Doing a back foot or front foot impossible on your skateboard is all about foot wrap and muscle memory. Otherwise known as the ollie impossible, this trick requires some serious coordination from your lower body.
The trick gained its name because the inventor was told he would never perform a trick by using a back foot wrap to send the board on a full revolution. Professional skater Rodney Mullen made this trick famous in the 1980s, and it’s still one of the more favored among skaters today.
Presently there are several variations of the ollie impossible, all with different front foot and back foot techniques that make them unique. If you want to learn impossibles, you’re in the right place. Continue reading to learn how to ollie impossible on a skateboard.
How to Ollie Impossible on a Skateboard
This trick is executed when the skateboard is rolled up almost vertically over the back foot while hanging in mid-air, performing a 360-degree flip of the board. The skateboard does one full rotation, snaking around the back foot of the skater like the flip of a wand.
An alternate variation of the trick, known as the front foot impossible, is completed when the spin is initiated with the front foot.
This trick is one of the most visually pleasing in all of skateboarding. Let’s show you how to complete it.
Performing the Back Foot Ollie Impossible
This section will teach you the steps to perform the back foot ollie impossible. Before we go any further, you must understand one crucial point.
When you perform a back foot ollie impossible, your ollie skills must be very high-level. You’ll need to be able to ollie to near chest height. Assuming you’ve mastered the ollie, you can continue.
Foot Position
When you perform the ollie impossible, you need to start with your front foot as close to the center of the skateboard as possible. The only thing your front foot has to do during this trick is to dodge the movement of the board. This dodging is what allows the board to snake around your back foot.
The back foot should be planted on the middle of the tail, with your toes barely breaching the edge of the board. The heel of your back foot should not be overly planted on the board.
Dipping the Back Foot
Stand on a level surface with your front foot OFF of the board. Your back foot should be positioned in the same manner mentioned above. Dig down on the board, allowing it to dip through the back foot. The board must stay hooked to the rear foot as it dips around. When you plant, you will come down on the bolts close to the back side of the board.
Your front foot should be planted on the ground near the back of the skateboard for the whole duration of this practice maneuver. The goal of this practice maneuver is to familiarize your back foot with the dipping technique it takes to complete an ollie impossible.
Dipping the Back Foot While In Motion
When you perform this trick in action, the second step will begin with the FIRST step you completed in the above practice maneuver. Start moving with your feet already set up in the impossible position. You’ll want to enter into a slow drift during the onset of this trick.
During your roll, crack down on the board and start the impossible with the back foot while safely using the front foot to mark the ground.
Dip the skateboard through your back foot, plant on the bolts, and sweep with the front foot to continue in one seamless motion. Remember, keep the back foot hooked to the board since it is used as a control mechanism for this trick.
After you’re comfortable landing the trick while you’re moving, the final step is to slide in the back foot dip while sustaining the front foot in the air instead of on the ground, then finally land back on the skateboard to pull the trick off.
Extra Tips
It helps a lot of skaters to add an extra practice step into the mix known as the assisted ollie impossible. This is when a rider locates a rail that is a little lower than shoulder height.
While performing the dipping maneuver with the back foot and lifting the front foot, the rider grips the rail to allow extra air above the board. This gives them more time to feel the board moving beneath their body before they attempt to pull off the trick in real-time.
Front Foot Ollie Impossible
When you perform the front foot ollie impossible, the same dipping methods are used but only with the front foot instead of the back foot. The exact same steps are used, with the only difference being the rotating of the control foot.
After you master the back foot ollie impossible, you’ll still want to prepare for the alternative version the same way you did with the first. The body has to be trained to perform the dipping motion that sweeps the board up for the revolution.
Related: How to Ollie Higher?
Conclusion
If this sounds like a difficult trick to learn, it’s because it is. The ollie impossible is one of the hardest skateboard maneuvers to perform in motion. The amount of air and hang time needed to complete this trick are hard enough separately.
Add in having to learn a completely foreign motion with your feet, and you’ll understand why it’s called the ollie impossible. However, just like with any other good trick, practice makes perfect. Don’t expect to become an expert right away; sometimes, it can take weeks to pull this trick off. Always keep in mind that the right level of dedication and persistence always leads to success.