What Is the Difference Between Grinding & Board Sliding?

Expert skateboarders perform an array of acrobatic tricks, but novice skateboarders have to start with more basic tricks. Skateboarders do different types of tricks depending on what type of skating they perform. For instance, ramp skaters can do some ticks that street skaters cannot, but they can't perform all of the tricks that a street skater can do. This is due to the skating environment. Ramp skaters skate on ramps specifically designed for skating, but street skaters utilize any objects or terrain for tricks, such as handrails, curbs or benches. Two staple skateboard tricks that you will see both types of skaters perform are the slide and the grind.

  1. The Skateboard

    • A skater girnds on the skateboard's trucks, but slides on the deck.

      Every skateboard has three basic parts, and skaters utilize them all for tricks. Skaters ride on the deck. Every trick involves the deck in some way, whether the skater is riding on top of the deck or holding it in his hand. The next main component is the skateboard's set of wheels. A skateboard is virtually useless without the wheels, but several tricks don't incorporate the wheels at all. Finally, the wheels attach to the trucks, which screw onto the deck. Skaters also use the trucks to perform tricks.

    Board Slide

    • Street skaters might slide on anything they can get a board onto.

      A skater performs a board slide by sliding the deck of the skateboard over a narrow surface, such as a handrail. The skateboard is perpendicular to the surface it slides across, but the rider's motion is parallel to the surface. This trick is commonly known as a rail slide, because skateboards often have plastic rails attached to each long side of the board. These rails protect the deck during slides and also provide a gripping surface for the skater to grab for stability on other tricks.

    Frontside or Backside

    • The two basic categories of rail slides are the frontside rail slide and the backside rail side. These can look confusing, because these types do not have to do with the direction the skater is sliding, but the direction he is facing when he approaches the sliding surface. For example, if a skater is facing a sliding surface as he approaches it, the slide will be a front side rail slide, though he will slide backwards. If he approaches with his back to the surface, the slide is a backside rail slide, and the skater slides forward.

    Grind

    • Skaters can grind on the street, on a ramp or in an empty pool.

      A grind is also a type of slide. A grind requires the same type of narrow surface as a rail slide, sometimes narrower. This is because in a grind, the skateboard slides on its trucks, not its wheels. As with rail slides, skaters can perform frontside or backside grinds. But in any grind, the skateboard travels parallel to the grinding surface.

    Grind Variations

    • Skaters can apply countless variations to the grind, but there are some basic types. In a 50-50 grind, the skater grinds on both trucks simultaneously. A skater can also grind on only the front truck for a nosegrind, or only the rear truck for a 5-0 grind.