How to Do a Boneless on a Skateboard

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Last Updated: February 23, 2021

A boneless is a street trick where you grab the middle of the board with your hand, plant one foot on the ground to pop the board up, and then land back on the ground with both feet on the board. To do a boneless, you've got to get some momentum going and to know a few tricks of the trade. If you want to know how to do one, just see Step 1 to get started.

Steps

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Put your front foot in front of the front trucks and place your back foot a bit further back than you normally would, more near the bolts. Ideally, you should have some momentum going before you try the boneless, so it's easier for you to lift the board up in the air and to land back on it. It'll be more tricky to get the board to pop up if you're just standing in place.
Bend down a bit and use your back hand, which will be the hand on the same side as the foot on the tail, to grab onto the board just behind the front trucks, and a little bit behind your front foot. Make sure to get a nice strong grip on the board, which is what you'll need to actively lift it up.

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Place the foot on the ground and use the foot and your hand to pop the tail of the board as you would in an ollie, making sure to catch it with your hand. The board should reach midair before you lift your front foot off the ground. You'll have to do some work, using the strength in your front foot and actively lifting the board with your hand to get the board to pop up. You'll have to practice to learn how to quickly slide off that front foot.
Move your body up along with the board, using your free hand to lift up and help you get some good height going. Keep your other hand in the middle of the board, keeping a firm grip on it, while also keeping your back foot firmly planted on the back of the board as you sail through the air. If you're just starting out, realistically, it may be a bit hard to keep your whole back foot on the board, but you should try to keep at least your toes and the ball of your foot on there if you can.
Keep your grip on the board and use your hand to straighten it if it starts to veer away from the direction of your front foot. You'll need to position it pretty straight, so you can easily put that front foot back on it.
Once you get the board level and it's still a few feet off the ground, place that front foot on the board just as you release that back hand, so you can hit the ground clean. When you plant that foot on the board, you'll still be crouched down, with knees bent, which will help you absorb some of the impact when the board hits the ground.
Once you land on the ground, straighten out by getting out of that crouched position and moving your arms, which should be out away from your sides, to get them closer to your sides while staying balanced. Once you feel steady on the board, you can even try another boneless!
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Try some more boneless tricks. Once you've got the boneless down, you can try a few other tricks with it. You can try doing it off a ramp or adding some other variations to the regular boneless. Here are some moves you can try:
- The 180 boneless
- The 360 boneless
- The boneless flip
- The boneless 180 fingerflip to indie

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Tips

Bending your knees will make the boneless higher.

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Helpful 15 Not Helpful 1
Don't just pull with your hand. Bring your back foot up too to help get more air.

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Helpful 12 Not Helpful 1
Try to place your front foot down and jump fast. This looks cooler and smoother.

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Helpful 14 Not Helpful 2

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Warnings

Always wear protective gear.

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Helpful 26 Not Helpful 40
Landing wrong will cause you to fall and break your board

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Helpful 16 Not Helpful 41