The Best Scooter Tricks to Learn for All Skill Levels

PDF download Download Article
Improve your scooter skills with these easy and advanced techniques
PDF download Download Article

If you want to be the coolest person on 2 wheels, learning some tricks on your scooter will make you stand out from all the other riders. Whether you’re a beginner just starting to scooter or a more advanced rider, there are tricks to master for every skill level. Keep reading, and we’ll break down how to perform all the scooter tricks you need to know to impress your friends at the skatepark. Be sure to stick around for some advice on how to get better and look like a pro at scootering.

Best Beginner Scooter Tricks to Learn

  • Bunny hop: Crouch down and push up with your legs to jump off the ground with your scooter.
  • Manual: Shift your weight to the back to lift the front wheel off the ground while you’re moving.
  • X-hop: Jump into the air with your scooter and twist the handlebars to make an X with your forearms.
  • Tailwhip: Bunny hop with your scooter and kick the deck to the side so it makes a full rotation before landing.
  • Barspin: Jump into the air and swing the handlebars clockwise in a full rotation before you land.
Section 1 of 5:

Easy Scooter Tricks for Beginners

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Hippy jump
    The hippy jump is one of the easiest tricks to learn and a great starting point if you’re new on a scooter. It’s as simple as jumping straight up off of your scooter and landing right back on it.[1]
    • Hold the handlebars and keep your arms straight.
    • Put both of your feet on the scooter facing the same direction.
    • Jump up while pushing the handlebars down with your arms so your scooter stays on the ground.
    • Land back on your scooter.
  2. 2
    Bunny hop The bunny hop is a simple move that’s the base of every other scooter trick where you get air. It’s the next step up from a hippy jump, but this time, the scooter comes up and off the ground with you so your feet never leave the deck.[2]
    • Keep your arms straight and hold onto the center of the handlebars.
    • Put both feet on your scooter’s deck and crouch down.
    • Push straight down with your legs to jump into the air.
    • Keep your arms straight and pull the scooter up with your feet.
    • Land with both wheels on the ground at the same time.
    Advertisement
  3. 3
    Pop-up wheelie If you’re not ready to fully jump off the ground yet, lifting up your front wheel and doing a quick wheelie still looks really impressive. Wheelies are a great trick to do on any flat riding surface, so you can practice and perform them just about anywhere.[3]
    • Push your scooter forward to start moving.
    • Move your feet together near your scooter’s back wheel without pressing on the brake.
    • Quickly shift your weight backwards and pull the front wheel into the air.
    • Hold the front wheel briefly in the air before dropping it back to the ground.
  4. 4
    Manual A manual is just another name for holding a wheelie while your scooter is moving. Manuals really test your balance, but they’re an easy skill to learn since you can practice them anywhere and don’t have to get airborne.[4]
    • Push off with your foot to start moving.
    • Position your feet near the back of the scooter.
    • Shift your weight so it’s over your scooter’s back wheel.
    • Pull the handlebars to lift the front wheel off the ground.
    • Hold the wheel off the ground and adjust your balance while you move.
    • Drop the front wheel back on the ground to end the trick.
  5. 5
    Fakie Pulling a fakie just means you’re riding your scooter backwards. Fakies are the easiest when you roll down from a ramp or bank. Just make sure to stay aware of your surroundings so you don’t run into anyone.[5]
    • Push your scooter up a ramp or bank.
    • At the peak of the ramp, push your legs slightly forward to gain more momentum.
    • Look over your shoulder to watch where you’re going.
    • Keep your handlebars straight so you roll in a straight line.
  6. 6
    X-up The X-up gets its name because your arms cross into an X-shape when you turn the handlebars. This simple trick is also known as a half barspin, but you keep holding onto the handlebars the entire time.[6]
    • Start pushing your scooter at a slow and steady speed.
    • Push your feet down and do a bunny hop to lift your scooter into the air.
    • Spin the handlebars 180 degrees so your arms cross into an X-shape.
    • Quickly return the handlebars to their starting position before you land.
    • Try landing with your arms crossed in an X-position and continuing to ride for an even more impressive trick.
  7. 7
    Leg sweep The leg sweep is a unique trick that definitely tests your balance on one leg. This maneuver can look really impressive as you swing one of your legs over the handlebars while you’re moving.[7]
    • Start moving your scooter at a slow and steady speed.
    • Lift your front foot up so your leg is over the handlebars.
    • Swing your leg over the handlebars, letting go of them with one hand at a time.
    • Put your front leg back on the scooter’s deck to finish the trick.
    8. Advertisement
Section 2 of 5:

