As much fun as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater may be, it’s time to put down the controller, pick up your board and find a skate locate to make a name for yourself. If you want to turn pro and show off your skills at the next extreme sports event in your city, you have to practice the real thing.

If you’ve never done the real thing, here are a few tips to get you started before you head down to the park and skate local. Remember, by keeping it local, you represent your area and can make a name for yourself like Tony Hawk did.

The first trick you must learn is the ollie. An ollie is a maneuver where you kick the back of the board so it hits the ground while the front of the board raises up. It’s the simplest skate board trick and it forms the basis for all future ones you will learn. Practice this at home first because you can’t skate local while learning as you will look like a total amatuer.

Remember, your aim is to look like a total pro. Don’t worry about bailing out from a trick if you can’t pull it out. Practice makes perfect and it can take some time to master even the simplest of skateboard tricks.

Once you’ve mastered the ollie, you can hit up the local skate park and practice your grind. Get some wax and coat the rail you intend to grind on. This ensures smooth grinding and stops your skateboard from becoming damaged. Talk with other skate board enthusisists and learn from what they do.

After 6 months of training, you can begin to travel to over skate parks instead of local ones and challenge over riders to skateboard challenge.