1st Step: Basic Tricks Skateboarding Instructional Video Review

The 1st Step: Basic Tricks skateboarding instructional video is supposed to teach the basic beginner tricks of skateboarding. This video follows 1st Step: Getting Started, which covered pushing, stopping, carving, tick-tacks, and the ollie. While 1st Step: Basic Tricks does look good and cover some important tricks, for the most part the 1st Step series is mediocre at best. The video gets choked with extra stuff, and the instruction could go a little deeper. However, 1st Step isn't badly done - in fact, the video editing is great, and some of the tricks are rare to find teaching on.

The 1st Step videos are made by 411 Studios, and have a lot of sponsors. Several minuets of the beginning are sucked up with commercials. And then, throughout the movie, companies like Element get plugged a lot, and the drink Skateraid, which I haven't tried. It might be good.

After the commercials, the video introduces who will be on it - Dave Metty is the host, along with Salman Agah. Then you get Collin Provost, Patrick Melcher, Ray Barbee, Mike Vallely, Jeremiah Vance, Rodrigo Peterson and Adelmo Jr.

After these intros, there is a section where Dave Metty explains important skateboarding terms you need to know. This part is weird. Some of the terms are important, and some (like Coyote Teaching) feel way out of left field.

And then right after that you get to meet "Skateboard Man", one of Dave Metty's annoyingly voiced characters that help insure that no one over the age of 14 will want to watch this video. Skateboard Man teaches you slang words, like "So, Why U, Why U?" and, "Ill Dog Hit". Enjoy.

After THAT, you get taken to the most beautiful skateshop I've ever seen. There, Dave Metty talks to you about picking the right Element skate deck for you.

Then, after all of that, the instructions start!

The instructions start at a YMCA Skate Camp, and they go over some Ollie variations (as in the frontside 180, the backside 180, and the switch 180). They discuss how visualization and practice are key, which is great advice. The video production quality is very high through this section - it looks great. However, it could go a little deeper into the teaching. There wasn't much attention paid to common mistakes to avoid, and the voice over is pretty monotone.

The second section is Mike Vallely teaching some old school tricks, which he is the master of. The first one if the Powerslide, then Bertlemans, the Boneless, and the Backside Boneless. Unfortunately, Mike Vallely doesn't talk much through these parts - instead it's mostly Salman Agah reading from a script.

The third and final solid teaching section is Ray Barbee teaching some sliding techniques. He walks the viewer through the Windsor Shuffle, 360 Slides, and then the No Comply. finally, you get to see Ray Barbee playing the guitar.

After these 3 teaching sections, there is a part where Dave Metty's second character, Tolly Overdrive teaches you how to play SKATE. And then you watch 3 skaters play.

Then there is a section on Shuvits, Pop Shuvits, Kickflips and Nollies. finally, at the very end, you get to hear a little from Patrick Melcher about his life before be became a pro skater.

My biggest complaint about 1st Step: Basic Tricks is how it feel so scattered. Really, 1st Step is a collection of other short videos all crammed together with Dave Metty providing little transitions between the parts to try and make it look like it's all one video.

I also wish the teaching was a little deeper and more consistent. During the YMCA part, the video has very high production value, and they talk about things like visualizing. Important stuff. But then the last few parts on Shuvits and Kickflips feel like they were cranked out in an afternoon, without any deeper advice.

This is supposed to be the second video in the 1st Step series, but the way it and the previous video flows, they more just shoved a bunch of parts together without thinking about the future. The whole first section, before the actual skateboarding teaching, should all have been in the first video. The game of SKATE should have been as well, along with all the goofy character acting. This video does have some good tricks that are hard to find instructions for - Mike V's part and Ray Barbee's parts are like hidden jewels. However, even those parts get dulled by the monotone voice over.

After my stinging complaints, you might think that I hated 1st Step: Basic Tricks, and that I wouldn't recommend it at all. But that's not the case - there are some valuable things here. I'm just frustrated and disappointed, because I think it could have and should have been better. The production quality that these guys can do should have resulted in a great, polished skateboarding instructional video. But instead, you have to dig for the good stuff.

And there are some good parts. The focus on trick visualization is important (also a strong focus in Skateboarding Explained). The old school tricks that Mike Vallely teaches are solid (though half of them can be learned better, from Mike Vallely, in Tony Hawk Trick Tips 3. But only half!). And Ray Barbee's teaching slides is pretty unique, and valuable.

So, my final word is that if you somehow end up with 1st Step: Basic Tricks, then by all means watch it! You'll learn some good stuff, and you might be entertained along the way. If you are looking for your first skateboarding instructional video, then this might not be the best choice. But if you already know a little, and would like to learn some of the unique stuff on this video, then go for it! And, if you already have a skateboarding instructional video and are looking for something to say things in a new way, then 1st Step might be a good choice. It is different, and it might be right for you. But otherwise, I have to say that 1st Step: Skateboarding Basics probably shouldn't be your first choice.