Skateboarding is a complex subculture that can take years to fully understand, and one of the most confusing parts about skating is its language.
As with any subculture, there are tons of skateboarding terms, phrases, and slang that the average person would never be able to figure out.
Whether you’re a non-skateboarder looking to understand skater lingo or a new skateboarder trying to decode what some kid said at the skatepark, this comprehensive glossary has all of the skateboarding slang, words, and phrases that you could possibly want to know.
If you have any skateboarding lingo that was left out, be sure to leave a comment and we’ll add it to our skate glossary.
Skateboarding Words, Terms, Slang, & Phrases
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9 Club: when a skateboarder receives a score of 9.0 or higher in a Street League competition
180: a skateboard and body rotation performed either frontside or backside in which the skateboarder turns 180 degrees
270: a skateboard and body rotation performed either frontside or backside in which the skateboarder turns 270 degrees, typically into a grind or slide, or from one ramp to another
360: a skateboard and body rotation performed either frontside or backside in which the skateboarder turns 360 degrees
360 Flip: a skateboard trick in which the board does a 360 pop shuv it and kickflip at the same time
540: a one and a half skateboard and body rotation performed either frontside or backside in which the skateboarder turns 540 degrees
50-50 grind: a skateboard trick in which both trucks are grinding on an obstacle.
720: two complete skateboard and body rotations performed either frontside or backside in which the skateboarder turns 720 degrees
900: a two and a half skateboard and body rotations performed either frontside or backside in which the skateboarder turns 900 degrees, made famous when it was first performed by Tony Hawk in the 1999 X Game
1080: three complete skateboard and body rotations performed either frontside or backside in which the skateboarder turns 1080 degrees.
1260: three and a half skateboard and body rotations performed either frontside or backside in which the skateboarder turns 900 degrees. A 1260 is the current skateboarding world record for the most aerial spins landed.
A
ABD: acronym for “Already Been Done”, meaning the trick in question has already been landed by someone else and is, therefore, less desirable to do
Acid Drop: to skate off the end of an object without touching the board with the hands and without ollieing
Air: an aerial trick
Airwalk: an aerial trick in which the skater grabs the nose of the board, kicks the feet out while in the air and then quickly back on when they’re about to land it
Alley-Oop: a trick variation in which the skater rotates their body sideways in the opposite direction of the direction they’re traveling
Am: short for “amateur”. Not to be confused with the derogatory term, amateur skaters typically have some sponsors and may receive a small paycheck, but do not have a pro model board and aren’t considered a professional. They’re often more highly regarded than casual skaters or even flow skaters, but don’t yet have the same recognition or compensation as a pro. In most activities, the word “amateur” is used to describe anyone who isn’t a professional, but in skateboarding, ams are typically just as skilled as professionals.
Amateur: see “am”
Anchor Grind: a grind trick performed on the board’s front truck that leaves the tail pointing back, down, and away from an obstacle
Axle: the metal rod running through the skateboard truck’s hanger on which the wheels are mounted to
B
Backside: a trick or turn executed with the skater’s back facing the ramp coping or the obstacle
Backside Grab: a grab trick in which the rider grabs the heel edge of their board with their front hand while airing forward or backside
Bail: to jump or step off the board safely when a move goes wrong
Bank: an elevated, sloped, under 90-degree surface or area used to riding skateboards up and down and performing tricks
Barley Grind: an ollie 180 to switch smith grind named after professional skater Donny Barley
Baseplate: a part of a skateboard truck that involves a flat piece of metal with four holes used to mount the skateboard truck to the deck
Battle At The Berrics: often referred to as “BATB”, Battle At The Berrics is an annual game of S.K.A.T.E contest held at The Berrics, which is a private skatepark facility located in Los Angeles. The contest typically consists of professional skateboarders competing over the span of a few weeks in a bracket-style competition, but there have been several iterations of the contest over the years.
Bearings: a set of six, seven, or eight balls enclosed in races between two shields that allow for the turning of a wheel on its axle. Each wheel features two bearings; one for each side.
Bearing Shields: a removable protective outer casing of a bearing used to prevent dirt from entering the bearing
Benihana: a grab trick in which the skater performs an ollie, pulls the board forward with the front foot, leaves the back foot hanging in the air, and grabs the tail before pulling it back under the feet
Bev: short for beverage; a drink
Big flip: a big spin with a kickflip incorporated into the spin; a 360 flip with a back 180
Big spin: a trick in which the skater and their board both rotate along a vertical axis, but the skater rotates 180 as the board rotates 360 *Alfonso Rawls named this trick after its inventor, Brian Lotti. Rawls thought Lotti sounded like “lottery”, and since the board was spinning so much during the trick he named it after the California Lottery’s Big Spin.
