10 beginner tricks you can do on your pintail longboard

Pintail longboards are characterised by their signature surfboard-shaped deck. Some find the pintail longboard to be one of the best options for beginners. The pintail shape prevents the wheels from touching the board, aka "wheelbite". These longboards are extremely versatile - when combined with the proper performance components, they make one of the best options for cruising and carving. 

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So, if you’re starting out and looking for an aesthetically pleasing longboard for your cruising needs, a pintail longboard might just be the board for you. Most pintails come with decent flex, which provides you a cushy, comfortable ride without sacrificing much stability. Furthermore, pintail longboards provide a significant wheelbase, meaning there’s plenty of room for you to place your feet.

But if cruising and carving just ain’t cutting it out for you, we’ve compiled a list of 10 simple freestyle and dance tricks you can do on a pintail longboard. Some of these tricks come from our previous guide 10 longboard tricks every beginner should know. But since the pintail is not a symmetrical board like our Nahoa, we filtered out some tricks which might not suit it as well and added some interesting ones. 

Let’s go!

1. Cross Step

The Cross Step is a useful trick to spice up your carving. You start by bringing your front foot to the back of the heelside edge. Then, you cross your back foot over your front, again stepping on the heelside. After this, bring your front foot to the top and back foot to the back. Proceed to carve toeside. It is important to keep your head slightly forward so you don’t fall backward. You should also be shifting your hips and arms in different directions to maintain your balance! 

2. Peter Pan

In this trick, you’ll walk criss cross across your longboard. Bring your front foot to the backside of the toeside edge. Then, cross your front foot over to the heelside edge. Repeat these steps as many times as you want before returning to your original position. 

3. Pirouette

Ever wanted to be a ballerina? Now’s your chance! Place your front foot on the middle of the board, pointing forward. With your weight on your front foot, spin 360 degrees on the ball of your foot. Land in your original position and ride away gracefully. Remember, you should be rotating on the ball, not your heel

4. 180 Step

We suggest getting comfortable with riding switch before attempting this dance move. First, you bring your front foot to the middle of the toeside edge. Then, you bring your back foot to the topside pointing to the left of the board. Bring your front foot to the back, also pointing to the left of the board. Viola! You’re in switch position! You can repeat these steps again to get back to your original stance.

5. Ghostride

This trick involves hopping off your board and back on, but in a stylish manner. You start with your front foot in the middle, pointing to the front. Bring your back foot over and across the front, landing it on the ground. As you shift your front foot off the board, bring it over and across your back foot. Hop back on to the board in your original position.

6. Ghostride Kickflip

This is one of the easiest flips in the dictionary of freestyle tricks. First, you shift your front foot to the middle of your board. Bring your back foot over your front and onto the ground. Then, bring your front foot off as well. In one jumping motion, use the outer side of your back foot to flip the heelside of your deck; then you land on your deck back in your regular stance.

7. Tiger Claw

There is a possibility that this trick is Joe Exotic’s favourite. This trick involves some arm strength, so it isn’t advisable if you’re currently nursing a wrist injury. To start, place your front foot in the middle and back foot on the tail. As you shift your front foot off the board, pop the board up with your back foot. With your left hand, grab the top right side of your board. Use the momentum of the board to spin it 360 degrees horizontally - let go as it’s about to complete a full circle. As it lands, jump back on with your front foot leading.

8. Lookback

The lookback is one of the classic dance tricks you can execute on your pintail longboard. To perform the look back, your front foot steps off the board and you turn to face the back. Your back foot kicks the board away from you, catching it with the heel. Using a decent amount of force, pull the board back fast and step on in switch position.

9. Manuals

Source: Riders.co

Although manuals look simple, they require lots and lots of practice. Don't expect to get it down within a day - be patient and consistent with your practice! Manuals come in two forms: Nose manuals and tail manuals. To perform a manual, make sure you're first rolling forward. Then, place your front (back) foot on the nose (tail). Keep the other foot off-center, at least shoulder-width apart. Next, bend your knees and slowly shift your body weight to your pivoting foot. Try reaching your hands out for extra stability and try to maintain your balance! 

10. Hippie Jump

Hippie jumps are useful in getting over obstacles like a bench or really anything else which your board can go under and you can go over. To do a hippie jump, jump straight up while your longboard is rolling at a comfortable speed. The forward momentum from your longboard will launch you over the obstacle. Next, prepare for landing by bending your knees when you land. This helps to absorb some impact so you don't get thrown off by Newton's third law. It is essential that you don't jump forward as that'll launch your board backward and you definitely won't land back on after clearing the obstacle.