Intermediate Scooter Tricks

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    No footer A no footer is exactly how it sounds: having no feet on your scooter while you’re flying through the air. If you can bunny hop and want to make it look more impressive, taking your feet off the scooter is the perfect step up in your skills.[8]
    • Keep your hands firmly gripped on the handlebars.
    • Approach a ramp at a moderate pace or bunny hop into the air.
    • Lean slightly forward when you go into the air.
    • Kick both of your feet out to the sides while you’re in the air.
    • Bring your feet back in and place them back on your scooter’s deck.
  2. 2
    Barspin A barspin looks really impressive when you nail it, and it’s not that difficult to do once you have the basic motions on lock. Practice spinning the handlebars in a complete 360 while you’re on flat land before doing it mid-air. With a little bit of practice, you’ll be able to spin your handlebars quickly before you even land on the ground.[9]
    • Do a bunny hop to lift your scooter up into the air.
    • Let go of your handlebars with one hand and spin them 180 degrees.
    • Use your free hand to reach under your arm and grab the other handlebar.
    • Spin your handlebars another 180 degrees to finish the rotation.
    • Keep the scooter’s deck straight underneath your legs as you land.
  3. 3
    Tailwhip If a barspin is rotating the handlebars on a scooter, a tailwhip is rotating the bottom deck a full 360 degrees before landing on it again. This trick requires a little bit of air and a quick kick on the deck to make it spin, but it adds a lot of flair to your scooter riding when you pull it off.[10]
    • Go up a ramp at a moderate speed or perform a bunny hop to get in the air.
    • Hold onto the handlebars firmly and lean forward slightly.
    • Kick the side of the scooter’s deck with the side of your foot to make it spin.
    • Move the handlebars in a seesaw motion to help it spin.
    • When the deck makes a full rotation, place your feet back on the deck and land on the ground.
  4. 4
    180 spin A 180 spin is the perfect buildup to getting to a more advanced 360. Instead of doing a full rotation around, you only do a half spin so you land backwards. If you want to incorporate more fakies into your trick combo, the 180 spin is a good skill to focus on.[11]
    • Start moving your scooter at a slow to moderate speed.
    • Perform a high bunny hop to get some air.
    • Hold onto your scooter, and twist your body to spin around in the opposite direction.
    • Land with your deck straight and look over your shoulder while you roll backwards.
    • Try performing another 180 immediately after the first one to return to your starting position.
  5. 5
    Can plant A can plant is a fun technique to add into the middle of a combo and give your flat land tricks a bit more flair. Rather than keeping your feet on the scooter, you step onto the ground with one foot and push back into the air to continue your line.[12]
    • Start moving on your scooter at a slow or moderate speed.
    • Perform a bunny hop and kick your front foot out to the side.
    • Land on the ground with your front foot, keeping your knee bent and your weight shifted over your leg.
    • Keep your back foot on the scooter so it’s kicked out to the side.
    • Push off the ground with your front foot and jump back onto your scooter’s deck.
  6. 6
    Feeble grind A feeble grind is one of the basic grinds you can do with a scooter on almost any rail, curb, or box at a skatepark. Grinds require a bit of balance to maintain, so start on shorter rails before moving to taller ones. Once you master a grind, performing it well can make you look like a pro-level rider.[13]
    • Get your scooter moving at a moderate speed as you approach the side of the rail.
    • Bunny hop up toward the rail so your front wheel lands on top and your back wheel hugs the edge.
    • Keep your toes planted on the deck facing the same direction.
    • Shift your body weight to maintain your balance for the length of the grind.
    • Bunny hop again to dismount from the rail.
    7. Advertisement
Section 3 of 5:

