Gear

• Skates for aggressive inline tricks are a little different than skates for recreational inline skating. The boots are made with a harder plastic designed to withstand more abuse and give the skater more support, and the wheels are softer and smaller to allow for the skater to slow down faster. These wheels wear out faster and will need to be replaced more often. The skates also typically do not have a heel brake.
  
  

Getting Started

• Before delving into vert pipe tricks, it is important to become proficient at street skating and being comfortable on your skates. Practice being able to skate backward, spins and executing 180-degree jumps. For spins, initiate the spin with a smooth rotation of the shoulders in the direction you wish to go; do not spin too quickly or with too much motion, as that will throw you off balance. Practice jumps, like 180-degree jumps, on grass to give you a softer landing.
  
  

Pumps and 180s

• When you want to start doing tricks in a half pipe, it is time to pump the vert, which can be seen as akin to riding a swing. Skate up the side of the pipe, and ride it down backward. As you get comfortable with this, add a pump by pushing down with your legs as you start to slide backward, and ride the other rail up backward with your knees bent and weight leaning slightly forward. As you reach the apex, pump again by straightening your legs. As you get more comfortable with this motion, start doing 180s, just as you practice on the street, at the apex of your ride up the side of the pipe. As you get comfortable with 180s, try doing 360s in the pipe, and keep pumping the vert until you can reach the coping (the rail at the top of the pipe).