How to Backside Bigspin

Backside bigspins are one of my favorite flatground tricks. I love throwing one and rolling away fakie. But it took me a long time to figure them out, until I learned an important thing: a backside bigspin is its own trick.

You can’t think of it as a 360 shove it with a body varial, or a backside 180 with an extra pop shove it. It has its own technique and its own problems. Once I realized that, this trick (and other tricks) got a lot easier.

Before you start

You should have a pop shove it and a backside 180. Just don’t think of the bigspin as those two stuck together.

Foot position

• Front foot: up somewhere where you can get it out of the way.
• Back foot: on the tip of the tail, a little toward the toe side. For a 360 shove it, I’d put it in the pocket for a better scoop. On a bigspin, that makes you more likely to add a flip, so I keep it back on the tip.

How to backside bigspin

1. Wind up

I like to do the full 360 shove it in the air and land straight, not in a pivot. To do that, you need to wind up. More than you think, because you’re transferring some of that rotation to the board.

2. Keep your back straight

With most backside spinning tricks, keeping your back straight is important. If you curl your back forward, you throw the board backward when you pop. If you’ve ever casually tried a backside flip and landed on just your heels, there’s a good chance that was the problem. Keep your back straight and you’ll jump straight up and stay balanced in the air.

3. Pop straight

I say “pop” because that’s how it feels. I pop my back foot straight, at an angle. As my body rotates, that straight kick turns into a curve. The board doesn’t care whether your body is spinning. It just cares whether it gets the right scooping motion. To make that scooping motion while your body turns, you have to pop straight.

4. Decide in the air

If you kept your back straight, you’ll be able to tell in the air whether you can land it. If the board stayed with you, go for it. When you’re first learning, you’ll probably have to kick turn or catch your balance for a second. You’ll get better at it.

Troubleshooting

The board isn’t staying with you

The most important thing to work on is the angle of your pop. If the board is under you but you land off, try popping the board more backward. Play with that angle and with how hard you throw it.

Remember, you weigh a lot more than your skateboard. It’s a lot easier to throw the board and force it where you want it than to jump and try to follow it. Following it is a good way to land off balance.

What’s next

The bigspin is a great stepping stone. You can add a flip, add extra spins or do it into or out of grinds and manuals. The no comply bigspin flip is an easy way to start adding a flip.