Definition: The ollie is one of the most basic tricks in snowboarding. It can be used as the basis for other tricks, or just to pop the board off the ground. It is one of many snowboarding terms that was borrowed from skateboarding. The opposite of the ollie is the nollie.
The ollie involves using the tail of the snowboard as a spring to get the board off the ground without the need for a jump. The rider simultaneously shifts weight to the tail of the board while lifting the nose with the front foot, then springing off the tail and leveling the board off in the air.
The ollie gets its name from its inventor, Alan "Ollie" Gelfand, who created the move in the pools commonly used by skateboarders in the 1970s. It was later adapted to flatland use by Rodney Mullen in the early '80s.
Pronunciation: [ol-ee]
Examples:
With nowhere to turn, I was forced to ollie over a fallen tree branch on my way down the trail.