Blunt: a trick in which the skater lands the tail of the board on the coping or edge of an object, and then resumes riding
Board!: a phrase that is typically yelled to alert others when a board is shooting across a park
Boardslide: a sliding trick in which the bottom of the skateboard deck slides along an object
Body Varial: the spinning of ones body along its vertical axis while the board does not spin; a sex change
Bomb A Hill: To skate down a big hill
Boned: a mid-air move in which the skater pushed the board out in front and points the nose downward
Boneless: a trick in which the skater takes their front foot off the board, grabs it with their back hand, then jumps up with the back foot still on the board before placing the front foot back on the board and landing;
Bonk: when a skateboarders back set of wheels tap an object while going over it, sometimes referred to as a “tail bonk” as well
Bowl: a concrete or wooden swimming pool-like structure installed in skateparks featuring a flat bottom and coping;
Box: a rectangular box that is usually made of wooden or concrete with grindable and slidable edges and a platform in which skaters perform several tricks
Brain Bucket: a helmet
Brute: gnarly; crazy
BS: abbreviation for “backside”
Bump: any type of street spot that resembles a kicker ramp or provides a slight angle to skate off of
Bump To Bump: a bump with another bump in front of it
Bump To Bar: a ramp or kicker that is facing a rail, typically some form of handicap ramp
Bussup: landing a trick sketchy but still managing to roll away
Bust: used to describe a skate spot where skaters have a high probability of getting kicked out, or a spot that is not skateable for some other reason. When a spot is a bust, skaters often avoid it altogether
Butter: 1. a skateboarding slang term referring to an obstacle that grinds or slides smoothly 2. an adjective used to describe a trick that was performed very well
Bushing: a ring-shaped polyurethane component that surrounds the kingpin of a truck and helps the board turn and pivot
C
Caballerial: a trick invented by Steve Caballero in the early 1980s in which the skater performs a fakie 360-degree ollie in a ramp without grabbing the board
Carve: a maneuver in which the skater makes a long, curving arc
Casper Flip: a trick in which the board is flipped for half a kickflip, then caught upside down and flipped back over and spun backside 180 degrees on its vertical axis
Casper Slide: a slide in which the board is flipped for half of a kickflip, then caught with the back foot on the bottom side of the tail and the front foot holding up the nose from the grip tape side of the deck, and brought down by the skater into a slide on the peak of the tail
Catch: when the board reconnects with a skater’s feet after performing a trick
Cess Slide: The act of sliding sideways on all four wheels while on a transition
Chip: when a piece of wood is broken off of the deck
Christ Air: a grab trick in which the rider goes into the crucifix position, holding the board out to the side with one hand
Clamshell: a type of transition skatepark feature that consists of a curved quarterpipe that progressively gets higher in the middle and tapers off on the ends, forming a crescent shape similar to a clam
Complete: a skateboard with all its components: deck, trucks, wheels, bearings, grip tape, and hardware
Concave: the inward curve of the deck
Coper: an old school covering that is installed in the truck’s hanger to protect it against grinding
Coping: the metal pipe or edging fitted to the lip of a ramp or halfpipe that allows skateboards to slide or grind
Cradle: a spherical over-vert extension commonly found in large bowls that enable inverted and over-vert maneuvers. Typically a cradle resembles a half-dome shape.
Crete Rat: a skateboarder who is known for building, pouring, and skating a lot of DIY concrete skateparks and skate spots
Crusty: rough or worn out, typically used to describe a type of skate spot that is difficult to skate due to its deterioration
Crooked Grind: a grind trick where the front truck is grinding at a slight angle perpendicular to the obstacle
Cup Sole: cup sole refers to the process in which a skate shoe is made. Typically skate shoes are either cup cole or vulcanized. Cup soles are often glued and stitched together rather than being baked or heat treated. Cup sole and vulcanized shoes both have their pros and cons.
