Skateboarding
Skateboarding
How to grind on a skateboard: Tips and techniques for beginners
Steps for how to grind on a skateboard, along with the equipment you’ll need to get started.
In skateboarding, a grind involves sliding and balancing the T-shaped metal pieces underneath your board, called trucks, along an edge or surface. Grinds are popular tricks among skateboarders, who often attempt them on handrails, ledges, curbs, and other surfaces.
Ryan Decenzo smith grind at the Red Bull Drop In Tour 2023 in Miami
© Chaz Miley / Red Bull Content Pool
Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been skating for a while, you might want to add grinds to your list of accomplished skills. After all, as professional street skateboarder Ryan Decenzo explains, “Skateboarding is the ultimate freedom.” Grinding on your board gives you the chance to express this liberation exactly how you desire. Below are the steps for how to grind on a skateboard, along with the equipment you’ll need to get started.
Equipment needed for grinding on a skateboard
Before you’re ready to hop on your board and start grinding along rails, you’ll need the right equipment for safe experiences and smooth maneuvers. You can find these items at a national retailer or your local skate shop.
Zion Wright hits a frontside crooked grind at the Red Bull Performance Camp
© Anthony Acosta / Red Bull Content Pool
- Helmet. This protective gear is just as necessary for practicing your skills as your board itself. For the best protection, your helmet should fit snugly around your head, but not too tight to where it would give you a headache.
- Skate pads. Wearing elbow and knee pads can help protect you from scraping the harsh concrete as you practice. To find protective yet not restricting pads, measure the circumference around your arms, knees, and wrists, then reference the pads’ size chart.
- Trucks. Skateboard trucks come in multiple sizes. However, lighter trucks, often labeled as “hollow” or “light,” work best for grinding. The baseplates on trucks labeled “forged” are strong yet light, making them especially great for grinding.
- Wheels. Among the many types of skateboard wheels, conical wheels are some of the best for grinding. These wheels are fairly light, and they give you more surface area to ride on than, say, classic wheels. Harder wheels (ones with a hardness level at or over 99a) create little friction, which is ideal for grinding.
- Skate wax. This reduces friction and helps you glide smoothly and maintain speed during a grind. You can buy this wax from a skate shop or, if you’re feeling creative, make your own skate wax.
- Shoes. To perform the most stable grinds and properly control your board, you’ll want flexible shoes. Vulcanized shoes are some of the best shoes for performing grinds. These shoes are slim and don’t have much cushion, so the movements you make with your feet go directly to your board.
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Basic techniques for grinding on a skateboard
Ksenia Maricheva in Los Angeles
© Denis Klero / Red Bull Content Pool
With all your equipment in place, you can start practicing grinds on your skateboard. Below are some different types of grinds and step-by-step instructions on how to perform them.
How to 50-50 grind
A 50-50 grind is the most basic kind of grind. During a 50-50 grind, both of your trucks are on the rail (or other surface edge), and the rail is between the trucks.
- Start with a low surface. Begin slowly. Try out a short ledge or another railing that’s close to the ground.
- Get in position, and gain speed. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-length apart on your board. Then, move forward on your board, picking up as much speed as you can.
- Perform an ollie. The most foundational part of performing a 50-50 is mastering the ollie. To perform an ollie, place one foot at the tail of your board and the other foot just behind the hardware at the front. Put some pressure on the board with your back foot and jump up, keeping your feet just on top of your board.
- Land on the surface. Position your board’s trucks to land flat on the surface. Your feet should be in the same position as they were before you started your ollie.
- Maintain balance. As you’re sliding down the rail or other surface, make balancing your priority. Keep your knees bent so you’re in a low stance, and lean slightly forward to help control your board. Lock the surface underneath your trucks evenly between them so your board doesn’t slide too far to one side or the other.
- Launch from the surface. Once you’re nearing the end of the surface, press on the tail of your board to lift its nose and perform another ollie. Launch yourself from the platform, and land on the ground with a bend in your knees to absorb the force of your landing.
Christian Sanchez at the Red Bull Skate Arcade Global Final 2015 on Lisbon
© Vasco Neves / Red Bull Content Pool
How to do a boardslide grind
During a boardslide grind, you’ll slide the middle of your board down a rail or other surface.
Related
- Position your board. Your board should be at a 45-degree angle from the surface. This will help you more easily mount the surface.
- Pick up speed. Push off your board to pick up a good amount of speed. However, you don’t want to move too fast, or you might find it difficult to adjust your footing once you’ve mounted the surface.
