An introductory list of skateboarding terminology for beginners.

For those of you who are new to skateboarding you may find yourself being inundated with words and terms you’ve never heard. There are terms for how you ride, where you ride, and almost everything you do while riding. While you can’t learn every term overnight you can begin with a solid foundation. The following are some of the most basic terms that you may come across as you begin skating.

Types of Skating:

Vert- Skating done on ramps including the halfpipe and superpipe. Includes progressively more complicated aerial tricks and jumps in addition to some of the more basic elements.

Street- Freestyle skating that incorporates all of the elements found in urban and suburban settings. Includes skating on and over steps, curbs, rails benches, etc.

Stances:

Goofy footed- A stance in which the right leg is forward

Regular footed- A stance in which the left foot is forward.

Switch Stance- When a skater rides the board with the opposite footing than usual.

Skateboarding Directional Terms:

Frontside- A trick done when the skater is facing the ramp or obstacle.

Backside- A trick done when the skater’s back is to the ramp or obstacle.

Heelside edge- the side of the board closest to the skaters heels.

Skateboarding Tricks:

Ollie- One of the most basic skateboarding tricks. It is a jump which is performed by tapping the tail of the board to the ground.

Nollie- (related to the ollie) A jump done by tapping the nose of the board instead of the tail.

Kickflip- (related to the ollie) A jump in which the skater kicks the board into a spin before landing back on it.

Kickturn- Turning your board by balancing on the rear wheels while quickly swinging the front of your board around (can be a partial turn or full).

Fakie- A skater stands in their normal stance but the board is moving backwards.

Alley-Oop- A trick that is performed in the opposite direction of where the skater is moving.

Grind- When one or both axles scrape along a railing, edge, curb or other obstacle.

Nosegrind- A grind in which only the front truck is used.

Grab- To grab the board with one or both hands.

While this list is by no means all-inclusive, it will give you a very basic introduction to some off the skateboarding terms you may hear. As you spend more time skating and developing your skills you’ll start to recognize the terms and the tricks as if you’ve known them all your life. Before you know it, you'll be inventing (and naming) your own tricks.