Ollie
aka Ski Ollie
The foundation pop for park skiing. Load the tails of both twin-tips, spring up off them, and suck the knees up to level the skis out in the air.
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
Center your stance
Ride at a comfortable, relaxed speed with your weight stacked over the center of the skis. Keep your hands forward and in view, knees soft and ankles flexed into the boots. This balanced, athletic stance is what lets you load the tails evenly.
- 02 Pop
Load and spring the tails
Shift your weight back slightly and press down into the tails so the camber loads up like a spring. Then snap upward, extending hard through your legs as the tails rebound off the snow. The crisper that load-and-release, the more air you get.
- 03 Air
Bring the knees up
At the top of the pop, pull your knees up toward your chest to lift the skis with you. Roll the ankles so the bases level out flat instead of nose-high. Stay centered over the skis with your arms balanced for control.
- 04 Landing
Absorb and ride out
Spot the snow early and aim to land flat on both feet at once. Touch down with bent knees and flexed ankles to soak up the impact, keeping your hands in front. Stay centered and roll away clean.
When It Goes Wrong
The most common ways Ollie bails — and the fix. Diagnose your slam, then get back on.
Why won't my skis leave the ground when I ollie?
You're standing up instead of loading the tails. The pop comes from pressing down to flex the tails, then springing off that rebound. Practice it stationary first so you can feel the camber load and snap back underneath you.
My skis pop up nose-first and I land on the tails.
You're springing off the tails but not bringing the tips back level. As you rise, suck your knees up evenly and roll your ankles so the bases flatten out. Keep your weight centered rather than leaning back through the air.
I keep getting pulled backward when I pop.
Your weight is sitting too far behind your boots when the tails release. Load them just enough to flex the ski, then extend straight up, not back. Staying stacked over the center keeps the pop vertical and the landing balanced.
Do I need speed to learn the ollie on skis?
A little helps, but start almost stationary on a mellow flat to dial the load-and-spring motion. Once the timing feels natural, add gentle speed, which actually makes the pop smoother and the landing more stable.
The ollie is where park skiing begins. It is not the flashiest move on the hill, but almost everything else is an ollie with something added — a spin, a grab, a pop onto a box. Get the load-and-spring dialed and the rest of the trick tree opens up fast.
Spend real time here. A clean, level ollie you can pop on command while moving is the foundation everything else is built on. Feel the tails flex, snap off the rebound, and bring the knees up — that motion never leaves you.
Dial In Your Setup
Gear that makes this trick easier to learn. Tune the setup, not just the technique.
Twin-tip park skis
True center mount · medium flex
Twin-tips with a centered mount let you load both tails evenly and land switch with confidence. A medium flex stores energy for the pop without being so stiff a beginner can't bend it.
Shop skis & gearPark boot flex
90–110 flex
A softer-to-medium flex boot lets your ankles bend deep to load the tails and absorb landings. Race-stiff boots fight the relaxed, surfy motion park skiing is built on.
Shop skis & gearCentered mount position
True center or -1cm
Mounting near true center balances the ski so the tails load like the tips and switch riding feels natural. A traditional setback mount makes the ollie and switch landings awkward.
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Stack Your Clip
Landed Ollie? Soon you'll drop your line here and battle the crew for the top of the board.