can be added in to later combos. When you’re feeling ready and you can stretch that one arm right out or even take both hands off of your bars and do the same.
No footer – taking both feet off of your scooter deck
This one is all about timing. Once you get some air (either from a flat run or on a pipe) take both feet off of your deck. If you can get both feet off your deck your next challenge is to stretch out your legs (you’’ need plenty of air for this). There are variations on the no footer; you could push yourself off of your scooter without jumping but this will take plenty of arm strength and balance.
Bar spin – Spinning your handlebars 360
You’ll need air for this one too but you can practice by hanging your front wheel over a curb. If you’re spinning your bars 180 throw your bars from your strongest hand (your writing hand) to your other hand. When this feels good (and you can do this during air), try a 360 spin by throwing your bars around until you can grab the same bar back with your throwing hand.
Tailwhip
A good tail whip relies mainly on your arm movement, although you’ll need some fancy footwork too. You’ll want to get as much air as possible before giving the tail whip a go, and it’s a good idea to start on flat surfaces or a quarter pipe before moving on to anything bigger. Your back foot is going to kick your deck to get things moving, and then your arms take over to swing it 360 back to your starting stance.
Nail these 10 tricks and moves and you’re well on your way to the next level. Your next step is to try grouping these in to combos (flat and off a pipe).
Video credits - Scoot Hard or Scoot Home, MikeyRoss33, Jordan Hall, Jordan Lago, BlakeinatorMate, Dan Albl, TeamVillainTV, Joshuah Filemon, Lachlan Searle & EdenLouiseButler
Beginner Stunt Scooters
To progress in your scooter riding, you'll need a good stunt scooter that can take the stress and strain of training. Check out some of our best beginner stunt scooters below.
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