Curb: the raised edge of the sidewalk beside a street
Curb Cut: The transition created between the bottom of a driveway and the top of a curb that is used as a small kicker
D
Darkslide: a trick invented by Rodney Mullen in which the skater flips the board onto an obstacle, lands on it upside down with one foot on the nose and the other on the tail, and slides on the grip tape
Deck: 1. the wooden area of a skateboard, typically made up of 7 or 8 layers of wood. 2. the top platform of a ramp where skateboarders stand
Delamination: a defect in the skateboard deck’s plywood that results in the layers starting to come apart from each other;
Demo: a skateboarding event with riding and gear demonstrations usually held in skateparks and skate shops
Disaster: a trick done on quarterpipes in which the board does a 180 over the coping and lands with the back trucks on top of the ramp, similar to a lipslide but without sliding
DIY: a DIY skatepark
Dog Piss: a grab trick in which the rider holds the board near their front foot and kicks off their back foot as if they were a dog, hence the name
Double Flip: a skateboarding trick where the board does 2 full rotations on its vertical axis, typically referring to a double kickflip
Double Set: a stairway with two sets of stairs connected by a flat section or platform
Downhill Skating: a skateboarding style in which the rider skates down steep roads at high speed
Drop In: a way of entering a bowl, quarter pipe, or bank from the top by placing the tail of the skateboard on the coping and leaning forward down the face of the ramp
Durometer: a measurement scale that identifies the resiliency, or hardness, of urethane wheels
Dusted: a term used to describe either an item or person being worn out
E
Early Grab: a grab trick in which the skateboarder grabs their board before leaving the ground or ramp
Euro Gap: a wedge ramp with a flat section and a step up to the deck. Usually skated up the ramp with speed to launch over the gap
Escalator: a ramp variation in which a part of the coping found on quarter pipes and bowls slopes from one height to another and is not parallel to the ground
Extension: the part of a ramp where the transition extends higher than the remaining area. Many extensions are built into ramps, but some extensions are movable and can be placed on various areas of a ramp
F
Face Plant: to fall off the board with the face on the ground before any other part of the body
Fakie: to ride a skateboard backward
Fast Plant: a trick initiated with an ollie, with the back foot then planting on the ground and pushing off while the board is controlled by the front foot and some kind of grab; the trick is landed with both feet on the board
Feeble: a grind trick in which the rider grinds on the back truck, with the nose pointing forward, down, and toward the obstacle
Fingerboard: a fingerboard (or “fb” for short) is a miniature skateboard toy that a person uses with their fingers. Originally invented in the late 60’s, fingerboarding has grown to become its own subculture
First T: skateboarding slang term for “first try”, meaning the first attempt at doing a trick
Fish Eye: a popular filming technique in skateboarding involving a fisheye / wide-angle lens
Five-O (5-O): a grind trick in which the back truck is grinding and the front truck is raised in the air
Flat Bottom: any flat surface at the bottom of a transition
Flat Spot: a type of damage that can happen to wheels as a result of sliding that causes a section of the round wheel to be flat, making the wheels slower and creating a distinct noise when they roll
Flat Rail / Bar: a flat metal rail
Flip: to turn the skateboard on a lengthwise axis
Flip Trick: A flip trick is a move that involves the board spinning on any or a variety of its axes
Flow: skateboarders who consistently receive free products from a company are considered to be “flow”. This is typically the first step in becoming a professional skateboarder. Once someone is flow, they’ll often start going on trips with the other team members. Eventually, they’ll become “am” or “amateur” and start getting paid. After establishing a name for themselves they’ll turn “pro”, where they get their own pro model deck along with a significant pay raise.
Footage / Footy: skateboarding captured on video
Focus A Board: to break a board in half
Foot Plant: a skateboarding trick variation where one of the skateboarder’s feet temporarily come off of the board and pushes off of an obstacle before going back on the board, typically while the rider is holding the board with one hand
Front Foot Impossible: a trick in which the skater wraps the nose around their front foot 360 degrees, essentially a vertical 360 shuvit
Frontside: when a trick or turn is performed with the skater’s front-facing the ramp coping or the obstacle
Frontside Flip: a trick in which the board does a frontside 180 with a kickflip
Fruit Boots: a derogatory expression for inline skates and rollerblades
FS: abbreviation for “frontside”
Full Cab: an alternative name for a Caballerial
Full Pipe: a circle-shaped ramp that either resembles a pipe, or is a pipe. Unlike halfpipes, a full pipe often doesn’t have any flat bottom between the two slopes of transition
Funbox: a type of skateboard obstacle that includes several types of ramps in one such as a ledge, hip, rail, or hubba
G
Gap: a type of skateboarding obstacle similar to a stair set that is jumped down or across and is made up of two rideable surfaces with a space in between, typically with elevation change between the two surfaces
Gnarly: an awesome or amazing thing or trick
Goofy-Foot: a skater that rides with his or her right foot forward;
Grab: to use the hand or hands to hold the board during a trick
Graphics: the artwork that is displayed on part of a skateboard, typically the bottom of a skate deck
Grind: a trick that involves scraping the skateboard’s trucks along an object
Grip Gum: a skateboarding accessory that is used to clean grip tape. Grip gum is the most popular brand, but there are similar brands with the same function.
