- Don't pinch the board between your feet!
- lift your foot above the board before you dismount
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Practice each section of the truck stand separately, in this order
- standing on the truck
- dismounting
- passing the board from one hand to the other
- stepping up onto the truck
- the full trick!
This trick goes by a few different names: Truck stand, 5050, handed 5050, 5050 truck stand. Whatever you call it, the truck stand is the foundation for many freestyle skateboarding tricks and combos. Learning to truck stand opens up an entire category of truck tricks like the carousel, fan flip, pogo, sidewinder, tv stand, and so much more. Devote some time to learning this one and you'll be rewarded with Sean-Burke-like glute muscles! YEAH BROTHER!
Begin the 50-50 truck stand in nose-stop or tail-stop (we will come back to this part). With one foot pinning the nose or tail to the ground and the other foot dangling next to the board. If your left foot is pinning the board to the ground, use your right hand to grab the other end of the board. To do this trick, you will need to lift the board upright with your hand as you step up onto the truck. After stalling briefly on the truck, you will lower the board and flip it one half of a rotation in the heel flip direction to return the board to all four wheels.
Yeah, I know. That was a lot. To do the truck stand you will need to step up onto the truck, lift the board up, pass the board between your hands, and shift your weight all at the same time! That's why I recommend breaking this trick into bite size chunks and learning each part separately.
Standing on Truck
Before we start practicing the trick, lets decide which foot you will stand on. Try holding your board by its tail with your left hand -- Fingers on grip tape, thumb on skid plate. Hold the board about 60 degrees from the ground with the nose resting on the floor. place your right foot on the truck and attempt to balance briefly on one foot. How did that feel? Cool. Now, switch hands and feet. Hold the board in your right hand and attempt to balance on your left foot. Note which stance feels LESS TERRIBLE*. The hand+foot combo that feels better will determine the best way for YOU to learn the truck stand.
The Dismount
The dismount is the most satisfying part of the truck stand. It's also the scariest part but YOU CAN DO THIS! Begin with the board in your preferred truck stand hand at 60 degrees from the ground, like we just practiced. Keep both feet on the ground and practice flipping the board down to its wheels. Lower the board to about 45 degrees and turn your palm away from your body to roll the board. It should do one half of a heel flip rotation and land with all four wheels on the ground.
Once you've mastered the drop-and-flip, it's time to learn the dismount. Briefly stand on the truck, lower the board, and hop as you carry out that one half heel flip we just practiced. It's helpful to lift your non-truck-foot up and above the board before you begin to flip the board. If your foot is in the correct position before you hop and flip the board, it will be able to drop straight down onto the grip-tape. easy!
The Pass
Before we learn to get into the truckstand, we want to practice passing the board from one hand to the other. To simplify things, I'm going to assume you feel most comfortable standing with your right foot on the truck.
Start with the tail of your board in your right hand -- thumb on grip tape, fingers on the skid plate. With both feet on the ground, practice lifting the board and transferring it from your right hand to your left hand. The nose of the board should remain on the ground as you tilt the deck upright. Try to end with the board at 60-80 degrees from the ground. Focus on consistency! Catch the board at the same angle and with your hand in the same position every time.
The Step
Once you master the pass, it's time to start stepping up onto the truck. Begin in a nose stop, with your right hand holding the tail, and the left foot on the nose. Stepping up onto the truck involves lifting the board upright while simultaneously drawing your right foot near the truck. Once the board is perpendicular to the ground, push off of your left foot and step onto the baseplate of the truck with your right foot. This should all happen as you are transferring the board from your right hand to your left hand, as I explained in the last step.
Once you are standing on the truck, allow your left foot to hang freely. Do not press it against the board. You may find it helpful to hold your left foot behind you to counterbalance your upper body.
Put it All Together!
Lift the board, step up, stall briefly, and dismount. Okay, something went wrong. What was it? Maybe you didn't have your hand in the correct position. That's okay, just go back and practice the pass a few more times. There is SO much happening in this trick. It will take time to develop the coordination and muscle memory to throw this down in contest routines. You can do it though! Be patient with yourself, practice each section, and soon you'll master the truck stand.
*neither stance will feel natural. We're searching for the least uncomfortable option here.