Grind (skateboarding)
 | This list (which may have dates, numbers, etc.) may be better in a sortable table format. (January 2008) |
 | This article possibly contains original research. (September 2007) |
| This article contains instructions, advice, or how-to content. (September 2009) |
Grinds are a form of skateboarding trick where the skateboarder slides on the hangers of the trucks. Grinds are performed on any object that may fit between the space between the wheels where the truck meets. Grind rails are also sold commercially.
The move likely originated in backyard pools, as the early skaters gained in skill and confidence with their high speed carves around the top of the pool walls and one day went that little bit too high. The trucks of the time, often being merely 'borrowed' rollerskate trucks, didn't allow much contact due to their inherent narrowness, but as skateboarding gained its own truck manufacturers who widened the hanger design, the possibilities for exploration became apparent, and all sorts of moves started popping up. Nowadays they are commonly performed on handrails or on the lips of objects such as benches, but any suitably hard, smooth edge will do.
BS or FS
Wheather a grind trick is BS (back side) or FS (front side) depends on how the skater approachs the rail. If the skater approachs the rail with his back to it the the grind is a backside grind and if the the skater approachs the rail with the front of his body to the rail then the grind is a frontside grind. This can be confusing with grinds such as a boardslide, as with a BS boardslide you are infact moving fowards. This is because you must approach the rail with your back to it in order to ollie 90 degrees and land facing fowards on the rail.
Grind tricks
- 50-50 Grind
- The 50-50 grind is where both trucks are on the edge. This move evolved from the horizontal-stance carve grind in pools and was taken up on top of the lip by such skaters as Jay Adams, Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta.
- 5-0 Grind
- Pronounced "Five-Oh". In this maneuver, the back truck grinds the rail/edge, while the front truck is suspended directly above the rail/edge. This move is similar to the manual, although the tail may be scraped against the obstacle as well as the back truck, which is not considered proper on a manual.
- Nosegrind
- In a Nosegrind, the skateboard's front truck grinds a rail or edge, while the back truck is suspended over the rail/edge. It is similar to the nose manual, except performed on a rail, coping, or ledge. Jamie Thomas is one of the few people who can balance a legitimate nosegrind down a lengthy handrail. This move originated on vert, initially in the form of Neil Blender's New Deal (nose pivot to disaster), then by his more advanced progression of said move, the "Newer Deal", which left out the disaster part and just pivoted all the way back in. The "nosepicker" is also a fore-runner of the nosegrind.
- krooked Grind
- Also known as Crooks, Pointer Grind, or the K-grind after the man to whom the trick is most commonly accredited, Eric Koston. It is like a nosegrind, but the tail of the board is angled away from the rail/ledge on which the trick is performed, causing the edge of the deck's nose to also rub. Invented by Dan Peterka.
- Overkrook Grind
- The same as a Crooked grind but the skateboarder ollies over the rail at an angle.
- Feeble Grind
- In this maneuver, the back truck grinds a rail while the front truck hangs over the rail's far side. Likely invented by Steve Douglas around 1988.
- Smith Grind
- This maneuver entails the back truck grinding an edge or rail, while the front truck hangs over the near side of the object,leaving the edge of the deck to rub the lip/edge. This trick was named after its inventor Mike Smith. It is considered by many to be the most difficult basic grind trick.The backside version was originated by deaf Florida powerhouse Monty Nolder.
- Willy Grind
- Very rarely executed, the Willy is done with the front truck sliding on the grinding surface (as in a nose grind) while the back truck hangs down below the surface on the opposite side to which the skateboarder approached.
- Losi Grind
- Popularized by Allen Losi. A Losi Grind is the equivalent of a feeble grind on the front truck. Also called "Nosefeeble" or "Over-Willy".
- Salad Grind
- This is very similar to the 5-0, but the front truck is suspended over the far side of the rail/edge the grind is performed on. Like the "overcrook" grind is like a crooked nosegrind the Salad grind is like a crooked 5-0, or a combo 5-0/bluntslide. This trick has been invented by Eric Dressen, hence the name (dressen, dressing, salad dressing).
- Suski Grind
- This is also very similar to the 5-0 but unlike the salad grind your front trucks are pointed towards you like a smith grind but above the ledge unlike the smith grind
- Tailslide
- When you slide with the tail of the skateboard.
- Noseslide
- Same as a tailside but sliding on the nose of the skateboard
- Boardslide
- A boardslide is a grind in which the skater puts the middle of his deck on the pole/curb, holds it in place, moving 90 degrees to the rail.
