Can You Ollie on a Longboard? Yes, but It’s a Fight

You can ollie on a longboard, but it demands a different technique and more power than on a skateboard. The extra length and weight, combined with larger, softer wheels, fight against the quick pop and scoop. Success hinges on a functional kicktail, a deliberate weight shift, and accepting that it will never feel as snappy as a street deck.

That gap between “possible” and “practical” is where most guides stop. They’ll tell you it’s harder and leave you wondering about the core can you ollie on a longboard question of if you should even try. The real question isn’t can you, but should you, and if so, how do you adapt the mechanics to a board that wasn’t built for it.

What follows: a breakdown of the physics working against you, the specific technique adjustments that bridge the gap, a clear-eyed look at what can break (you or the board), and the types of longboards that give you a fighting chance.

Key Takeaways

• An ollie on a standard longboard requires significantly more leg power due to the board’s mass and wheel momentum.
• A functional kicktail is essential; many cruising longboards lack one, making a true ollie mechanically impossible.
• The adapted technique focuses on a powerful pop and a deliberate front-foot scoop to overcome the board’s length and wheel stickiness.
• Attempting ollies on a longboard not designed for it risks damaging the deck at the truck mounting points and increases the chance of wheel bite.
• For practical curb hops, a shorter cruiser-style longboard with a defined tail is the only realistic choice.

The Physics That Fight You

Technical Snippet: The EN 13613:2009 standard defines a Class A longboard for users 20-100 kg, focusing on structural safety for straight-line travel and carving. This design prioritizes stability from a longer wheelbase (often over 30 inches) and larger diameter wheels (65mm+) for smooth roll over rough pavement, directly opposing the quick, torqued pop required for an ollie.

Be realistic about what you’re asking when you compare an ollie attempt on a longboard to a skateboard trick. A street skateboard is a lever. You snap the tail down, the nose rises, you guide it with your front foot. It’s light, it’s responsive.

A longboard is a plank. A 38 INCH RIDER model weighs 3.13kg of deck, trucks, and wheels you have to get airborne. The wheelbase is long, which spreads your weight and dampens the lever action. The wheels are bigger and softer, which grips the pavement instead of sliding. You’re not just popping a tail; you’re overcoming inertia.

The first sensory clue you’re fighting physics is the sound. A skateboard pop is a sharp crack. A longboard pop, if you can manage it, is a dull thud. You feel the energy sink into the deck before anything happens.

Factor	Street Skateboard	Longboard	Impact on Ollie
Deck Length	28-32 inches	38+ inches	Longer lever arm requires more force to pop; harder to control in air.
Deck Weight	~2.0 kg	~3.1 kg (38 INCH RIDER)	More mass to lift, draining pop power.
Wheel Size/Hardness	Smaller, harder	Larger, softer	Softer, larger wheels grip ground, resisting the initial pop and increasing friction on landing.
Primary Design Goal	Tricks, agility	Carving, cruising, downhill stability	Stability opposes the quick, unbalanced motion of an ollie.

Where this goes sideways: Ignoring the wheel size. Those soft, grippy larger wheels that make cruising so smooth act like suction cups when you try to pop. They don’t want to leave the ground, and if you do get the board up, they’re more likely to grab on landing and send you over the front.

The Kicktail: Your Non-Negotiable Starting Point

This isn’t a style preference. It’s geometry. An ollie works by using the tail as a lever point. If the tail is flush with the ground or only slightly angled, common on many pintail and drop-through longboards, you have nothing to snap against.

You need a defined, upturned kicktail. It doesn’t need to be as steep as a street deck’s, but it must be pronounced enough to create a pivot point. Many hybrid and cruiser-style longboards have this. If your board doesn’t, you’re not doing an ollie. You’re doing a awkward, inefficient hop that will strain your ankle and likely crack the deck’s tail.

I learned this the hard way watching a student try to “ollie” a classic pintail for weeks. He had the power, the timing, the commitment. The board would just scrape pathetically along the ground. The day he switched to a friend’s cruiser with a kicktail, he got the board a few inches off the ground. The tool has to match the task.

