How to do a Pop Shuvit (Shove-It )- Frontside and Backside

Setting it up correctly

The Pop Shuvit is one of the best skateboarding tricks to learn when your just starting out. You will first of all need to learn how to do a normal Shuvit, before you can go for the full Pop Shuvit. A Shuvit is simply where you jump up into the air whilst your skateboard proceeds to spin underneath you. You will begin with making it spin round once, but when you master it you will be able to more.

The fundamental difference between a Pop-Shuvit and the Shuvit is obviously the pop that is involved. When you perform a Pop Shuvit, the skateboard will then pop up into the air and continue to spin. On the other hand, in a Shuvit you do not have to pop an Ollie to do it.


Getting the Shuvit stance right

The Shuvit stance is the same when you're either doing it Backside or Frontside. The Shuvit can be pulled off whether you are standing still or rolling. If you can't do it one way then try the other.

To begin with you need to gather a bit of speed, but don't over do it; this is if you want to do it rolling, if not then you obviously don't need any speed. Now put your back foot with the ball of your foot in the center of the tail end of your skateboard.

Once you are ready, make sure to have you're front foot it in the center of your skateboard, with your toes hanging off of the edge a bit. You could also have the ball of you're front foot in the center of the deck also. The golden rule you must remember is that if it works out for you, then don't listen to anyone else and simply do it your way. If you run into problems this way, then try moving this front foot around until you are comfortable. When you start out learning how to do the Shuvit, it is best to havr the front foot further up the skateboard, a lot closer to the trucks at the front.


Doing it Backside or Frontside

Whether you are doing this trick either Backside or Frontside, the Shuvit is very similar. The difference is that a backside turn is where the skater turns with thier back facing the outside of the turn. Basically when you turn clockwise, if you are a Regular. Frontside is the opposite to this, with your chest facing the outside of the turn.

If you don't already know how to ollie (I posted how to few days ago), then it's best you focus on just pulling off a Shuvit and not the Pop. Either way you go about learning, when you perform a Shuvit you should not be spinning at all. Instead of you spinning the board will be doing so clockwise or anti-clockwise.


Shuvit Jump and Push

Once you're in the right stance and feel comfortable with it, bend your knees. You only need to go low enough to do a jump. Now do the jump and read on for what to do next.

To do a Backside Shuvit you need to push the tail end of your skateboard behind you, using your foot. While this is happening you're front foot should stay above the board. You could also kick it with the heel of you're foot, to spin it more

To do a Frontside Shuvit you need to kick the tail end of your skateboard out into the front of you and then do completley the same technique as mentioned earlier for the Backside Shuvit. Remember to keep you're front foot above the board, to prevent the it from popping up into the air.


Spinning

Whatever direction you want the skateboard to spin, you need to make sure you push the tail end hard enough to get the board to spin roight around, at least 180 degrees. If you feel more adventurous then you could have a go at making it spinning it around 360 degrees.

Once you are in the air watch the board and when it has spun around once, proceed to catch it with your feet. In other words put your feet down on the skateboard, that is with your front foot nearer the middle or perhaps towards the nose end, whilst you're back foot is at the tail end.

Now bend your knees as you land, in order to absorb the shock and help you keep your balance,

That's basically how you do a Shuvit.

How to do a Pop Shuvit

A Pop Shuvit is a combination of a Shuvit and an Ollie. To do this you need to setup as if you are doing a Shuvit. Now when you have gathered some speed, place your feet in the same places you did for the Shuvit. Once you've done this do an Ollie


Backside Pop Shuvit

During the Ollie, you want to pop the tail end and push it back away behind you, in a kicking motion, combined with the pop.


Frontside Pop Shuvit

To pull a Frontside, make sure you turn during the middle of your Ollie and kick the tail forward in front of you. Flicking it while you do the pop.


Pop Shuvit Front Foot

To do a Backside Pop-Shuvit you need to pull the board up out of the way and not to the side. Many skaters keep their front foot touching the centre of the skateboard throughout the the trick. Remember to make use of that front foot to keep the board steady.


Landing the Pop Shuvit successfully

To land perfectly catch the board with your feet once it has spun around, as you did with the Backside Shuvit, because you want to prevent the board from spinning to much.

To pull the trick off cleanly you want to aim to catch the board when it is at the very peak of its pop. Don't worry at first as it's all down to practice whether you get it right or not. Once this is done continue to land, bend your knees, and simply just roll away.


Problems you may run into:

Flipping the skateboard

If you the board is doing this instead of spinning then, how about trying to Pop Shuvit with your front foot much closer to the board.


The board may not spin adequately

this is most of the time caused by you're back foot, as it is entirely responsible for this job. Your front foot is in charge of controling the board and helping you to land effectively. If it is over spinning then quite simply you are pushing too hard. if it does the opposite to this then you are not pushing hard enough. To help aginst this try changing the strength of which you push it in small increments until you reach the required level.


Chickenfoot

This is most definately a comon problem with beginner skateboarders and is where you jump into the air, but when you land, one of your feet lands on the ground persistently. The only true remedy for this is to go back to learning how to Ollie, as this will no doubt be happening to you when doing this also.