Manual tricks

Manual tricks in Tony Hawk's series is a set of skateboarding tricks, involving skater to balance on the ground in any unusual position.

Manuals in Tony Hawk's

Manuals were introduced in THPS2. Since then it became the key feature that allows player to link different tricks in a combo. To be able to hold the balance, there is a special bar on the screen that is only shown while performing a manual trick. If player let the arrow leave the balance range and it is in the unsafe (red) zone, skater will bail.

While the game features real life tricks, there are a lot of fictional tricks as well, including enormous acrobatic tricks and just mocking ones.

Real trick variations

Balancing on trucks

The most basic balancing tricks are the Manual and Nose Manual, which is done by skating on either back or front truck only.

One wheel modifications involve skater to balance on just one wheel.

There are also one foot modifications of these tricks which involve the rider to remove one leg from the board and balance on the nose/tail.

A manual in which both feet are straight on the nose is a Hang-ten manual, its tail counterpart is called a Heelie.

The most difficult variation is the Swedish manual/nose manual, most likely named after Swedish pro skater Stefan "Lillis" Akesson, where the rider places on foot underneath the truck and the back foot futher up the deck.

Balancing on deck (nose/tail/side)

These tricks are harder to perform, because it requires a special surface to slide on. It is impossible to perform most of these tricks on asphalt, due to excessive friction. This is why they are widely used in flatland freestyle. This includes Casper, Anti Casper, Truckstand, Pogo, Primo and others.