Grind (skateboarding)
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. They are commonly performed on handrails or the on lips of objects such as benches.
Grind tricks
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Reno-Backside50-50Grind.jpg/200px-Reno-Backside50-50Grind.jpg)
- 50-50 Grind
- The 50-50 (pronounced "fifty fifty") is done by sliding along an object using both trucks, keeping the board parallel with the direction of travel. This trick's name was originally given to a freestyle trick where the skater stands on the truck of the board while the board balances on the tail. However it has given way to the name "truckstand" and this popular grind trick has taken the name 50-50.
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- 5-0 grind
- Pronounced "Five-Oh". In this maneuver, the back truck is grinding while the axis of the board is parallel to the object being grinded. 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.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Grind-prevention.jpg/300px-Grind-prevention.jpg)
- Barley Grind
- Invented by Donny Barley, the Barley grind is a switch frontside 180 into a frontside Smith grind.
- Crooked grind
- Also called crooks, or the K-grind after the man to whom the trick is most commonly accredited (although nobody can say for sure who really invented it). Eric Koston states that he saw (then) fellow teammate Dan Peterka do it first. It is a cross between a noseslide and a nosegrind. This trick was first used as a method to "get out of" a straight nose grind in the middle of an object. Some of the first people to use this 'method' were Chris Senn and Guy Mariano. Soon after this became a trick in and of itself.
- Darkslide
- A grind in which the board is turned over and slid on with both feet on the bottom of the board. This trick was popularized by Rodney Mullen and Geoff Rowley.
- Fandangle
- A one-footed nosegrind. It was invented by Eric Koston.
- Feeble grind
- Not unlike the Smith grind, only when ollieing onto the rail/ledge the back trucks land on it and the rest of the board hangs down over the far side of the rail/ledge. This is a cross between a boardslide and a 50-50.
- Gurl Grind
- A frontside 180 ollie into a switch crooked grind to fakie. Rick Howard, Daewon Song, and Guy Mariano are the skateboarders who have popularized this trick. The name refers to the Girl Skateboards team for its technical street skating panache. This hasn't been the first time a skateboard company has had influence on skate trick names. Indy grab/Independent trucks, Varial/Variflex skateboards, and now Gurl Grind/Girl Skateboards. This trick is not to be confused with backside or switch variations.
- Hawaii 5-0
- Frontside 5-0 grind to switch crooked grind. People who have popularized this trick include Daewon Song and Natas Kaupas.
- Hurricane
- Essentially a fakie Feeble grind. The trick is performed by a 180 degree ollie or power slide into a fakie feeble grind position. The rider then grinds in the direction of the back foot and is left with the choice of landing to fakie or another 180 to come out regular. This trick was popularized on vert by Tom Groholski and Steve Douglas. Many of today's pros also do it on street obstacles such as handrails and ledges.
- Losi Grind
- Also known as the Bag Lady or Anchor Grind. This trick involves grinding on the front truck with the tail going over the obstacle and pointing down and away, like a "nose" feeble grind. The notable people to do this are Alan Losi and Rick Howard.
- Nosegrind
- A nosegrind consists of a grind on the front truck of the skateboard. It is similar to the nose manual, except performed on a rail, coping, or ledge.
- Novacaine
- 180 ollie into a switch feeble grind, come out regular. Notable skateboarders to perform this are Mark Gonzales and Donny Barley.
- Overcrook grind
- Similar to the crooked grind only the board is turned over the other side of the rail/ledge the skater came from, hence the name. However, it is also called "ollie over to crooked grind", or as Marc Johnson puts it, "noseblunt grind". If it is performed frontside on a rail it is usually just considered another, easier way to nosegrind.
- Pole Jam
- Basically a 50-50 up a slanted pole. It's name is obvious from the fact of riding up a pole. Chris Haslam was one to specialize the Pole Jam by doing a Varial Kickflip at the end.
- Salad Grind
- This is very similar to the 5-0 only at a slightly crooked angle, such that the front wheels go over the obstacle on which the grind is performed. Like the "overcrook" grind is like a crooked nosegrind the Salad grind is like a crooked 5-0. This trick has been invented by Eric Dressen, hence the name (dressen, dressing, salad dressing). Although the term has been used for either, technically salad grinds are only frontside.
- Smith grind
- Similar to a 5-0, the back truck grinds on the obstacle but the front truck is not kept over the obstacle. Instead it is positioned below and beside the obstacle towards the side the skater approached from. It is kind of like a cross between a lipslide and a 50-50. This trick was named after its inventor Mike Smith.
- Sugarcane
- Much the same idea as a Hurricane, except the board is turned more going in to the trick so the back wheels go over the lip first. A Sugarcane is to a Lipslide as a Hurricane is to a Boardslide.
- Suski Grind
Same as salad grind:Popularized by Aaron Suski, a Suski grind is essentially a combination of a backside 5-0 and a tailslide, as it requires getting into a backside 5-0 with the board outturned from the ledge or rail. Many believe it to be invented by Aaron Suski, but this is false. The trick was performed in many videos in earlier times. One early, notable performance of this trick was performed by Marcus McBride in the video "Trilogy" on the famous and now unskateable hubba hideout in 1996. The trick may be even older than that as it is sometimes done accidentally by skaters attempting to do a backside tailslide or 5-0.
- Willy grind
- A grind that involves locking the front truck onto a rail or ledge, while letting the back truck dip down. Alex Moul, Willy Santos, and Mark Heindsman popularized this trick.