Grip Job: a term used to reference a grip tape design or the way in which grip tape was applied to a board
Grip Tape: sandpaper-like material fitted to the top of a deck to give riders more grip. A strong adhesive on the bottom make it difficult to remove grip tape, but there are methods to do so.
Grip Thumb: a common injury skateboarders get where the tip or edge of their thumb is rubbed raw from grabbing the nose of their board and touching their grip tape. The most efficient way to start moving on a skateboard is to hold onto the nose of the board and throw it down while simultaneously jumping onto it. However, if someone is using rough grip tape such as MOB, following this method can often rub a person’s thumb raw over time.
Grom: a skateboard slang word for young skater kid
H
Half Cab: a fakie ollie 180
Halfpipe: a U-shaped ramp featuring a flat bottom section between the opposing concave transitions that lead to vertical areas on both sides
Handrail: the urban feature in which skaters perform several grinding and sliding tricks
Hanger: the largest part of the truck that is mostly exposed to grinding
Hang Up: while trying to drop back in off of the coping after completing a trick, the truck that was above the coping does not clear it on the way back into the transition; this often results in a slam, but can be pulled off by some
Hardflip: 1. a trick consisting of a frontside 180 pop shuvit and a kickflip 2. a skateboarding film released in 2012
Hardware: skateboard hardware refers to the screws and nuts used to secure skateboard trucks to a deck.
Heavy: gnarly or intense
Heel bruise: a common skateboarding injury where skateboarders get a bruise on the bottom of their heel
Heelflip: a flip trick in which the board rotates around its lengthwise axis as a result of the rider kicking the heel of their front foot off the toe edge of the board
Hesh: gnarly; sketchy
Hip: the junction of two banks, transitions, or other riding surfaces which meet at an angle, usually anywhere from 300 degrees to 90 degrees; these angles are ridden, grinded, and flown over
Hipper: a painful bruise on the hip that occurs from a skateboarder falling on their side
Ho-Ho: a plant trick involving a handstand with both hands on the ground and the board resting on the feet
Hot Pocket: a sharp pain felt in the front of the ankle caused by the foot being pushed upwards while landing
Hubba: a skateboarding obstacle in which a ledge does goes down a stair set or gap, originally named after the famous “Hubba Hideout” skate spot in San Fransisco
Hurricane: a grind trick starting with a 180 onto an obstacle landing on the back truck (which is now in front) with the nose pointing back, down, and towards the obstacle; essentially a 180 to fakie feeble
Hyped: excited; stoked
I
Impossible: a trick in which the skater wraps the tail around their back foot 360 degrees, essentially a vertical 360 shuvit
Indy Grab: a grab trick in which the skater airing either frontside or backside grabs the toe edge with their back hand and pokes the nose out of the board out
Invert: a transition trick that entails the skater getting upside down and supporting themself on one hand, usually on the coping of a ramp, as the other hand performs a grab
J
Japan: a mute grab tweaked frontside
Jetty Ledge: an alternative name for an out ledge
Judo: a grab trick in which the rider grabs the heel edge of their board near the front wheel with their front hand and kicks their front foot off in front of them
K
K-Grind: an alternative name for a crooked grind
Kick Turn: to turn the board by shifting the weight to the tail of the board, slightly lifting up the nose, and twisting
Kickflip: a common flip trick invented by Curt Lindgren and later modified by Rodney Mullen in which the skater flips the board around its lengthwise axis as a result of kicking their front foot off the heel edge of their board
Kickflip Underflip: a trick consisting of a fully rotated kickflip that is then kicked with the front foot on the bottom side of the deck to send it flipping back in the same direction that it came from
King Of The Road: an annual contest hosted by Thrasher Magazine involving 3 pre-invited teams of professional skateboarders. The teams are each given copies of a book with a variety of skateboarding challenges, as well as more humorous challenges. There are various points available for each challenge, usually dependent on how difficult or uncomfortable the challenge is. All 3 teams compete at the same time over a two-week period, in which they travel across the U.S. to complete as many challenges as possible. This contest started out as a web series but has gone on to become a show on VICE.
Kingpin: the bolt that holds the hanger, cushions, and baseplate of a truck together
Kink: a rail that goes straight and down and straight again
KOTR: see “King Of The Road”
Krooked: a skateboarding company founded by Mark “Gonz” Gonzales in 2002
L
Land: to successfully complete a trick
Landing Bolts: to land a trick perfectly with the board secure and balanced, usually with all 8 bolts of a skateboard covered by the rider’s feet
Late Trick: any trick that’s executed after the board has reached its peak height in the air, or after another trick without first touching the ground. Ex: late flip, late treflip, etc.
