Fingerboard

A fingerboard is a mini, 96-mm skateboard that you do tricks on with two fingers. If you ever want to skate but can't, consider purchasing a fingerboard.

Steps

Basics

  1. Purchase a fingerboard. If you are just starting out, a Tech Deck is a good way to go. These are the best fingerboards and there are heaps of different brands, such as Girl and Zoo York.
  2. Choose two fingers. When you are using two fingers, then the normal position for fingerboarding is by putting your index finger on the tail (rear) of the board and your middle finger on the logo.
  3. Master a trick - The Shove It. The Shove It is only for those who use two fingers on the fingerboard. Put your fingers in the normal position, and push your index finger towards you while it is on the board. Keep practicing this until you do a 180° spin.
  4. Master The Manual and The Nose Manual. First up - The Manual. Move the board forward at a moderate speed, while half-popping the board the whole time, and keep it like that, still moving the board forward. For The Nose Manual, just pop the board from the nose, instead of the back.
  5. Practice, practice, practice. Make up your own tricks. You can create scores of your own tricks.
  6. Master "The Air-Kick." Pop the board with your middle finger, slide your index finger just underneath your middle finger, but under the board also, next to the wheel. Bring the board to the air, and flip the board over your fingers. Land.

Ollie

  1. Place your middle finger on the tail of the board, and your index finger in the middle of the board. Some people like it closer to the nose of the board, because it gives you more control.
  2. Press your middle finger down, forcing the front of the board up.
  3. Move your finger forward slightly, making the back of the board come up, too. This will not work if you do not do it quickly.
  4. Press down, but not very forcefully, so that the board lands on the surface you're skating on, and your fingers land on the board.

360° Flip

  1. Put your fingers in the Ollie position.
  2. Sweep your middle finger toward you. This will make the board spin.
  3. While sweeping your middle finger, slide your index finger a little bit forward, and this will make the board flip.
  4. Land it. this trick takes some practice to get it to do what you want it to do. It's a very unpredictable flip trick.

Kickflip

  1. Put your index finger in the middle of the Tech Deck logo, and your middle finger in the concave of the tail, but make sure to put it only halfway on the edge, so that it flips.
  2. Pop the board up.
  3. Slide your index finger up the board a little, because your back finger will have done most of the work already.
  4. When the board has done as many flips as you want it to do, bring your fingers down on the griptape to land it.

Heelflip

  1. Put your fingers in the ollie position, except press your index finger down on its tip, right where it connects to the fingernail.
  2. Pop the board.
  3. Flick your index finger away from you, and this will make the board flip away from you.
  4. When the board has done as many flips as you wanted it to do, press your fingers back onto the board and land it.

Tugflip

  1. Pop the board with your middle finger.
  2. Put your index finger under the board at the very opposite end.
  3. Flip the board backwards. Land it.

Vert Tricks

  1. Learn The Rock to Fakie.
    • Find a quarter or half pipe.
    • Put your fingers in the Ollie position.
    • Ride up the quarter pipe, and hook your front truck on the coping.
    • When you want to come down, lift up your front truck and roll back down the ramp.
  2. Learn The Blunt Stall.
    • Ride up the quarter pipe.
    • Keep going until your back truck can rest on the coping. Your front truck should still be in the air.
    • Slide your fingers up, making the board momentarily airborne.
    • Ride back down the quarter pipe.
  3. Learn The Feeble Stall.
    • Ride up the quarter pipe.
    • Turn 90° on the coping so that both trucks are resting on the coping.
    • When you want to come down, turn the 90 degrees so that your board is facing the quarter pipe again, and ride back down.

Grinds

  1. Learn The 50-50.
    • Ride straight at the beginning of the rail or edge of the box.
    • Ollie at the rail or edge.
    • Land your trucks on the rail or edge. and slide along till you reach the end.
    • Ride off and land it.
  2. Learn to Boardslide.
    • Ride at the rail.
    • When you're about to hit the rail, Ollie up and turn your board 90°, so your sliding along the deck of your board.
    • When you reach the end, slide off and turn 90° so that your facing forward again.
  3. Learn The Darkslide.
    • Ride straight at the rail.
    • When you're about to hit it, Ollie and turn your board 90° and flip it halfway, so that you land on the rail grip tape side on the rail.
    • Slide until you reach the end of the rail. When you're about to go off, spin your board so that it lands on its wheels while you turn it 90° so that you are riding straight again.

Tips

  • Have fun! That's the whole purpose of fingerboards.
  • Don't give up on any trick. Many take a long time to perfect, but you will eventually get each one and will never miss it again.
  • Fingerboards can be very expensive, especially the the good kinds.

Warnings

  • Take good care of the screwdriver that comes with the board, losing it will make it difficult, if not impossible, to tighten your board. If you have extra tools, bring them along too.
  • The wheels need to be tight but if you tighten them too much, the axle can break off.
  • Don't throw, or break your board. You will regret it.
  • Keep fingerboards away from kids younger than five they might break your board.
  • Another trick would be to put two fingers from both hands on your fingerboard and let one finger go then the other finger and watch as your fingerboards jumps very high.

Things You'll Need

  • Fingerboard
  • Hard surface(s) or a book to Ollie onto

Related Articles

  • Impossible on a Tech Deck
  • Make a Tech Deck/Fingerboard Halfpipe
  • Fingerboard Like Rodney Mullen
  • Ollie High on Tech Deck
  • Grip a Fingerboard With Skateboard Grip

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