Fundamental · Nose pop
How to nollie on a fingerboard
A nollie is an ollie popped off the nose instead of the tail. Your fingers swap jobs: the index finger pops the nose, and the middle finger slides toward the tail to level the board in the air. Land all four wheels together. Same timing as an ollie, other end of the board.
Step by step
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Set your fingers
Index in the nose pocket, middle near the tail
Put your index finger in the pocket of the nose — not so far off the tip that it slips. Your middle finger sits near the tail, or just in front of the back bolts. This is the ollie setup with the jobs reversed: the index finger does the pop.
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Pop the nose
Snap the nose down so it taps the table
Snap the nose down with your index finger, short and sharp, until it taps the table. The board rebounds and the tail lifts. Don’t press slowly — it has to be a pop, just like an ollie, at the other end.
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Slide toward the tail
Slide your middle finger toward the tail to level the board
As soon as the nose pops, slide your middle finger toward the tail to lift it and level the board in the air. That’s the job your index finger does on an ollie. Here the middle finger levels the board.
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Level the board
Both fingers stay on the deck, board flat in the air
Don’t take both fingers off while the board is up. Keep the pads on the deck and wait until it’s level before you come down.
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Catch
Fingers over the bolts as it comes down
Catch with both fingers over the front and back bolts, same as an ollie, so all four wheels can land together.
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Land and roll away
All four wheels down, then roll away
Land all four wheels together and roll away in the same direction. A nollie still travels forward like an ollie — you just popped off the nose.
Common mistakes
- Mixing it up with switch. A nollie pops the nose in your regular stance — you are not moving your index finger to the tail.
- Popping the nose too slowly, or letting the index finger hang off the tip so it slips.
- Forgetting to slide the middle finger, so the tail stays low and you don’t land level.
Session tips
- Get a clean ollie first, then move your fingers into the nollie setup and just sit there until it feels familiar.
- Practice the nose pop on its own until it clearly taps the table, then add the slide.
- Think of it as an ollie at the other end of the board, with the same timing.