How to Pop Shove It

Position your feet on the board. You should position your front foot in the same place you'd put it if you were doing an ollie, just down from the front bolts, angled out a bit, with your heel hanging off a bit more. Your back foot should be in the toe side pocket of the tail, the place where you start the shove it with your back foot. You should be comfortable on the board before trying this trick. If you'd like to feel more steady in this position, then you can put your back wheels in a nice little crack that holds your wheels in tight, so your board doesn't roll when you're working on it. This can help you feel more stable if this is your first time doing the trick.

Bend your knees. Bend your knees just a bit, enough to get some momentum for jumping. This will help you get up in the air for long enough for your board to do a 180. Bend the rest of your body down a bit, too, so your arms hang below your knees. When you pop up, your arms will lift up a bit, too, helping you get some momentum going. It's up to you whether you want to get a little speed going or to do this flat-ground trick without any momentum. Some people like to do the pop shove it rolling, while others don't. There's no right way to start this trick. It's all about what works for you.

Pop up the board. Now, use your back foot to scoop the tail, just as you would for a shove it, but a bit harder, so that the tail smacks the ground, creating a popping sound. As you lift up, move forward, in the direction that the board is spinning, so you can keep up with it. This should make the board spin 180 degrees in the air. To scoop the tail, your back foot should curl under and go straight back, coming off the board and doing most of the work. The front foot should hover just a bit over the board, helping keep it in place. When you scoop with your back foot, you should hit the tail hard enough to get it lifted off the board. Think of it as having something on the bottom of your shoe, and trying to scrape it off the ground by moving your foot from front to back. Just remember not to hit the board too hard, or you may flip it over. It takes practice to find the right balance. In an ollie, the front foot should just slide all the way up the board, for the pop shove it, you want to make sure to lift the foot off the board entirely. Some people like to keep the foot hovering very close to the board, so they can put it down to help guide the board if necessary.

Stay above the board. Watch it spin, using your front foot to guide the board a bit if necessary. Your arms should come up a bit at your sides to help you get up above the board. Wait until the board is at the top of its height before you try to catch it.

Catch the board with your feet after it spins 180 degrees. Catch the board with your feet, landing both your feet on the trucks. Land your front foot near the front of the board and your back foot near the tail. Bend your knees when you land, to help you absorb some of the shock.

Roll away clean. Keep your board level to stay centered. Maintain your balance, using your arms to help you out a bit if necessary, as you ride away.

Kick up your game. Once you've mastered the pop shove it, you can try getting the board to spin 360 degrees instead of 180 degrees.