Powell Basic Training Plus DVD Review

The Powell Basic Training Plus DVD is a library of short instructional clips on how to pull off the most popular skateboarding tricks of today. Pros like Steve Caballero, Andy Macdonald and Danny Wainwright explain how to do the trick, and demonstrate it from various angles. The Powell Basic Training Plus DVD has all 18 tricks from the original Basic Training VHS video, plus 11 additional tricks from the 2003 Powell team. The instruction is great, but not the best for brand spanking new skaters.

The main training part of the Powell Basic Training Plus DVD features piles of pros explaining how to do a mountain of tricks:

• Danny Wainwright teaches the ollie and the kickflip
• Steve Caballero walks you through the 50-50 and the Frontside Boardslide
• Javier Sarmiento demonstrates the nollie and nollie 180
• Jason Ellis shows how to Smith Grind and how to do a Backside Ollie
• Moses Itkonen teaches the Frontside and Backside Noseslides
• Paul Machnau demonstrates the crooked grind and the Noseblunt Slide
• Jon Comer shows the Backside Tailslide and how to Manual
• Any Macdonald explains the Feeble Grind and Frontside Airs
• Pat Channita teaches Nollie 180 Heelflips and Heelflip Varials.

The section ends with Training Notes – these feature text on the screen summing up what you should know about each trick, with a small video in the corner showing the pro demonstrate it. This section is 27 minuets long.

The Bonus Training section is new for the Basic Training Plus DVD – it’s the “Plus” part. In this section, the 2003 Powell team teaches how to do eleven more tricks:

• Danny Wainwright walks you through the 360 Kickflip
• Pat Channita teaches the Heelflip
• Steve Caballero explains how to do the Caballerial (fakie 360 ollie)
• Rodney Jones demonstrates the Bluntside Shuvit
• Tony Manfre talks about how to do the Frontside 180 Kickflip
• Jon Comer explains the Switch Frontside Boneless
• Oliver Buchanan shows how to do a Nollie Heelflip
• Silas Baxter-Neal shows the Switch Heelflip, Tyler Hansen teaches the Frontside Tailslide
• Jordan Hoffart expains the Kickflip Boardslide
• Aaron Perko wraps it up with the Kickflip Noseslide.

This Bonus Training section ends with Training Notes, just like the main section. This bonus section is almost 19 minuets long.

When I first took a look at this video, I expected it to be fairly basic beginner stuff. Something about the title, “Basic Training”. While the instructions do cover how to do things like ollies, kickflips and boardslides, it speeds through these quickly. If you are a brand new skater and having a hard time getting a handle on your ollies, this isn't the video for you. However, even if you are brand new, you’ll enjoy watching Basic Training and likely get a little something out of it. Also, it's important to know that a lot of the training, especially the Bonus section, is aimed at kids. So, if you are a teenager or older, be ready for a lot of guys your age saying, "Ok kids, here's how you do this..."

If you have skated for a while and have a good handle on basic board skills, you'll like the sheer number of tricks covered and the helpful bonus tips that a lot of instruction videos lack. Things like Steve Caballero suggesting what height of a flatbar to start with when learning to 50-50 grind, and Moses Itkonen suggesting to start learning the Backside Tailslide on a miniramp with Masonite because it’s smoother – these little extras are very helpful.

And it’s just plain cool to have some of these famous guys walking you through tricks. Right after Paul Machnau teaches how to do it, he pulls off a 17 stair Crooked Grind. Steve Caballero explains how to do the Caballarial (which he invented) in great detail. Danny Wainwright, the worlds record holder for highest ollie, teaches how to ollie. And Pat Channita, World Street Champion, teaches how to do varial heelflips and nollie backside 180 heelflips. It means something to be able to take trick tips from guys like this.

If you just started skating, you might want to try out something else that will walk you through the true basics and take more time on the skills you need at the beginning. But once you have a handle on those basic skate skills, I recommend the Powell Basic Training DVD. It’s got what you need, and presents it well.

Make sure to check out the reviews of the other Bones Brigade DVDs (Video Show, Future Primitive, The Search for Animal Chin, and Public Domain). The soundtrack to the Bones Brigade movies is also available.