Launch Ramp: a type of ramp used for launching a skater in the air, similar to a kicker ramp but with more transition and a steeper incline
Lay Back: a trick variation normally done on quarterpipes where the skater lays close to the top of the ramp while placing one or both hands on top of the ramp, giving the appearance that they’re laying back
Lien Air: a grab trick in which the rider grabs the heel edge of their board while airing frontside. *Invented by Neil Blender which is why it’s spelled as Neil’s first name written backward
Line: 1. a number of tricks performed consecutively. 2. a path or planned course through a skatepark or skate spot
Lip: the top edge of a bowl or ramp
Lipslide: a slide trick in which the back trucks of the board goes up and over the obstacle and the board slides between the two trucks
Local: a skater who resides near or often frequents a skate spot or skatepark, often skating the spot or park much better or more fluently than others
Lock In: the act of a skateboarder securing their board or trucks board into a slide or grind position in a way that is most stable, allowing for a lengthy maneuver
Lofty: a term that refers to tricks that are high up in the air
Longboard: a longer skateboard that is used for downhill skating, commuting, and cruising, not to be confused with a normal skateboard
Long lens: a filming technique in skateboarding where no fisheye or wide-angle lens is used
M
Madolly: an air trick in which the skater does a Madonna with no grab
Madonna: a grab trick in which the skateboarder grabs the heel edge of their board near the front wheel with their front hand and kicks their front foot off behind them; this trick is often done to tail smack on the way back into the transition. *Tony Hawk named this trick after the singer who at the time was as trendy as the trick itself
Mall Grab: a frowned upon practice in which someone carries or holds a skateboard by the truck, similar to someone who buys their skateboards from malls
Manny: short for manual
Manual: a skateboarding trick that involves balancing on the back set of wheels by lifting the front set of wheels in the air
Manual Pad: a skateboarding obstacle that is used to perform manual tricks
Method Air: a grab trick that entails the rider grabbing the heel edge of their board with their front hand and pulling that edge up towards their back. *named by Neil Blender who described this grab as the method for getting higher air
Mega Ramp: a huge vert ramp made of a metal scaffold with a wood surface featuring a roll-in, a gap jump, and a vert quarter pipe section
Mini Ramp: a small scale version of a halfpipe that is usually 3-6 feet tall and features smooth transitions with no vert sections
Mini Mega: a smaller version of a Mega Ramp which is still very large compared to typical ramps, but not quite as big as a full-sized Mega
Mob: 1. a popular grip tape brand 2. to have bad style
Mongo: a not so well accepted technique that involves pushing the skateboard with the front foot while the back foot remains on the board
Mute: a grab trick involving the skater grabbing their toe edge with their front hand while airing backside *named after Chris Weddle, a deaf mute known for being one of the first skaters to execute this trick
N
No Comply: a type of trick variation that entails the front foot stepping off of the board and onto the ground while the back foot initiates any of a number of tricks such as ollie, 180, pop shuvit, etc.
Nollie: a trick in which the skater does an ollie off of the nose of the board rather than the tail *originated by Natas Kaupas, it is short for nose ollie or Natas ollie
Nose: the front angled section of the skateboard deck located above of the most forward mounting holes
Nose Bonk: a very short nose grind or tap involving a quick contact of the front truck or wheels on an obstacle
Nosegrab: to grab the nose of the board with the leading hand
Nosegrind: a grind trick performed by balancing a grind on the front truck with the tail pointing up and back
Nose Manual: a skateboarding trick that involves balancing on the front set of wheels by lifting the back set of wheels in the air
Nose Pick: a trick in which the ride does a stall in the nose grind position, usually involving an indy grab for control
Nose Slide: a slide trick involving the skater sliding on the nose of the deck
O
Obstacle: any object that can be incorporated into a skateboarding trick
Old School: a skateboarding term used to describe a trick, skater or pretty much anything that is representative of an older style
Ollie: a trick in which the skater uses his or her feet to pull the skateboard up into the air without the board flipping or spinning
Ollie North: a variation of the ollie in which the skater kicks their front foot off of the board while doing an ollie, also known as an ollie one foot
Out Ledge: a type of skate spot in which a ledge continues out laterally as an adjacent staircase, gap, or bank goes down
Over Vert: a transition that goes past vert (a 90-degree angle) so that the face of the transition is actually angled slightly down
P
Park Rat: a skateboarder who spends most of their time skateboarding at skateparks. This can sometimes be used as a pejorative since skateparks are easier to skate than street spots.