The Adapted Ollie Technique

So you have a board with a kicktail. The street skateboard manual is now mostly useless. Here’s the adapted sequence.

Step 1: Stance and Mindset. Place your back foot firmly on the kicktail, ball of your foot near the edge. Your front foot should be just behind the front trucks, not in the middle of the deck. You need that distance to scoop. Mentally, you’re not “popping” a tail. You’re jumping and pulling the board up with you.

Step 2: The Pop and Jump. This is a simultaneous, powerful motion. Crouch, then explode upwards. As you jump, snap your back ankle down to drive the tail into the ground. On a longboard, this pop feels less like a flick and more like a stomp. You’re using your whole leg to generate force.

Step 3: The Front-Foot Scoop. This is the critical difference. On a skateboard, you slide your front foot up to level the board. On a longboard, you must actively scoop or drag your front foot upward and forward along the griptape. You’re not just guiding the nose; you’re helping to pull the entire length of the board up to your back foot. Feel the griptape grit against your shoe.

Step 4: Level and Land. As the board rises, suck your knees up. Level the board by bringing your back foot up to meet the rising tail. Spot your landing. Land with knees bent, ideally over the bolts, to absorb the impact across the trucks.

Common mistake: Focusing all energy on the tail pop. On a longboard, the pop gets it started, but the front-foot scoop does 60% of the work. Without that deliberate, abrasive drag, the nose won’t come up enough and the board will rocket out in front of you.

Expect this to feel heavy and slow. The timing between your pop and scoop is wider than on a skateboard. If your wheels bite the deck on the way up, you’ll feel a sudden, jarring stop, that’s wheel bite, and it means your trucks are too loose for trick attempts.

Risks: To You and Your Board

Manufacturer manuals are clear about the dangers. The Insportline manual states “Riding and jumping while longboarding can be dangerous,” and stresses the need for a helmet and protectors for palms, wrists, knees, and elbows. The Otto manual adds not to ride under any influence that impairs reaction. They’re talking about general riding, but the risk multiplies with trick attempts.

For the board itself, the stress points are different. A longboard’s deck is longer and often flexes. The repeated impact of slamming the tail down can crack it at the kicktail or, worse, around the rear truck mounts. The EN 13613:2009 standard tests for structural integrity under expected use, jumping isn’t part of that test profile.

Truck axles and kingpins are also under more shear force during a skewed landing. And if you’re running loose trucks for carving, attempting an ollie can cause the wheel to hit the deck (wheel bite) during the pop, abruptly killing your momentum and pitching you forward.

Risk	Cause	Likely Outcome
Deck Crack	Repeated high-impact pops on a deck not reinforced for trick stress.	Crack at tail or rear truck mounts, rendering board unsafe.
Wheel Bite	Loose trucks combined with an angled pop during an ollie.	Sudden stop, rider ejected forward; potential fall.
Truck/Kingpin Damage	Landing sideways or with excessive force on one wheel.	Bent axle or cracked kingpin, affecting steering.
Rider Fall	Failed pop, wheel bite, or board shooting out.	Wrist, elbow, or knee impact (hence the mandated protectors).

Choosing a Longboard for Ollies (If You Must)

If your goal is to hop curbs while cruising, you don’t need a full street skateboard. You need the right type of longboard.

Look for a cruiser or hybrid board. These are shorter, typically in the 30-36 inch range. The essential feature is a defined, upturned kicktail. Some top-mount boards also work, but avoid drop-through mounts for trick attempts, they lower the board, reducing pop clearance and often lack a usable tail.

Deck stiffness matters. A completely rigid deck will transfer more pop energy but is less forgiving on landings. A slight flex can absorb impact but may sap some pop power. It’s a trade-off.

Set it up for response. You might want slightly smaller, harder wheels than you’d use for pure cruising. This reduces weight and grip, making the pop and slide phase easier. Tighten your trucks from your cruising setting to minimize wheel bite during the pop.

TL;DR: For ollies, a short cruiser with a kicktail, harder wheels, and tighter trucks is your only viable longboard option. A traditional longboard is the wrong tool.

