How To Do A Frontside Air
The frontside air is a key part of any skateboarders arsenal. The frontside air has been around since people started skating in pools and ramps. A frontside move means than when you come up the ramp your front is facing away from the ramp. This is true for any frontside move you will perform.
The first step is being able to perform a frontside ollie on a ramp. A frontside ollie is similar to a regular ollie, except as you come up the ramp you want to give your board a frontside angle. This means that as you come up the ramp and start your ollie you should be turning so that your front faces away from the ramp. You want to come at a speed that allows you to get air, but not so fast that you are out of control. Once you have gotten this technique down you are ready for the next step.
The next thing you want to practice is bringing your knees as far up as you can. This is an important step because the higher up your knees are the less your body has to move to complete the grab. If you have to move your torso too much to complete the grab it could throw your whole body out of whack and result in a failed grab. This is why bringing your knees as high up as you can is the key to performing a frontsdie air. When grabbing it is best to reach around your legs. Your first instinct may be to reach between them, if all possible try to avoid this. Habits are hard to break so try to do things correctly the first time.
Another trick to the frontside air is to frontside ollie inside of the ramp. This means you do not have to try and reach the top. Once you do this bring your knees up and start to move your hand towards the board. Be sure to let your weight shift towards the back of the board as you come off the ramp. As you are tucked and performing the grab in air be sure to look for a landing spot. You will want to turn your head as you get in the air. This allows you to spot your feet and make sure they are placed correctly, as well as spot your landing area. As you land be sure to keep your knees bent to help with the blow. It is not always important to land perfectly straight. You will be fine even if the landing is a little off as long as you have enough speed when you land. To perform the best frontside air you want to keep a nice smooth arc the entire time. Be noted that you will turn slower in air the higher you go up.
Now you know how to perform a frontside air. If you take away only one thing here let it be to keep your knees up. As you progress you can move on to more complex moves.
