Fakie vs switch
vs nollie
The short answer
Fakie is rolling backwards in your normal stance. Switch is rolling forward with your feet in the opposite stance. Nollie is rolling forward in your normal stance but popping off the nose with your front foot. A fakie ollie and a switch ollie both pop off the tail like a normal ollie; only the nollie pops off the nose.
Regular skater, from above
Where your feet go
Ollie and fakie ollie
Same feet as an ollie: back foot on the tail, front foot behind the front bolts. The only difference is you're rolling tail-first.
Nollie
Ball of the front foot in the nose pocket, centered, turned about 25° toward the nose. Back foot straight across, a few centimeters in front of the back bolts. Pop the nose down and slide the back foot toward the tail.
Switch ollie
Same placement as an ollie, with your feet swapped: your usual front foot is now on the tail. For a regular skater that is the goofy ollie.
Front foot Back foot. Goofy skaters: mirror each one.
Side by side, on the ollie
The difference
| Ollie | Fakie Ollie | Nollie | Switch Ollie | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You roll | Forward, or standing still | Backwards, tail first | Forward | Forward |
| Stance | Normal | Normal | Normal | Opposite: your usual front foot is on the tail |
| Pops off | The tail | The tail | The nose | The tail |
| Popping foot | Back foot | Back foot | Front foot | Your usual front foot |
| What makes it hard | Learning the pop and slide | Staying centered while rolling backwards | Popping and balancing off your weaker foot | Getting comfortable rolling switch at all |
| Level | 1 of 5 | 2 of 5 | 2 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
When it won't land
Common mistakes, each one
Fakie Ollie
- You pop but fall backwards
- Keep your shoulders and hips stacked over the middle of the board before you pop.
- The board spins out to one side
- Look down at the board, not just ahead, until the straight slide feels automatic.
- You can't pop as high as your regular ollie
- Commit to the same hard, fast pop you already use going forward.
- You bail before you even pop
- Practice rolling fakie on its own first, with no pop, until it feels normal.
Nollie
- The tail smacks down before your feet catch up
- Slide the back foot up right as the nose pops, not after.
- The board shoots out from under your front foot
- Set your front foot heel-side in the nose pocket before you pop, not flat on top.
- You can't get any height
- Trust the front foot. It does the popping here, not the back foot.
- The nose stays down and drags
- Lift your front foot to meet the board right after it pops.
Switch Ollie
- You can't even balance rolling switch
- Skip the pop for now and log rolling time switch until it feels normal.
- The pop is weak compared to your regular ollie
- Pop it exactly as hard as your normal ollie. Hesitation kills the pop more than the unfamiliar stance does.
- Your front foot slide goes crooked
- Slide straight up the grip tape, the same line you already use regularly.
- You catch it off balance and step off
- Practice popping small and landing on flat ground before adding any speed.
FAQ
Fakie, switch,
nollie FAQ
Is switch the same as fakie?
No. Fakie means rolling backwards in your normal stance. Switch means riding forward with your feet in the opposite stance.
What is the difference between a nollie and a fakie ollie?
A nollie pops off the nose with your front foot while you roll forward. A fakie ollie pops off the tail with your back foot, the same as a normal ollie, while you roll backwards. Both keep your normal stance.
What is the difference between a nollie and a switch ollie?
A nollie pops off the nose in your regular stance. A switch ollie pops off the tail like a normal ollie, but with your feet in the opposite stance.
Is fakie the same as goofy?
No. Goofy is a stance: right foot forward (regular is left foot forward). Fakie is a direction: rolling backwards in whichever stance is yours. Not sure which stance is yours? Take the goofy or regular test.
Which is hardest: fakie, nollie or switch?
In our guides the fakie ollie and the nollie are level 2 of 5 and the switch ollie is level 3. The fakie ollie keeps your feet and your pop, so it usually comes quickest. The nollie pops off your weaker foot. The switch ollie takes longest, mostly because rolling switch itself takes time to feel normal.
What comes after each one?
After the fakie ollie: fakie kickflip, fakie heelflip, fakie frontside 180, half cab. After the nollie: nollie kickflip, nollie shove-it, nollie heelflip, nollie frontside 180, nollie backside 180. After the switch ollie: switch kickflip, switch heelflip. A comfortable switch ollie is the base every switch flip trick builds on.
