There is always a debate about which one is more difficult to learn and which one looks better… the Ollie North or Ollie South, so let`s clear this up first. Even if they have similar processes, they are very different tricks and Olie South will in most cases take way more effort to get it right. It`s really up to you to decide Which one looks better, but you know, it`s all about fun so don`t stress and try to enjoy every single move on your board!
When learning Ollie South, always make sure your ollies are clean at a descent speed as this will help you with rolling away a lot. Set your feet in the Ollie position, choose the speed you feel most comfortable with, and pop just as the regular Ollie. The more you pop, the easier it will be to pull it perfectly. Once you start hitting the peak, extend your front foot a bit forward, but not as much as if you are tying Ollie North because you want a board to go with you.
At the same time, extend your back leg so that the back foot slips over the tail. More and higher you kick, the more the leg will go over the board and the better it will look. It should all look like you are trying to stretch your legs as much as possible but leading the board with your front foot. For perfect landing, you will have to pull the front foot back and lead your board under you so that you don`t have to search it with your back foot but kind of just step on it. Once you feel the board is under you, just step on bolts and roll away as with every other Ollie.
It’s really not the easiest trick to learn but the process of learning is the same as with all others. It means practice and practice and practice,… If your pop is not the best yet and your air doesn’t really give you enough comfort, you can always try to do it with a help of a street bump or skatepark pyramid hip. If you add a tail grab to it, you are on the way to learning benihana but let`s leave this one for the next time.