Pivot Cup: the raised and hollowed plastic cup that prevents the hanger from sits coming into contact with the baseplate;
Pivot Fakie: a transition trick where the skater balances a stall on the back truck atop a quarterpipe or bank for just a moment before reentering the transition in fakie stance; essentially a 5-0 fakie on a quarterpipe or ledge that doesn’t grind
Pole Jam: 1. a skate obstacle that features a pole sticking out of the ground, typically at an angle. 2. a trick in which the skateboarder riders up and off of a pole bent diagonally out of the ground
Pop: 1. to smack the tail against the ground to initiate a trick 2. a skateboarding term referring to the amount of snap and stiffness a board has when doing tricks 3. how high someone perform tricks
Pop Shove-It: a trick that combines the ollie with shove-it and enables the board to get to the air and rotate 180 degrees along its vertical axis
Poser: a term referring to a non-skateboarder pretending to be a skateboarder, not to be confused with a beginner
Pressure Flip: 1. a pressure inward heelflip 2. a type of flip trick that entails putting pressure on the correct spot of the tail (and sometimes the nose) to make it flip around without flicking the board. Ex: pressure flip, pressure heelflip, pressure kickflip, etc
Primo: a skateboarding term referring to when a skateboard is resting on its side with the axles running vertically
Pro: short for “professional”. Pro refers to any skateboarder who has their own pro model skateboard deck and is paid by companies to skate
Pumping: a skateboarding phrase meaning to move your body weight on your skateboard at specific moments to build speed without your feet touching the ground
Pump Track: a looping path of concrete that features ascending and descending sections of transition that skaters can pump on to gain speed and complete the track
Pushing: to propel the board forward by keeping as much weight on the lead foot as possible and getting the rear foot to push against the ground
Pyramid: a pyramid-shaped obstacle with a flat top often found in skateparks, typically with 1-2 hips
Q
Quarterpipe: a skateboard ramp that resembles the quarter section of a pipe that has a curved piece leading to a vertical ramp
Quadflip: a skateboarding trick where the board does 4 full rotations on its vertical axis, typically referring to a quadruple kickflip
Quiver: a traditional quiver is a container for holding arrows. In skateboarding, a quiver refers to a person’s overall collection of skateboards rather than an actual container. As skaters progress, some prefer to have one board for transition skating, one board for street skating, a cruiser board for transportation, etc.
R
Rad: skateboarding slang for radical
Rail: skateboard lingo referring to a type of skateboard obstacle that includes a railing of any size, material, and height
Railslide: a trick entailing the rider sliding along an object usually a rail on the part of their deck between the trucks
Rainbow Rail: a curved rail with an arch that resembles the shape of a rainbow. They start out low and rise to a peak before declining again
Razor Tail: when the tail of a skateboard becomes sharp due to excessive scraping on the ground
Regular Footed: a skater that rides with the left foot forward
Revert: a trick variation that can be added to the end of any other trick by the rider spinning their body and their board 180 on the ground, typically with the wheels sliding across the ground rather than completing the full rotation in the air
Ripper: a skateboarder term referring to really good and consistent skater
Riser Pads: often times referred to as “risers”, riser pads are a thin piece of plastic or rubber that goes between the baseplate of a skateboard truck and the deck. The purpose of using riser pads is to provide a larger gap between the wheels and the deck, which can prevent wheel bite and help with turning.
Roastbeef: a grab trick where the skater grabs their heel edge with their back hand in front of their back leg
Rocket Air: a grab trick where once in the air, the skater puts both feet on the tail facing lengthwise and grabbing the nose with both hands, keeping their body as straight as possible to look like a rocket
Rock N Roll: a transition trick where a rider goes up to the lip and push the front truck over it onto the deck, stalls, then turns 180 back down the face of the ramp
Roll In: 1. when a skateboarder enters a quarterpipe or bank by rolling from the top platform over the coping and down the ramp rather than dropping in. 2. a type of skateboard ramp that features a smooth “S” shaped transition going from a flat platform into a steep transition
S
Sack It: a skateboarding phrase referring to landing on an obstacle, usually a narrow one like a handrail, right in between their legs
Salad Grind: a grind trick performed by balancing on the back truck, with the opposite end of the board pointing forward, up, and towards the obstacle
Sesh: skateboarder slang for a skateboard session
Shark Bite: when a skateboard with razor tail hits a rider’s ankle
Shifty: a trick variation involving the skater shifting their board 90 degrees (or close to it), with their feet still in contact with the board, then bringing it back to starting position. This variation is usually done to add extra style to tricks.