- Lipslide
- This is a boardslide but to get onto the rail you bring the back trucks over the rail. In a boardslide, to get onto the rail, you bring the front trucks over the rail.
- Bluntslide
- This is a tailslide but the board is more vertical than horizontal as in a tailslide.
- This means that contact is made between the top of the trucks and the rail. In a tailslide contact is made between the tail of the board and the rail.
- Nosebluntslide
- A Bluntslide performed on the nose of the board.
- Hurricane
- A 180 degree turn into a backwards feeble grind, exiting via a 270 degree return spin. This trick was invented on vert by Neil Blender in 1985; an early proto-version can by witnessed in Powell Peralta's second video, Future Primitive, during Blender's brief cameo appearance on Lance Mountain's backyard ramp. Many of today's pros also do it on street obstacles such as handrails and ledges. This trick is easier to perform backside, but Tony Hawk did introduce the rarer frontside version in 1989.
- Sugarcane
- Much the same idea as a Hurricane, except you ollie 270 into a backwards Smith grind instead of feeble grind, so the board is hanging down below the lip, instead of over it.
- Layback Grind
- This is an archaic variation of the basic frontside or backside grind whereupon the skater leans back ("lays back") and places their trailing hand on or near the lip being ground,ostensibly to help "push" the grind further. Original Bones Brigade member Jay Smith did the earliest and most popular frontside examples, slashing out violently at the lip with his board while placing his hand well down the transition, in a very "surf-style" pose. By 1979 the move was being taken up on top of the lip (both truck and hand) by Duane Peters, the distinction being noted by the adjustment of the name to "layback roll-out",or occasionally,"layback grind-to-tail". The backside version was introduced by Eddie "El Gato" Elguera later that same year.
- Darkslide
- A darkslide is a grind similar to a boardslide; however, instead of simply performing a 180 or a similar trick the rider must execute a half frontside or backside flip and land on the obstacle with the board's griptape facing down. Basically, it is a board slide skateboarding trick that is similar to a rail slide, but with the skateboard face up. The skateboarder thus slides perpendicularly on an obstacle, feet set on the face-side of the nose and tail.
Though the dark slide was invented by Mark Gonzales in 1991[citation needed] as a caveman trick (Gonzales had grabbed his board face-side up, jumped, landed his board onto a rail grip tape-side down, and slid down) for a photo shoot, Rodney Mullen is credited as having taken the dark slide seriously, and first performed it sequenced from an ollie in the 1993 Plan B video Virtual Reality.
This grind was invented by Rodney Mullen.
- Caveman Grinds
- A caveman grind is when a skater, instead of ollieing up onto a rail, starts with the board in his hand, places it onto the rail in the desired grind postion and at the same time jumps onto the board, starting the grind.
- Salad 5-0
- A Salad 5-0 is when you start with a 5-0 grind, switch into a salad, and back into a 5-0.
- Purple Smith
- A Purple Smith is when you do a BS Smith, but convert to a Fs Smith by doing sort of a manual on the rail. It is difficult and rarely executed.
- Blacksmith
A Blacksmith is simply doing a tailslide, then spinning around into a Smith grind.
- Dark Casper
- Since a normal Casper is already upside down, A Dark Casper is an upside down Casper, your left (or right) foot on the tail, your right (or left) under the board pushing up against the front truck. This is a grind, not a manual.
- Astray Grind
- An Astray grind is a boardslide with one foot on the rail, skipping along with the board.
- Falcon Slide
- Like an Astray Grind, the Falcon Slide is a Darkslide with one foot on the rail, skipping along with the board.
- Sero 5-0
- The Sero 5-0 is A Nosegrind then a 5-0, then a Nosegrind again. It can be done on one rail, or it can be done on multiple rails, (e.g. Nosegrind on one rail, 5-0 on the next, and Nosegrind on the third rail), but must be done as a combo.
- Tailgrind
- A Tailgrind is a 5-0 but with only the Tail touching the rail. The board is usually at a 85 degree angle, and is held up by the skater's hand. This is also called a Tailblock Slide.
- Clover Grind
- The Clover Grind is a Noseslide Bluntslide but performed in the position of the Dark Casper.
- Mistake Grind
- The Mistake Grind, also known as the Primo Grind, is a grind that consists of starting out grinding on the side of your board, like in a Primo, then letting the board fall into a darkslide.