• Learning tricks on vert.Skateboard Park Ramps image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com
  
  Vertical skateboarding refers to the type of skating that takes place on a half pipe or mini ramp. The "vert" area of the half pipe and mini ramp consists of a completely vertical incline. Both of these ramp types have a U-shaped construction which allows the skateboarder to catch air above the coping, performing grabs and flip tricks. Tricks performed on the top edge of the ramp, called lip tricks, include grinds and stalls.
  
  

Rock to Fakie

• The most fundamental of the vertical skateboarding tricks, called the rock to fakie, takes place when the skateboarder reaches the top of the ramp and pushes the front truck over the coping and stalls momentarily. The skateboarder then pulls the board back onto the ramp face and rides away backwards. Drop into the half pipe riding down the first wall and slowly approach the lip on the opposing side. Make sure to rest the middle of the board, between the two trucks, on the lip while performing the rock to fakie. Stalling in the wrong place can cause the skater to lose his balance and fall onto the face of the ramp.
  
  

Front-side Disaster

• The front-side disaster occurs when the skater pops an Ollie above the lip of the half pipe while performing a 180-degree spin and landing back on the coping in the middle of the board. The skater will stall momentarily before popping the back truck over the coping and transitioning back onto the face of the ramp. When coming back into the ramp, always make sure the back truck has cleared the coping so as not to hang up on the lip of the ramp. Roll towards the lip at a slight angle to slide across the coping while performing the front-side disaster.
  
  

Frontside Ollie

• The novice skateboarder must practice quite frequently to master the front-side Ollie. This trick takes place as the skateboarder pops an Ollie above the coping while facing the wall of the ramp. The skater then transfers back onto the face of the ramp, landing on all four wheels simultaneously. The front-side Ollie, a pivotal component in a majority of vertical grab tricks, allows the skater to fly above the ramp catching air. As the skater becomes more comfortable with the front-side Ollie, he will have a more fluid style of motion and start to catch more air. Always wear the appropriate safety equipment when attempting any type of vertical skateboarding trick.