Shinner: a skateboarding phrase referring to when the board (or sometimes an obstacle) hits the rider’s shin, usually resulting in a bruise
Shoe Goo: a popular shoe repair adhesive among skateboarders. Shoe goo can often prolong the life of a shoe by several weeks or sometimes even months.
Sidewalk Surfer: another term for skateboarder
Sidewalk Surfing: another term for skateboarding
Sk8: slang for the work “skate” which despite being one of the most popular abbreviations for “skate”, isn’t often used by actual skateboarders
S.K.A.T.E: a game skateboarders play similar to the basketball game H.O.R.S.E. Someone starts off the game by doing a trick. If they miss, it’s the next person’s turn to try their own trick. If they land it, everyone else has to try it and whoever misses gets a letter. The winner is the last one not to spell out the full word S.K.A.T.E. There are plenty of ways to beat someone in SKATE, but it ultimately varies depending on the skaters.
Skatepark: a public or privately-owned, outdoor or indoor area featuring a broad range of obstacles and objects in which skateboarders perform tricks and maneuvers
Skate Stoppers: a form of defensive architecture used to deter skateboarders. Skate stoppers are often pieces of metal bolded or welded onto materials to prevent skateboarders from grinding on them.
Skate Tool: a small multifunction tool made specifically for a skateboard, typically featuring a phillips head / allen head screw driver, several sized socket wrenches (3/8″, 1/2″, or 9/16″), and sometimes even a bearing press, grip tape file, or rethreader. Skate tools are considered an essential skateboarding accessory
Sketchy: a skateboarding term used to describe an imperfect trick or spot
Sketch: short for “sketchy”
Slam: skateboard lingo for a hard fall
Slappy: a type of skateboarding trick in which the rider rams their board into a grind or slide on a curb or low ledge / rail without popping their board
Slappy Curb: a low curb that is typically painted and slightly angled used to perform slappy tricks
Slash Grind: a grind trick performed on quarterpipes by doing a quick 5-0 without going up onto the deck of the ramp
Slide: a type of skateboarding trick where the underside of the deck slides along an object
Slob: a mute grab while airing frontside
SLS: acronym for “Street League Skateboarding”, which is known as the biggest contest circuit in skateboarding
Smith Grind: a grind trick performed by grinding on the back truck with the nose pointing forward, down, and away from the obstacle
Snake: 1. to steal or cut off someone’s line at a skatepark; taking someone’s turn. 2. someone who steals or cuts off someone’s line
Snake Run: a long narrow path of concrete that typically features quarterpipes along both sides with varies transition obstacles blended throughout
SOTY: short for “Skater Of The Year”, an award given out annually by Thrasher Magazine. SOTY is considered to be the highest award in professional skateboarding
Spin: to make a skateboard rotate on its vertical axis as in a pop shuvit
Spine: a type of skateboard ramp consisting of two quarter pipes back to back without a deck creating a narrow spine in which the coping of both ramps are touching
Sponsored: when a skateboarder is supported by a company by receiving free products and payments in return for endorsing said company. Sponsored riders fall into 1 of 3 categories: flow, am, or pro
Spot: a term skateboarders use to refer to any place any that has something to skate
Stalefish: a grab trick where the skater grabs the heel edge of their board with their back hand behind your back leg
Stall: the act of a skater getting their board into a sliding or grinding position on an obstacle, without sliding or grinding
Stance: a skateboard term referring to which foot is positioned in the front of the board when riding
Steez/Steezy: a combination of the words “style” and “ease” meant to praise a stylish and perfectly executed trick or maneuver
Stick: to catch or come close to landing a trick without fully landing it
Stoked: to feel excited
Street Course: the part of a skatepark with obstacles that mimic those found while street skating
Street League: the biggest contest circuit in professional skateboarding. Street League follows a street skateboarding format and consists of individual runs, as well as a “best trick” portion
Street Skating: a skating style that uses urban street features, such as stairs, ledges, rails, and gaps to perform tricks
Swellbow: a skateboarding term used to describe a swollen elbow that results from falling
Switch Stance: to ride a skateboard and perform tricks and maneuvers not using the normal or natural stance
T
Tail: the slightly elevated back end of a skateboard deck that is located behind the back bolts
Tail Grab: a grab trick where the skater grabs their tail with their back hand while in the air
Tail Tap: a maneuver in which the skateboarder taps the bottom tail of their board on an obstacle while passing by it
Tail Slide: a trick in which the skater slides the underside of the tail end of the board on a lip or ledge
Technical (Tech): a skateboarding style that involves highly complex tricks and maneuvers, typically combining multiple tricks together
