Aggressive skating alike many other extreme sports seems to almost have its own language when it comes to the terminology for the tricks being performed. If you are a beginner skater it is good to brush up on the basics so that your not caught doing a trick you don’t even know what to call. This Glossary will go over basic terms used in general aggressive skating and trick terminology.
Click on any letter below to jump to that section or you may scroll down at your leisure.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Acid Drop: A drop from an object or obstacle while not moving. Dropping off a ledge onto concrete below is most common.
Acid Grind: Grind where your soul foot is on the rail, curb or ledge normally and your front foot is not perpendicular to the bar like normal, it points in the other direction for an acid.
Air: Act of launching off a ramp or other obstacle propelling yourself off the ground.
Alley Oop: Coming up to an obstacle to grind you turn your body 180 degrees to land on the rail, curb or ledge backwards.
Anti Rocker: Wheel set up where the middle 2 wheels are smaller and harder in durometer making a larger center surface to grind with. The outer wheels are normal size to inhibit a smooth roll.
B
Backside: Opposite of frontside. Spreading feet roughly shoulder width while facing back into the ramp meaning your back is facing the surface you’re grinding.
Backslide: One footed grind using the back foot resting the boot and middle of the frame on the rail, curb or ledge.
Bar: Another for a grinding bar or rail.
Bio: Spinning sideways thru the air almost horizontally.
Blindside: Grind in which you turn away from the rail, curb or ledge. In doing so you lose sight of the object while jumping to the grind.
Brainless: Performed on a ramp while doing a backflip and a 540 spin together.
Cab: Common term for a fakie 360 degree turn.
Ces Slide: Done preferably on a slope or smooth surface you slide both boots in a grinding motion but without a rail, curb or ledge.
Clicking In: Commonly used to describe the noise made when you jump up and lock in a rail for a grind.
Coping: The metal bar going across the top of a ramp horizontally. This is what allows grinds or stalls on top of ramps.
Corkscrew: Term used to describe a fakie bio 540.
Crossed: When you reach over (or cross) your body to perform a grab while in the air.
Disaster: A disaster is when you jump high and land in a grind.
Dropping In: Entering a ramp from the top of it.
Duck Walk: Skating on the front wheel of one skate and the back wheel of the other.
E
Egg Plant: Going vertically turning counterclockwise and planting your right hand in a handplant.
Elbow: A mini-half pipe at an angle next to another mini-half pipe allowing a transfer between two.
Express Air: Grabbing the inside of the skate with the same side hand while in the air.
F
Fakie: Anything performed backwards.
Fahrvergnuegen: An alley-oop royale grinding position.
Farside: A grind where you go over the ledge, rail or curb and land on the “far side” to start grinding.
Fast Slide: Where you do a grind in a frontside position yet only use your front foot.
Fishbrain: A topside makio grind originated by Aussie skater Tom Fry.
Flip: A move where you rotate a full circle with your waist being the axle of rotation.
Frontside: A grind where you approach the ledge, bar or rail on your right and turn clockwise 90 degrees to get onto it.
G
Gap: A large fall or drop that you jump over or into.
Grind: Jumping onto a rail, ledge or curb and sliding down it on your skates. There are many names for specific grinds as this is a term for the general act of grinding.
Grindplate: A piece of plastic or metal found on the bottom of aggressive skates (between middle two wheels) to help you grind . Not common in current skates but still available.
H
H Grind: A soul grind performed using both inside souls.
Half Cab: Switching from skating backwards to skating forwards.
Half Pipe: A ramp made out of wood or steel that looks much like a U. Half pipes can range from 3 feet high to over 12 feet in height depending on the skill level using them.
Hand Plant: Also referred to as an invert,performed when you go upside down on the ramp and do a handstand.
Hip: Perpendicular section of a ramp to another section allowing for tricks going from one part to another.
I
Indy Grab: A reversal of a mute grab on the ramp. Spin clockwise and grab your right skate.
Invert: Going upside down on the ramp and doing a handstand.
J
Japan Air: Grab where you reach behind you to grab the opposite leg and the other leg is bent.
Judo Air: Performed by reaching around behind with one hand and grabbing your skate of the opposite side Leaving your ungrabbed leg straight.
K
Kind Grind: An alley-oop farside miszou.
L
Late Tricks: Describes a spinning trick done at the last minute before landing.
Liu Kang: Grab performed by having your non-grabbed leg kicked out as if you are doing a side kick.
M
Makio: Variation of a soul grind, performed when you grab the non soul foot with the hand closest to it.
McTwist: An inverted 540 degree turn.
Med Spin: On the ground 360 touching down with a foot at the 180 point prior to finishing the 360.
Method Air: While in the air grab the skate on the same side with the hand of the same side.
Mistrial: A topside miszou royale.
Miszou: Grinding a ledge, bar or curb with your soul foot in front and your other foot following perpendicular.
Misty Flip: A sideways front flip.
Mute Air: Grabbing your opposing foot by reaching across the front.
N
Natural: Describes performing tricks the way most comfortable to you.
Negative Royale: Shifty grind where your lead foot is on the outside edge.
Noogan: An Australian term for a royale or negative royale.
O
OverMiszou: A farside miszou on a ledge, rail or curb.
OverAcid: Topside acid soul on a ledge, rail or curb.
OverSoul: Farside soul on a ledge, rail or curb.
P
Porn Star: Popular term for an acid miszou.
Pump: Action performed to gain speed on a ramp.
R
Rail Slide: Action of grinding a railing, typically a hand rail is used.
Ramp: Half pipe, quarter pipe or a launch ramp.
Rewind: Completing a grind or stall with a 270 degree turn.
Rockered Wheels: Wheel setup where the two middle wheels are lower and harder than the outside ones. This allows greater mobility on grinds, but sacrifices stability overall.
Rocket: Grab where both legs are straight out in front of you and you reach to grab them.
Royale: Grind where you slide on the inside of the lead skate and the outside edge of the trailing skate.
S
Session: A skating session.
Shifty Grind: Turning your upper body during a grind while looking forwards.
Shuffle: Another term for a ces slide.
Sit In: Dropping in from a seated position.
Soul Grind: Grind where the front foot is perpendicular like a normal frontside grind and the back foot is parallel to the ledge, rail or curb.
Spine Ramp: Type of ramp where two half pipes are placed back to back allowing transfers.
Stale: Any grab done while grabbing the wheels of the skate.
Stalefish Grab: reaching behind and grabbing the outside of the opposite skate.
Stall: Jumping on a coping or other object and stopping for a moment before jumping down.
Stand In: Standing on the coping or a ramp and leaning forward to drop in.
Stub Soul: Soul grind where the front foot is grinding on the inside edge.
Switch Stance: Grinding and switching from frontside to a backside, either way you perform a 180 degree turn on the bar or curb.
T
Tabernacle: Grind where the trailing foot is on like a frontside but the lead foot is acid.
Torque Soul: Soul grind where the front foot is in an alley-oop royale position.
Transition: Part of the ramp that goes from horizontal to vertical.
U
Unity Grind: Frontside grind where both legs are crossed.
Unnatural: Going the opposite direction to what you normally go.
V
Vert: Half pipe that goes vertical at the top typically 8 to 12 feet high.
W
Waxing: Applying wax to a rail, ledge or curb to help make it slide smoother.
X
X-Grind: Grind where both feet are souling on the bar from opposing sides.
Tags: Aggressive Skates, Articles
