Learning the Boardslide — The First Slide That Makes You Feel Like a Real Skater

Level: Intermediate

The day you land your first boardslide, something shifts. You already know how to ollie, you can roll around — but the board sliding across the curb, the plastic scraping sound, the clean pop-out — that's the first time you feel like an actual skater, not just "someone with a board".

The problem is most beginners approach the boardslide like an ollie onto a flat obstacle. Result: it catches, you get bucked off, and you get discouraged after two sessions — even though the trick is well within reach if you respect the right order.

Here's the direct method: the right curb, the right timing, and the variations to keep progressing without hurting yourself.

Which curb to train on — the height that changes everything

Before thinking about the trick itself, pick the right obstacle. A curb that's too high scares you off, one that's too low doesn't give you time to feel the lock. Here's what actually works for beginners.

1. Ideal height: 15-20 cm (6-8 in) — High enough to actually feel the trick, low enough that falling isn't scary.
2. Painted or metal edge — Raw wood or raw concrete grips too much. A painted, waxed or metal edge slides much better right away.
3. Wax your curb first — A skate wax stick passed over the edge cuts your failure rate in half during your first sessions.
4. Clear area — Pick a spot without foot traffic or a crowded sidewalk. You're going to fall, so make sure there's no audience or extra obstacle in the way.
5. Avoid polished marble ledges — Too slippery to learn the lock on: you'll slip out before you even understand the feeling.

Pop-to-exit timing — the 5 phases of the slide

The boardslide is 90% timing and 10% balance. Here's the full breakdown, phase by phase.

1. 1. The approach — Moderate speed, not too slow (not enough momentum to slide) nor too fast (you lose control of the pop). Aim for a brisk walking pace.
2. 2. The pop — A classic ollie, but slightly earlier than usual. You need to be airborne BEFORE the curb, not on top of it.
3. 3. The 90° turn — While airborne, rotate your chest and shoulders to bring the board perpendicular to the obstacle. It's this shoulder movement that drives the board, not the feet.
4. 4. The lock — The middle of the deck (between the two trucks) needs to land flat on the curb. If one truck touches first, you'll catch.
5. 5. The exit — At the end of the curb, rotate your shoulders back the other way to bring the board straight again, and absorb the landing with bent knees.

Once the lock becomes clean and you stop missing the landing, something really changes in how you ride. You stop just enduring street obstacles — you start reading them as things to slide. That's exactly the shift that separates "I do some skating" from "I'm a skater".

Boardslide variations — from board to nose and tail

Once the classic boardslide is locked in, several directions open up. Here's the logical progression order.

1. Classic boardslide — The starting point: straight approach, lock in the middle of the deck, symmetrical exit.
2. Frontside boardslide — You turn towards the obstacle rather than away from it. More technical visually, since you lose sight of the obstacle for a split second.
3. 50-50 grind — Not technically a boardslide (the trucks slide, not the deck), but often mixed up by beginners. A good transition step if the boardslide lock still feels unclear.
4. Noseslide / tailslide — Advanced variation where only the front (nose) or back (tail) of the deck touches the curb, off-center. Requires much finer weight control.
5. Backside boardslide — Approach with your back to the obstacle. Reserved for once the frontside is solid — it's the version that looks the most impressive on video.

The boardslide is the first real slide trick in your progression — the one that shifts you from the skatepark to the street with a different eye. You're going to fall, get bruised, try again. That's normal, it's part of the process. Tell us in the comments which curb you landed your first boardslide on.

Ride on.