The Berrics: a private skatepark / skateboarding media company founded by pro skaters Steve Berra and Eric Koston. The park is based in Los Angeles, and is used as headquarters to produce skateboarding content featuring professionals, as well as up and comers. The Berrics is also where the annual “Battle At The Berrics” contest is hosted
THPS: an acronym referring to the skateboarding video game franchise “Tony Hawks Pro Skater”
Thrasher: a San Francisco based skateboarding magazine founded in January 1981 by Eric Swenson and Fausto Vitello, widely considered to be the largest and most respected publication in skateboarding
THUG: a skateboarding acronym referring to the video game “Tony Hawks Underground”
Tic Tac: when a skater pivots left and right on the back wheels of a skateboard, either as a means of acceleration or to their balance when landing a trick off center
Training Facility: a name often given to private skateparks owned by professional skateboarders or companies, sometimes referred to as a “TF” for short
Transfer: a skater term referencing when a skateboarder transfers from one area or ramp to another; approaching an obstacle from one side and riding away on the other side
Transition: a type of skateboarding surface that features curved ramps and banks
Trick: a skateboard maneuver
Triple Flip: a skateboarding trick where the board does 3 full rotations on its vertical axis, typically referring to a triple kickflip
Triple Set: a stairway with three sets of stairs connected by a flat section or platform
Truck: the metal axle assembly attached to the bottom of deck which includes a hanger, baseplate, axle, kingpin, bushings, pivot cups, axle nuts, bushing cups, and speed washers
Tuck Knee: a skateboarding grab trick where the skater grabs the toe edge of their board near the back wheel with their back hand, then pulls the board back as they push their knees forward
Tweak: a technic used to add style to a trick be exaggerating or contorting it, typically by extending it further than normal
Twinkie: skateboard lingo referring to a small type of ramp that inclines up, rounds off at the top, then inclines down, similar to a large speed bump
U
Underflip: a trick variation in which the skater does the full rotation or spin of a trick, then while still in the air, proceeds to flip the board again from the bottom of the deck
V
Varial Kickflip: a skateboard trick combining a backside pop shuv it and a kickflip, causing the board to spin 180 degrees backside while also flipping the board kickflip
Varial Heelflip: a skateboard trick combining a frontside pop shuv it and a heelflip, causing the board to spin 180 degrees frontside while also flipping the board in a heelflip motion
Vert: a skateboarding slang term short for vertical. Can be referred to a style of skating, or in reference to a ramp that has a 90 degree angle at the top
Vert Ramp: a specially designed ramp for skateboarding with a horizontal area at its top measuring 90 degrees
Vert Skating: a skating style in which the rider performs moves and tricks on a vert ramp. It usually involves getting air above the rim of the ramp or pipe
Volcano: a cylindrical cone-shaped ramp with a flat top (sometimes has a rounded top too)
Vulcanized: vulcanized refers to the process in which a skate shoe is made. Typically skate shoes are either vulcanized or cup sole. Vulcanized shoes are often baked or heat-treated, and cup soles are often glued or stitched together. Vulcanized and cup sole shoes both have their pros and cons.
VX1000: the VX1000 was an incredibly popular handheld camera used in skateboarding throughout the late 90s all the way up to the 2010s. It’s undisputedly one of the best cameras for filming skateboarding, even to this day. Although newer HD cameras have taken its place, the VX1000 is still a strong preference among skateboarders.
W
Wallie: a skateboarding trick / trick variation in which the skater rams their board into an obstacle (typically one that’s slanted) and uses the momentum to launch themselves into the air
Wax: skateboarders typically use wax to make it easier to slide or grind on objects. Although there are companies that make wax specifically for skateboarding, most forms of wax will work
Wheels: the four rounded polyurethane pieces that are attached to a skateboard’s trucks to allow skateboards to roll
Wheelbite: a skateboarder term referring to when too much weight is applied to one side of the board either while turning or landing a trick, causing the bottom of the deck to touch a wheel and stop its rotation, usually resulting in the board stopping abruptly and the rider being tossed off
Wheelburn: a mark left on the bottom of a skateboard deck caused by the board’s wheels scraping when too much weight is applied to one side
Willy Grind: a skateboarding trick in which the front truck is grinding on an obstacle with the back truck hanging below the obstacle. The popularity of this trick has come and gone over the years, and it’s often considered one of the ugliest skateboarding tricks, although many skaters may disagree.
Wipe Out: a dated term used to describe when someone falls off a skateboard.
Z
Zoo York: a skateboarding / streetwear company established in 1993 by Rodney Smith, Eli Morgan Gesner, and Adam Schatz