Longboard Tricks vs. Skateboard Tricks

This is where the distinction saves you frustration. Longboards have their own trick lexicon based on their design strengths: sliding, dancing, freeriding. A coleman slide or a glove-down stand-up slide is a fundamental, stylish trick that uses the board’s speed and wheel design. Cross-stepping and dancing make use of the long deck’s real estate.

Trying to force street skateboarding onto a longboard is like using a sledgehammer for finish carpentry. You can make it work, but it’s inefficient and you’ll ruin the tool. The community resources on longboarding tricks explore these native techniques, which are often more rewarding and sustainable.

If you’re curious about the limits, some hybrid boards can manage a manual on a longboard or even a 180 on a longboard, as these rely more on balance and rotation than a explosive pop. But for flip tricks like a kickflip on a longboard, you are deep in experimental territory.

Maintenance for a Trick-Oriented Setup

If you’re going to attempt ollies, your maintenance routine needs an upgrade. The Otto manual gives a baseline: regularly tighten all screws, especially on the wheels and swivel joints, and check the wheels for wear. For trick attempts, you’re checking more often.

After every session where you’re popping the board, inspect the tail area for stress lines or cracks in the wood. Listen for any new rattles, a sign a hardware nut has shaken loose. Check the tightness of your kingpin nut; the repeated impacts can loosen it. Rotate your wheels more frequently, as the inside edges will wear faster from the angled landings.

Keep a skate tool in your bag. The difference between a fun session and a trip home can be a five-second tightening of a truck bolt.

Should Beginners Use a Skateboard Instead?

If your goal is to learn to ollie, a standard skateboard is the better tool. A longboard’s design fights the fundamental mechanics of the trick. Its greater length and weight make the board harder to pop off the ground, and its typical wheelbase is longer, which dampens the quick lever action you need. Longboard should only be used in places suitable for longboarding, with flat, clean, dry surfaces and no motor vehicles nearby. Always use a helmet and protectors for palms, wrists, knees, and elbows when longboarding, as stated in the Insportline manual. The Otto manual also mandates a helmet and knee, elbow, and wrist protectors. Perform jumps only on models intended for it and in places where you cannot injure anyone. Riding and jumping while longboarding can be dangerous.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to do an Ollie on a longboard?

Yes, it is physically possible to ollie on a longboard that has a functional kicktail. However, it is significantly more difficult due to the board’s greater length, weight, and larger, softer wheels compared to a street skateboard. The technique must be adapted, requiring more leg power and a deliberate front-foot scoop.

Are there any tricks you can do on a longboard?

Absolutely. Longboards excel at a different set of tricks based on speed and flow. These include various slides (like coleman slides), dancing steps, and freeriding maneuvers. These tricks work with the board’s design strengths rather than fighting against them. Exploring these trick possibilities is often more rewarding for longboarders.

Can I Ollie on a cruiser?

Cruiser is your best bet for ollieing within the longboard family. Cruisers are shorter and almost always feature a pronounced kicktail, making the pop motion on a longboard far more feasible. They are designed as a bridge between transportation and light trick capability.

Is longboarding easier than skating?

They are different skills with different difficulty curves. Longboarding is generally easier to start for pure riding and carving, as the larger wheels and stable platform forgive bumps. Street skateboarding has a steeper initial learning curve for basic riding but is more optimized for technical, pop-based tricks like the ollie. One isn’t universally easier; it depends on your goals.

Before You Go

What nobody tells you is this: the question “can you ollie on a longboard” is usually asking the wrong thing. You’re not looking for a yes/no. You’re looking for the most efficient way to get your board over a curb or gap while enjoying the ride of a longboard.

For that, the answer is a short cruiser with a kicktail. It’s the only configuration where the effort in meets the reward out. Everything else is a academic exercise that wears out your deck and your patience.

If your primary goal is to learn street skating tricks, save yourself the fight. Get a skateboard. But if you love the feel of a longboard and just want that extra bit of urban functionality, the adapted technique on the right board will get you there. Just tighten those trucks first.