Skateboarding
Skateboarding
How to pop shove-It: A beginner’s guide
The pop shove-it is an essential beginner trick to get down right as you develop your skating repertoire.
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Some athletes need a field and a goal to enjoy their favorite sport. Others just need their favorite board and an open patch of pavement. As skater Mike Anderson explains in Red Bull’s "Pushing Forward" series, skateboarding is beloved precisely because it’s an activity with few limits.
“You can do it anywhere that’s got concrete or asphalt,” he says. “You’re free. We’re not confined to one zone. We’re not confined to one track.”
Wherever you choose to ride, discovering the rush of skateboarding one new trick at a time is an incredibly liberating experience. And if you’re still getting the basics down, one move you’ll want to try is the pop shove-it. This foundational trick is a fun way to test your balance, timing, and footwork, and with steady practice, you’ll be landing it perfectly. Read ahead for a step-by-step guide on how to pop shove-it, along with some tips for overcoming common challenges.
Jamie Foy does a pop shove it at Red Bull Drop In Tour in Amsterdam in 2022
© Anthony Acosta / Red Bull Content Pool
How to pop shove-it: the basics
The pop shove-it is a fundamental building block for more advanced skating tricks, especially anything that involves a flip. You’ll basically blend an ollie with a shove-it, in which you spin your board 180 degrees. It’s essentially a quick scissor kick, small scoop, and landing. The secret is to keep your center of gravity aligned above your board through the whole move. You don’t have to pop your board super high as you learn, so the pop shove-it is great for practicing balance and board control.
Getting ready to pop shove-it
Before trying out the pop shove-it, here’s a quick checklist to help set you up for success.
- Use a board with a good pop. You want a skateboard that works with, not against, you when you’re practicing a pop shove-it. Everyday wear and tear can take the power out of your pop, as the wood on your board deck expands and contracts with each landing. If your board has a weak snap, consider replacing your deck or practicing with a newer board.
- Practice in a smooth, open space. It helps to have plenty of room to find your bearings, as well as a slightly slick surface. Skate parks are made for this, but an empty garage can work, too.
- Warm up with the foundations. Focusing on each component of a trick before practicing everything together is a great way to build your confidence. Start with a few simple ollies before working on your shove-its.
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How to pop shove-it: a step-by-step guide
Below, you’ll find everything you need to know for your first pop shove-it, from finding your footing to nailing the landing.
Getting your feet in place
You’re basically going to get into the same stance as if you were just doing a regular ollie. Your front foot should be just behind the front bolts of your board, angled so your heel is hanging slightly off the deck. Your back foot should be in your tail’s toe-side pocket, with your toes just over the edge. This will give you the right leverage for the shove-it part of the trick.
Starting your pop
As you bend your knees, your back foot pops the tail. Your pop doesn’t need to be too dramatic — less can be more when you’re applying pressure to your board for a pop shove-it. At the same time, you should push your back foot hard enough that your tail lifts, like you’re trying to get gum off your shoe. Your front foot will exert way less force on the board than your back foot — it basically just catches the board once you’ve popped it.
A participant pop shove it at Red Bull Mind The Gap in Atlanta in 2022
© Brian Hall / Red Bull Content Pool
Shoving your board
Next, you’ll move your front foot in an up-and-out forward motion, as your back foot scoops the tail from under the board. If you shove down and forward with your back foot, you can get some nice momentum.
In a slight deviation from the ollie, your front foot will hover just above, rather than sliding up, your board. This keeps your board flat in the air, making that 180-degree spin easier to pull off.
Controlling your rotation
With your whole body in the air, try to keep yourself parallel to your board as it rotates. If you need to direct your board as it spins, you can use your front foot to gently guide your deck. To keep your balance with your legs elevated as your board turns, use your arms for stability, lifting them up at your sides.
Catching and landing
When your board reaches maximum height, catch it. You’ll want to place each of your feet over each of your trucks. And, as you’ve been doing throughout this trick, keep those knees bent and your weight centered for a clean landing.
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Pop shove-it tips and troubleshooting
Getting the pop shove-it right takes lots of practice and a ton of patience. If you’re having trouble with your pop shove-its, here are some common mistakes beginners often make — and how you can correct them.
- Flipping the board on the pop. If you're losing control of your board on the first step, it’s likely an issue of too much force. Practice getting the pressure right with some popping-only sessions, then try again with the full trick once you’re feeling more comfortable.
- Missing the catch. If your board completes a full spin but seems to jump out in front of you before you land, it’s probably about body position. You may be too far behind the board when you jump up, so practice staying in line with your board when your legs lift. It can help to keep an eye on your foot placement and be mindful of keeping your shoulders square.
- Feeling unstable. If you’re moving as you practice pop shove-its but struggling with stability, you can try starting it from standing still. Find a space between flat surfaces to hold and stabilize your back wheels so your board doesn’t roll away.
- Timing the shove. Precise timing is key to the pop shove-it. If you’re stuck on getting each transition right, practice while sitting down. You can work on moving the board back and forth and flinging it around 180 degrees. This way, rotating your board feels natural when you’re upright.
Practice makes pop shove-its perfect
The pop shove-it is an essential beginner trick to get down right as you develop your skating repertoire. It may seem simple, but it can take quite a few tries before getting the timing and nuanced movements right. However, if you persist and keep getting back on the board, it’ll feel like you’re landing flawless pops and spins in no time.