Advanced Scooter Tricks

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Finger whip
    While a standard tailwhip uses your feet to spin the deck, you use your hands to do it during a finger whip. Because you have to lift your scooter higher and hit it with a little more force, it’s slightly more difficult to master but looks crazy when you pull it off.[14]
    • Start moving your scooter at a moderate speed.
    • Perform a bunny hop to get your scooter airborne.
    • Kick your legs out to the side and off of your deck.
    • Straighten your arms to hold your scooter in front of you.
    • Hit the side of your scooter deck firmly with the bottoms of your fingers.
    • Plant your feet back on your deck after it makes a full rotation.
  2. 2
    Bri flip The bri flip is one of the coolest moves when you hit a ramp or quarter-pipe because your scooter whips around in a circle and you change which direction you’re facing. It takes a little bit of time to master the maneuvers, but practicing on flat land can help you out before you take it airborne.[15]
    • Approach a ramp at a moderate speed to get some air.
    • Turn your handlebars 90 degrees to the side your heels are facing.
    • Swing your scooter in the direction you turned the handlebars so the deck circles in front of you.
    • Turn your body while the scooter is spinning to face the opposite direction.
    • Catch the scooter’s deck with your toes when it comes back down on your other side.
  3. 3
    360 spin A 360 is one full rotation in the air, so you land in the same direction that you started with. You need a lot of airtime to land a 360 easily, so make sure you’ve mastered your bunny hops and 180s before you try this one.[16]
    • Get your scooter going at a moderate to high speed on flat land or off of a ramp.
    • Perform a bunny hop to get off the ground.
    • Twist your body and keep your head turned while holding on to your scooter.
    • Straighten out your body after you make a full rotation to nail the landing.
  4. 4
    Whip rewind A whip rewind is a standard tailwhip, but you kick the scooter’s deck back in the other direction before it finishes a full rotation. This trick takes a little extra time in the air to perform properly, so it’s definitely a more advanced maneuver to try out once you master a single or double tailwhip. Practice kicking the deck back and forth on flat land before taking it to the air.[17]
    • Get going at a moderate or high speed so you can get some air.
    • Perform a high bunny hop or take off from a ramp.
    • Kick your deck to the side with your front foot.
    • When the deck spins to the other side, catch and kick it back with your back foot.
    • Plant both your feet on the deck when it returns to the starting position.
  5. 5
    Tuck no hander If you’re feeling really confident on your scooter, a tuck no hander makes you let go of the handlebars completely while you’re mid-air. While it may seem intimidating at first, it can be a really good trick to add to your repertoire when you want to pull off some amazing combos.[18]
    • Start moving around and build up to a moderate speed.
    • Take your scooter off of a ramp or quarter pipe to get some air.
    • Lean forward while you’re mid-air to level out your scooter.
    • Tuck your knees against the post underneath the handlebars.
    • Let go of the handlebars and bring your hands out to your sides.
    • Bring your hands back to the handlebars to get your grip right before you land.
  6. 6
    Superman The Superman is one of the most impressive-looking tricks because you hold your scooter out in front of you while you’re flying through the air. It can be a little unnerving to pull off a Superman, so make sure you feel good about getting big air and all the movements.[19]
    • Go off a jump or ramp at high speed to get some air.
    • As you get airborne, keep one hand on a handlebar, and use your other to reach down and hold your scooter’s deck.
    • Move your scooter out in front of you and lean forward so you look like Superman flying through the air.
    • Quickly bring your scooter back down so you can safely land on it.
  7. 7
    Backflip Backflips are some of the most advanced and risky scooter tricks to pull off, so only try it when you’re really confident in your abilities. If you want to really stand out by going completely upside-down in the air, then taking your time to learn this trick is well worth it.
    • Build up a lot of speed on your scooter on flat land.[20]
    • Crouch down as you approach a quarter pipe.
    • About 1 foot (30 cm) below the lip of the quarter pipe, lean back and tuck your body closer to the scooter to start the flip.
    • When you’re upside-down and spot the ground, straighten out your body again and bring the scooter down in front of you.
    • Land with your knees bent and both of your feet firmly planted on the deck.
    8. Advertisement
Section 4 of 5:

Cool Scooter Tricks by Pros

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Flair whip To do a flair on a scooter, you ride up a ramp and perform a backflip while spinning your body so you land facing the direction you’re moving. While this is already a tough trick to pull off, adding a tailwhip to your scooter so it spins around even more makes this trick look crazy and impossible to land.[21]
  2. 2
    1440 spin At the 2019 Extreme Barcelona Best Tricks competition, professional scooterer Roomet Saalik landed a massive spin trick that had never been done before. While a 360 spin or even a 900 spin is pretty common, Saalik pulled off a 1440, or 4 full rotations, in a single jump.[22]
  3. 3
    Double Spanner flip Stanley Jones, better known as Spanner, created this special trick combining multiple movements into a jaw-dropping maneuver. A single Spanner flip involves swinging the scooter in a circle over your head while doing a tailwhip. Spanner set the bar even higher by performing the flip twice while getting big air.[23]
  4. 4
    Free Willy While filming for Nitro Circus, professional Ryan Williams took off at high speed from a ramp and did a trick that seemed impossible. He let go of his scooter mid-air and pushed it so it spun forward while he performed a backflip. Then, he grabbed his scooter’s handlebars and landed safely back on the deck.[24]
    5. Advertisement
Section 5 of 5:

