You might not have witnessed many people riding a cruiser board, much less perform tricks on them at the skatepark. This is because it’s popularly believed that cruiser boards aren’t designed for tricks, however, that’s not entirely true.
Despite common belief, you can perform a ton of tricks on a Cruiser board. Even as a novice skateboarder, you can perform tricks such as manuals, hippie jumps, flip-ons, powerslides, and ollies while riding a cruiser board.
Learning how to perform these tricks requires a ton of practice, along with the ability to maintain the correct posture and balance. Moreover, each trick also requires learning a different technique than the other. Therefore, if you want to learn all the tricks you must learn how to execute their respective techniques.
10 Simple Tricks You Can Perform On A Cruiser Skateboard
Generally, performing tricks on a cruiser is difficult. However, with practice and persistence, you can learn any trick you put your mind on. Here are a handful of tricks you can try that are quite simple to execute, especially if you’re a beginner.
1. Power sliding
A powerslide is achieved by shifting your weight to the tail of the board and sliding the board’s wheel along the ground. Due to its simplicity, this is a common maneuver for everyone who skates cruisers. All you need to do is make enough effort to slide the wheels of the board.
The first step in power sliding is to gain some momentum so that you can execute the powerslide smoothly. Next, you need to find the correct posture to balance yourself. Your front foot should be placed over the bolts near the head while your rear foot should be on the board’s tail.
Once your balance is set, you can hop slightly in the air with your knees bent and use your rear foot to slide the back wheels into a horizontal position. Once the board is sliding horizontally, you can slide it back to its original position whenever you feel as if you are losing your momentum. To do this, simply slide your rear foot across the board to align the board vertically while simultaneously reducing pressure on both ends of the board.
2. Shuv-It
Another simple technique you can attempt on your cruiser board is the shuv-it, which turns your board 180° beneath your feet. The key to this trick is to restrict the motion to the back foot instead of kicking outwards with your front foot.
To successfully perform a shuv-it, make sure to achieve the perfect stance. To do this, plant your front foot near the bolts and your back foot on its tail. After that, take a little leap to elevate your body weight. As soon as you do that, kick your back foot on the tail of the board to turn the skateboard 180°.
Once the board has fully turned, try to land both your feet on the board. After you’re able to do that, you can try catching the board alone with your front foot. Keep in mind that the board will end up, somewhat, ahead of where you started performing the trick, so it’s best to hop slightly forward in order to anticipate the landing of the board.
3. Front Shuv-It
A front shuv-it is slightly different from the original shuv-it trick. The main difference is that it rotates the board 180 degrees in the other way. The foot positioning is also somewhat different in this trick. If you want to land on the board effortlessly, make sure to learn the correct foot positioning.
To achieve the correct posture, place your back foot in the tail pocket, which is at the end of the tail. Placing your heel on the tail pocket can help you drive the tail of the board forward without accidentally flipping it. Position your front foot behind the front bolts, with your toes dangling over the edge. This will help you guide the board when it is revolving.
Next, slightly leap up to raise your body off of the board while pushing the board’s tail forward with your rear foot, exactly like in a normal shuv-it. Limiting the movement of your back foot will allow you to get a smooth body rotation. The board falls slightly behind you in front-shuvs, so hopping backward as you jump will make sure you land perfectly on your board.
4. Nollie Shuv-It
The nollie shuv is another variation of the shuv-it which can be performed on the skateboard’s nose. This trick is performed in the same manner as a standard shuv, but with your front foot placed on the skateboard’s nose and your rear foot placed near the bolts on the tail.
To do this trick, lift your weight by jumping slightly and scooping the skateboard’s nose behind you with the help of your front foot. Initially, it may be helpful to kick your rear foot forward to aid the board rotation.
The main issue with nollie stunts is that your skateboard must have a long nose. If your cruiser’s deck doesn’t reach past the front wheels, these stunts become more difficult to perform since you have less grip on the nose.
5. Nollie Front Shuv-It
Nollie front shuvs are a lot like a nollie shuv, except that the board is pushed forward with your front foot this time rather than behind you. The easiest way to do this technique is by placing your heel at the edge of the nose pocket. You can also put your rear foot directly beneath the bolts at the tail end, while your toes extend beyond the edge of the tail just slightly.
