Rock to Fakie
aka Rock Fakie
Roll up the ramp, rock the nose over the coping, lift the front, and come back down fakie. The first lip trick every transition skater learns.
The Breakdown
Four phases from roll-up to roll-away. Scrub the analyzer above — each phase lights up as the board hits it.
- 01 Approach
Roll up the transition
Pump up the ramp with enough speed to reach the coping but not blow over it. Keep your knees bent and weight centered as the transition steepens. Aim straight up the ramp so you hit the lip square, not at an angle.
- 02 Rock Over
Rock the deck over the coping
As the nose reaches the lip, lean forward just enough to set the middle of the board over the coping with the nose hanging past it. Let the board seesaw on the coping for a beat. Don't lean too far out — you only need the nose past the lip, not your whole body over the deck.
- 03 Lift & Pivot
Lift the front and pivot back
Shift your weight back onto the tail and lift the front wheels up off the coping so the board pivots back toward the ramp. Turn your head and shoulders to look back down the transition. The truck pivots on the lip as the nose swings back over.
- 04 Roll Fakie
Come down switch
Let the front wheels drop back onto the ramp and roll down backward, fakie. Stay centered with knees bent and absorb the re-entry. Ride down the transition switch and pump back out — spotting over your shoulder keeps you balanced.
When It Goes Wrong
The most common ways Rock to Fakie bails — and the fix. Diagnose your slam, then get back on.
Why does my board hang up on the coping when I come back down?
You didn't lift the front wheels high enough to clear the lip on the pivot. Shift your weight firmly back onto the tail and pick the nose up so the truck swings clear before you drop in fakie. A weak lift catches the wheels and stops you dead.
I lean too far over and fall forward off the ramp.
You only need the nose past the coping, not your whole body out over the deck. Set just the front of the board over the lip and keep your weight back, ready to pivot. Over-committing forward sends you straight over the top.
Coming down fakie freaks me out — any tips?
Rolling backward feels wrong at first for everyone. Practice riding fakie on flat and doing fakie kickturns so backward becomes familiar. Turn your head to look over your shoulder down the ramp and your balance follows your eyes.
How much speed do I actually need for a rock to fakie?
Just enough to reach the coping with a little left over — too much and you blast over the lip. Pump up the transition smoothly and aim to arrive at the top with the board ready to rock, not flying. Start lower on the ramp and work up to the coping.
Rock to fakie is the first lip trick, the move that turns the top of a ramp from a wall into a playground. You roll up, let the board seesaw over the coping with just the nose past the lip, then lift the front and ride back down switch. It teaches you the coping, fakie rolling, and the pivot all in one go.
The two things that trip everyone up are leaning too far out and chickening on the fakie ride-down. Keep your weight back so only the nose passes the lip, lift the front wheels decisively to clear the coping, and get comfortable rolling backward on flat first. Lock this and the whole world of lip tricks starts to open up.
Dial In Your Setup
Gear that makes this trick easier to learn. Tune the setup, not just the technique.
Transition deck (8.25"+)
7-ply maple · mellow concave
A stable wider deck rocks predictably on the coping and feels planted on re-entry. Mellow concave suits the foot shuffling between nose and tail this trick needs.
Shop decks & parts92A–97A wheels
56–58mm · softer duro
Softer ramp wheels grip the transition and smooth out the fakie re-entry. They roll over the coping cleaner and won't slip when the truck pivots on the lip.
Shop decks & partsCoping
Steel or pool block
A smooth, solid coping is what the truck pivots on, so learn on a forgiving ramp lip. Rough or chipped coping catches the truck and makes the rock feel sketchy.
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Stack Your Clip
Landed Rock to Fakie? Soon you'll drop your line here and battle the crew for the top of the board.