How to Get Better at Scooter Tricks

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Warm up before attempting tricks.
    Rather than jumping right into doing tricks, ride around on your scooter for a little while to loosen up. Start with riding around and focusing on your balance to get a feel for your scooter. Try to make smooth turns by shifting your body weight and leaning into the direction you want to go. After that, try a few basic hops before diving into more complex tricks.[25]
  2. 2
    Look forward instead of at your feet. When you’re riding your scooter, keeping your eyes focused on what’s in front of you can actually help improve your balance. Looking ahead also helps you stay more aware of your surroundings so you ride safely and more confidently.[26]
  3. 3
    Add in new tricks to get out of your comfort zone. Always practicing the same tricks and routines will help you master a single skill, but doing something new builds up your confidence. If your basic tricks are starting to feel easy, try one out that you haven’t done before. Keep pushing yourself to do something new each time you ride so you’re always getting better!
    • Another variation to try is doing your tricks in the opposite direction. If you normally spin clockwise while doing the trick, switch it up and try it counter-clockwise instead.
  4. 4
    String tricks together to make cool combos. If you really want to impress your friends, practice doing another trick immediately after you finish one. Putting all your tricks together into a smooth, seamless line will make you look like you’re a pro even if you’re just doing the most basic maneuvers. Some simple combos you can try include:
    • Bunny hop into a 180 spin, and land in an X-up fakie
    • Can plant into a tailwhip
    • Bunny hop into a feeble grind
  5. Step 5 Film yourself doing tricks to see where you can improve.
    Set up your phone or a camera where you’re riding, and try to land a couple of tricks. If you’re having trouble nailing them, go back and watch the video to see how your body is positioned and what’s causing the issue. Getting the outside view can help you recognize and fine-tune your movements so you can land those tricks with ease.[27]
    6. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Submit
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
Advertisement

You Might Also Like

Do a Tailwhip on a Scooter
How to
Do a Tailwhip on a Scooter
Do Skateboard Tricks
How to
Do Skateboard Tricks
Do BMX Tricks
How to
Do BMX Tricks
Bunny Hop on a Bike
How to
Bunny Hop on a Bike
How to
Do a Shove it on a Skateboard
Pop Shove It
How to
Pop Shove It
Wheelie on a BMX Bike
How to
Wheelie on a BMX Bike
Jump on a Skateboard
How to
Jump on a Skateboard
Kickflip on a Skateboard
How to
Kickflip on a Skateboard
Heel Flip
How to
Heel Flip
Ollie
How to
Ollie
Manual on a Skateboard
How to
Manual on a Skateboard
Do Tricks on Roller Skates
How to
Do Tricks on Roller Skates
FingerboardThe Essential Fingerboarding Guide for Beginners
Advertisement

References

  1. ↑ https://jacquipaterson.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Halfords-Scooter-Infographic-Final-Version.jpg
  2. ↑ https://youtu.be/I6dAk34gcDI?t=80
  3. ↑ https://jacquipaterson.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Halfords-Scooter-Infographic-Final-Version.jpg
  4. ↑ https://youtu.be/OQDpa63ubZQ?t=99
  5. ↑ https://youtu.be/y_R4S4qJ-VY?t=17
  6. ↑ https://youtu.be/qaErg9s6R-0?t=255
  7. ↑ https://youtu.be/qaErg9s6R-0?t=541
  8. ↑ https://youtu.be/WKSE5Jo6MW0?t=25
  9. ↑ https://youtu.be/B3W5sh7XHRE?t=25
  1. ↑ https://youtu.be/Xfqez6fUlA8?t=46
  2. ↑ https://youtu.be/WK9qlvvDJ4Y?t=21
  3. ↑ https://youtu.be/qaErg9s6R-0?t=350
  4. ↑ https://youtu.be/ctkIrnaUtZY?t=33
  5. ↑ https://youtu.be/no50TOUkERQ?t=73
  6. ↑ https://youtu.be/QhX0vPurR60?t=26
  7. ↑ https://youtu.be/ezAdc39VDiQ?t=30
  8. ↑ https://youtu.be/k7iPcL3ZW40?t=56
  9. ↑ https://youtu.be/SpY6OQqCaYs?t=41
  10. ↑ https://youtu.be/iK596-yqolA?t=43
  11. ↑ https://youtu.be/gkQ3KwDfAe4?t=93
  12. ↑ https://youtu.be/nlrqPpGashU?t=335
  13. ↑ https://youtu.be/jfx7Oaxpdz4?t=243
  14. ↑ https://youtu.be/t6YXgQWgioY?t=122
  15. ↑ https://youtu.be/jfx7Oaxpdz4?t=502
  16. ↑ https://805boardshop.com/cool-scooter-tricks/
  17. ↑ https://805boardshop.com/cool-scooter-tricks/
  18. ↑ https://youtu.be/VbhExX4q8uQ?t=245

About This Article

Hunter Rising
Co-authored by:
Hunter Rising
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Hunter Rising is a wikiHow Staff Writer based in Los Angeles. He has more than three years of experience writing for and working with wikiHow. Hunter holds a BFA in Entertainment Design from the University of Wisconsin - Stout and a Minor in English Writing.
1 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 2
Updated: August 12, 2026
Categories: Scooters
In other languages
If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

Did this article help you?

Advertisement