After you have positioned your feet properly, leap slightly and put your front foot down on the head of the board, which will allow it to spin under your feet. This will make the board fall behind you, which is like a typical front shuv. Therefore, to land more smoothly on the board you can jump back a little.
6. Ollie
An ollie is the most popular trick for skateboarding since it serves as the basis for almost any other skateboarding trick in the book. The procedure for performing an ollie on a cruiser board is very similar to performing one on a standard skateboard.
To perform an ollie, jump slightly in the air and press down on the board’s tail with your back foot. Your front foot should be right below the front bolts of the board. The tail striking the ground will allow the rear wheels of the board to be lifted above the ground.
The moment this happens, slide your front foot towards the head of the skateboard to raise it off the ground. To perform a higher ollie, you can tuck your legs towards your chest. However, this will require a lot of practice to execute perfectly.
7. Manuals
Manuals are performed by balancing the rear wheels of the board while simultaneously lifting your front wheels off the ground. This feat may also be performed off the nose (which is called a nose manual), although it is usually more difficult.
To execute a manual, put your rear foot on the tail and your front foot near the bolts at the head. A broader stance will make you feel safer while performing a manual. Therefore, you should hold your front foot across the front bolts for greater balance.
Next, put some weight on your rear foot while simultaneously reducing the weight on your front foot. This will allow you to elevate the nose. Bend your knees and try looking for the ideal spot on your board so that you can stay perfectly balanced on the rear wheels.
Finding the ideal balance to execute a manual requires a lot of practice. A common mistake some beginners make is that they end up dragging the tail, which makes the front wheels fall back to the ground. The more you practice, the easier it will be to find the appropriate balance while executing a manual.
8. Hippie Jump
A hippie jump entails jumping over an obstacle as the board rolls below it. This trick may appear intimidating at first. However, once you learn how to land on your board smoothly, it’s rather simple to perform. To do that, you can try jumping on a stationary cruiser board first, before slowly increasing its pace. After that, you can practice hippie jumps over flat bars that you can find at various skateparks.
To do a hippie jump, start by rolling up to a barrier at a moderate speed. As soon as you are a couple of feet away from the bar, let the cruiser board jump past you. Jump straight up and elevate your feet high enough to clear the bar. After that, land back on the board with an open stance to avoid falling sideways.
9. Flip On
A flip-on is a stationary move that begins with your board upside down (wheels up) on the ground and your toes below the deck. To execute a flip-on, you first jump up and forward in one motion while keeping your feet tight to flip the board the correct way around. When you land, your board will be flipped back onto its wheels, and you will be able to stand on top of it!
10. 180 Body Varial
A 180 body varial, also known as a 180 pop shuv-it, is performed by leaping up and turning your body 180 degrees before you land back on the skateboard. This technique is best taught while stationary, but after you’re comfortable with it, you can attempt it while you’re in motion as well.
To do this trick, you must first learn how to do a hippie jump the right way, since both are related to one another. Place your feet right over the bolts at each end of the board before making a tiny hop in the air.
As soon as you jump, twist your body around 180 degrees so you’re facing the opposite direction. To land smoothly, your shoulders should not be perpendicular to your waist but should be as straight as possible.
A Cruiser or Skateboard – What is More Difficult to Use for Tricks?
On a cruiser board, you can perform all the same tricks that you can do on a standard skateboard. Beginners, however, can find cruiser boards harder to operate on because of certain factors including their unique width, design, and deck shape.
Width – Cruiser vs Regular Skateboard
A standard skateboard has equal width, from the nose to the tail, allowing more space for you to slide your feet and perform various tricks. On the other hand, most cruiser boards have unique widths, which can be slightly difficult to get used to.
Most cruiser boards have either narrow noses and broad tails, or broad noses and narrow tails. Therefore, each board requires some getting accustomed to before it feels natural underneath your feet. Since most cruiser skateboards all have a similar shape, it’s easier to get used to performing tricks on them.
