Once you gain experience riding around on a penny board basics like commuting from A to B isn’t enough any more.
Eventually you’ll want to throw some tricks into the mix to get as much fun out of your penny board as possible.
But is it even possible? Can you do tricks on a penny board when you want to spice things up?
Can You Do Tricks On A Penny Board?
Yes, of course you can do tricks on a penny board. Basic tricks are possible although they’ll be a lot harder than performing tricks on a normal skateboard. It will also take you longer than usual to perfect each trick.
5 Easiest Tricks To Perform On A Penny Board
I doubt anyone expects to perform penny board tricks that would win you gold at the X-Games, but you’ll still have a few options up your sleeve at the very least. Here are the best penny board tricks for beginners to get you started:
- Ollieing
- Manuals
- Hippie Jump
- Shove It
- Tail Stall
1 – Ollieing – The kicktail on penny boards means you’ll still be able to ollie. It’s also a lot tougher on a 22 inch board vs a 27 inch penny nickel board. Once you’re used to the small board it won’t take long before you’ll be able to ollie up curbs and even higher obstacles.
2 – Manuals – You will be able to perform kicktail manuals and nose manuals on a penny board although the former is much easier. Even if you can’t hold your balance long to begin with you’ll get better over time. You should be able to land in a manual after doing other tricks too.
3 – Hippie Jump – A hippie jump involves jumping off your penny board and landing on it once it’s passed under an obstacle. Jumping in the air is the easy part. Landing back on the penny board will be harder because it’s so small, but the extra challenge makes things more interesting.
4 – Shove It – Penny boards can still be ridden either way once you’ve built up enough skill, so you’ll be able to do shove its. Spinning the penny board 180 degrees is actually pretty easy. Just make sure you don’t try them at high speed until you can keep your balance going slowly.
5 – Tail Stall – Maybe you’ll want to play on a quarter pipe or visit the skate park with your penny board. If you build up enough speed and ride fakie you’ll be able to balance on the coping with enough practice. Harder tricks like boardslides are possible on ramps too.
Penny Nickel Board Tricks Are Easier
If you’re convinced you want a penny board for tricks you should opt for the 27 inch nickel board. It’s almost the exact same but those extra few inches make a big difference. There will also be some tricks you’ll be able to perform on a nickel board that won’t be possible on a 22 inch penny board.
A larger, more stable board is safer too. Nobody wants to fall down all the time when they’re learning how to do a staple gun on a penny board. The time it will take you to move from beginner to advanced penny board tricks is also going to come a lot sooner.
Why Penny Boards Are Good For Tricks
A lot of people will tell you skateboards and longboards are much better when it comes to tricks, which is true. But I don’t think penny boards get the credit they deserve even though they’re designed for cruising. Here are a few reasons why they’re still worth using:
- Solid plastic
- Unstable surfaces
- Lightweight
Solid plastic – Penny boards might be made from plastic but they’re solid as a rock. The penny board trucks are able to take a beating too. When you’re throwing the board around you don’t need to worry about it breaking partly because you won’t be able to do anything too crazy.
Unstable surfaces – The penny board wheels are soft enough to roll over unstable surfaces and the bearings help you retain speed. If you have to roll over little stones or cracks in the road you’ll still be able to fully concentrate on your tricks.
Lightweight – Doing tricks on a lightweight board is always easier than a heavy one. You don’t even need to put much effort in when you’re trying to get more air. If you’re used to doing tricks on skateboards and longboards it will take a little while to get used to the new weight.
A Quick Way To Make Penny Board Tricks Easier
Make sure you wear the right shoes when you’re trying to do tricks on a penny board. The surface of the deck doesn’t have as much grip as a traditional skateboard so it’s slippier. If you wear a good pair of skate shoes you shouldn’t run into any problems jumping on the penny board.
One of the great things about penny boards is how cool they look. The boards come in a lot of different colors. If you don’t care too much about aesthetics think about putting grip tape on the deck. It will drastically increase the ease in which you’ll be able to do tricks.
Penny Board Pushing And Feet Positioning
Don’t attempt any penny board tricks until you’ve got pushing and feet positioning down. Firstly, you’ll need to be able to reach certain speeds depending on which trick you’re attempting. If your feet are positioned correctly on the board it’s going to make take offs and landings easier too.
You might think it’s going to be easy, but keep in mind a 22 inch penny board isn’t as big as a skateboard. It does take time to get your pushing and positioning right. Penny nickel boards have an easier learning curve because you’ve got a longer and wider deck to work with.
Can You Do Tricks On A Penny Board?
Now you know it’s definitely possible to do tricks on a penny board. Just don’t expect to be throwing backflips in the near future. You’ll be able to do a wide selection of penny board tricks, plus you will be able to get the benefits of using the board for its main purpose.
