Substitutes for an Angle Iron Skate

An angle iron is a a piece of steel that has been bent to form a 90 degree elbow. It is usually long and sold in 20- or 10-foot lengths. Angle irons are used in skateboarding as ledges to grind on. Skateboarders jump onto the angle iron in such a way that the trucks of the board lock on the ledge.

  1. Curbs

    • A simple solution to not having an angle iron is to grind off a curb on a street. Build some momentum on your board and leap onto the edge of the street curb, grinding along the intersection of the horizontal and vertical planes of the curb. Curbs are free to use and ubiquitous. You can grind on them on your way between destinations. Although they wear down over time, they are so plentiful that for every rounded curb there is probably a sharp-cornered curb not far away.

    Metal Hand Rails

    • You can grind off a metal hand rail where ever you find them. This isn't for the faint of heart, though, since hand rails are several feet off the ground. Most iron angles are used in fun boxes and structured lower to the ground than a hand rail. But for experienced boarders and for those looking for a challenge, grinding off a hand rail is not only exhilarating, it's also an impressive stunt. Wear protective hand, knee, and head gear when attempting this trick.

    Fun Box

    • Fun boxes are used to make jumps and tricks. They look just like a box and are usually attached to ramps and other skateboarding obstacles. Often their ledges are reinforced with iron angles, since the constant jumping and pounding of the skateboard damages the wood which comprise most fun boxes. But in the short term, you can grind off a fun box just as well as you can off an iron angle. You can also reinforce your fun box with flat steel plates or thicker wood.

    Concrete Stairs

    • Concrete stairs dot the urban landscape and offer plenty of grinding opportunities for the skateboarder without an angle iron. Check with the office building, museum or other venue that features the stairs do not mind that you skateboard there. Look for stairs that have sharp corners and long treads. The longer the treads, the more time you have to build momentum to grind and stay grinding once you are. Start out grinding on the lower treads of the stairs so you have a short distance to jump off when you reach the end of the tread.