- Launch onto the surface. Perform an ollie to launch you and your board into the air and toward the surface. Position your board to where each of your feet is on one side of the surface.
- Slide down the surface. Lean back slightly to maintain your balance on the rail. Distribute your body weight evenly on both feet.
- Reposition your board. Slightly press down on the nose of your board to position it toward the front. Gently rotate your body to bring your other foot directly behind you. Keep a slight bend in your knees to land smoothly from the rail.
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Advanced techniques for grinding on a skateboard
Once you’ve practiced and mastered the basic grinds, you can move on to more advanced tricks like the ones below.
How to frontside smith grind
Margielyn Didal performs a frontside Smith grind
© Jaime Owens / Red Bull Content Pool
During a frontside smith grind, your rear truck grinds the surface while the front of your board is hanging off and angled away from it.
- Prepare to mount the surface. As you’re approaching the rail or other surface, pick up a good amount of speed. Approach the ledge at a slight angle.
- Mount the surface. Perform an ollie to lift your board onto the surface. Push your back foot forward so that the rear of your board makes contact with the surface while moving your front leg away from it. The goal here is to lock the back wheel on the surface edge.
- Grind the surface. Once you’ve locked in your rear wheel, apply the majority of your body weight to the back of your board. Keep your back knee bent and your front leg, which is on the part of your board that’s hanging off the surface, mostly extended.
- Dismount. Once you reach the end of the surface, use your front leg to gently guide your board back to a straight position. Allow the back of your board to leave the surface. Bend your knees as you land to absorb your landing.
How to feeble grind
Leticia Bufoni backside feeble grind at Natural History Museum in London
© Reece Leung / Red Bull Content Pool
A feeble grind essentially combines a 50-50 grind with a boardslide. It’s one of the most difficult skateboarding tricks to perform. But, with the following steps, you can be on your way to mastering it.
- Approach the rail. With your back turned away from the rail, start picking up some speed.
- Mount the rail. Perform an ollie to lift your board onto the rail. The trick here is to push your weight slightly backward. Also, make sure your ollie has enough force to put the front of your board on the opposite side of the rail or surface. Land on your back truck, and place your weight on your back heel.
- Grind the rail. Once you start sliding down the surface of the rail, tilt your board slightly forward. Shift your body weight to the center of the rail to balance yourself.
- Dismount. As you’re approaching the end of the rail, gently move your weight backward. Lift the front side of your board to leave the rail in a straight line.
How to backside crooked grind
Jaakko Ojanen performs a Backside Crooked grind in Tampere, Finland
© Pasi Salminen / Red Bull Content Pool
During this type of grind, you’ll move diagonally across a surface using the front of your board.
- Approach the rail. Gain some speed with the rail to your back and your board parallel to the rail or at a slight angle toward it.
- Perform an ollie. Launch your board onto the rail with an ollie. Land on the rail so that your board’s front axle is positioned at an angle with the surface.
- Grind the rail. Shift the entirety of your weight onto the front of your board to keep your momentum going down the rail. Your back foot should be just behind the middle of the board.
- Dismount. Once you reach the end of the rail, lift your front foot slightly off the board to release your weight from it. This enables your board to leave the rail. As you’re mid-air, redistribute your weight evenly across the board.
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Common mistakes to avoid when grinding on a skateboard
As you practice skateboard grinds, below are some mistakes you should try to avoid.
Leaning too far in one direction
There are times when you should place most of your weight on a portion of your board. However, in some cases, leaning too far in one direction can cause you to tip over. This can happen when you’re in the middle of your grind or as you’re landing. Try to keep your weight evenly distributed across your board, particularly during a 50-50 grind and when you’re dismounting from a surface.
Keeping your legs straight
In most cases, when you’re skateboarding, your legs shouldn’t be completely straight. Keeping some bend in your knees gives you more maneuverability during your grinds. However, there’s a balance to keep here. Be sure not to bend your knees so much that you’re crouching, as you could lose your balance.
Backing out midway through a trick
It’s okay to be a bit nervous your first time trying out a new trick. But once you’ve decided to go for it, take that determination to the end. Losing form halfway through a grind can cause you to lose balance and fall.
Ramping up your grinds
Though they can be challenging, grinds on your skateboard are some of the most exciting and fulfilling tricks to perform. You can start with the basics and work your way up to mastering the most advanced grinds. Once you get the hang of things, you’ll always crave the sound of your trucks sliding across the rail and the feeling of securely landing. So go and get out there — rails, ledges, and ramps await you at your local skatepark.