Deck – Cruiser vs. Regular Skateboard
The deck of cruiser skateboards may not always be as concave as a conventional skateboard deck. On a standard skateboard, you can identify the concave part by glancing at the top of the deck and noticing how the outsides curve slightly upwards from the center. On the other hand, in cruiser skateboards, the concave part is either minimal or non-existent.
The concaveness of a skateboard is useful for flicking and catching techniques, and without it, you are bound to miss its presence. The good thing is that you won’t notice the difference if you haven’t performed tricks on a regular skateboard before. However, if you’re converting to a cruiser board from a regular skateboard, you’ll have to get used to the absence of a concave part.
Size – Cruiser vs Regular Skateboard
Another reason why the cruisers are more difficult to perform tricks on is that their size is substantially bigger or considerably smaller than that of a regular skateboard. The usual skateboard deck used has a width of 7′′ to 8′′ and a length of 32′′.
When compared to a cruiser board, which has widths ranging from under 6′′ to over 9″ and lengths ranging from 25′′ to 32′′, it’s clear that you will have a very different skateboarding experience when you’re on this type of board.
How To Choose a Cruiser Skateboard
Due to their smooth rolling performance, cruiser boards are a lot of fun to execute basic tricks on. However, choosing the right cruiser board is essential for achieving the optimal experience. Some factors that you need to look at include the material the cruiser board is made of, its flexibility, the size of the wheels, and the trucks of the board.
Cruiser Board Material
Materials range from low-cost plastic to high-quality, long-lasting maple wood, cherry wood, or grade-A plastic that is nearly indestructible. The higher the price, the higher the quality of the cruiser.
On top of the board, you’ll occasionally find that the board has a completely gripped deck. Some boards contain only a few strips of grip, while others have no grip at all. As a beginner, look for a board with more grip so that you can maintain your balance easily.
| Deck Material | Properties |
| Cheap Plastic | Economical boards which break easily and aren’t very safe |
| Maple Wood | These boards are flexible and durable |
| Fibreglass | Provide great strength and grip than other boards and are excessively durable. |
Choose the Right Flexibility
If you want to perform tricks on a cruiser board, you need to make sure your board has the right amount of flex. The material of a board and its thickness influences its flexibility. The more flexibility a board has, the more stress it can absorb, but it also influences your ability to stabilize yourself, especially at faster speeds. Therefore, do not rush to get a very flexible board, as a beginner, you might need a stiffer and a flatter board if you want to go fast.
Ideal Cruiser Board Wheels
Softer wheels are ideal for uneven roads as well as stones and fractures in pavements. They also allow you to ride as smoothly as possible. The size of the wheel also plays a huge role in your skateboarding experience. The larger the wheels, the more speed, stability, and balance you will have. Cruiser wheel generally don’t go over 65mm as they won’t fit and cause wheel bite.
Choose the Right Trucks
For the best skateboarding experience, your cruiser skateboard should have turny trucks. This increases the turning and carving abilities of the board, which is essential if you are skateboarding on small, narrow streets. However, loose trucks do not handle speed well, so try not to push them too hard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Hardest Trick to Perform on a Cruiser Board?
The hardest trick is the next trick. It all depends on your skill level and what you want to achieve. There is no way to tell which trick is the hardest because it all depends on what you want to learn.
Should I buy a Standard Skateboard or a Cruiser as a Beginner?
If you’re just starting, you can buy a cruiser as it is generally more forgiving for beginners. Cruiser boards are also easy to learn to skate on since they have softer and larger wheels. On the other hand, standard skateboards are ideal to perform tricks on.
Are Cruiser Boards With a Plastic Deck Better than Boards with a Wood Deck?
The benefit of plastic cruiser skateboards is that they are cheap. They are also easy to carry around, which makes them ideal for children. However, if you want to perform tricks, go with a cruiser with a wooden deck, or better a real skateboard.
Conclusion
Learning how to perform tricks on a cruiser skateboard is a difficult. As a beginner, you might come across multiple obstacles at first, but with the right amount of practice, you can perfect each of these tricks. If this is your goal, please get a regular skateboard with softer wheels. Once you learn how to ride and do some basic tricks, swap the softer wheel for harder wheels and tricks will become way easier.
