Skateboarding terms & slang explained : the A-Z guide

Skateboarding has its own culture and its own jargon: a blend of English, technical terms, and quirky slang. To make sure you’re not lost during a session – or worse, mistaken for a “poser” – this skateboard glossary provides clear and effective definitions of all the essential words.

The skater’s gear

Deciphering your board (deck)

The deck is the “heart” of the skateboard. Its shape and dimensions change the feel, stability, and ease of doing tricks.

• Deck : The board itself (usually made of 7-ply Canadian maple), which you stand on.
• Nose : The front of the deck, slightly upturned (useful for tricks and control).
• Tail : The back of the deck, also upturned: this is what you “pop” to do an ollie.
• Wheelbase : The distance between the two trucks; generally, the longer it is, the more stable it feels; the shorter it is, the more responsive.
• Rails : The side edges of the deck.
• Concave: The side-to-side curve of the deck. A high concave board is more manoeuvrable and helps you “catch” the board in the air, while low concave offers a flatter, more stable feel.

Grip : sandpaper traction

Without grip, there’s no control… and no tricks. It’s your “connection” to the board.

• Grip (grip tape) : The rough, sandpaper-like adhesive sheet stuck to the top of the deck for traction.
• Re-gripping : Replacing worn-out grip tape with a fresh sheet.

Trucks : turning and taking impact

Trucks link the board to the wheels. They influence stability, manoeuvrability, and overall “feel.”

• Trucks : The metal axle assemblies under the board that allow you to turn and absorb impacts.
• Baseplate : The flat part of the truck bolted directly to the deck with the hardware.
• Hanger : The main triangular part of the truck that pivots when you turn.
• Axle: The metal rod running through the hanger that the wheels mount onto.
• Bushings : Polyurethane rings inside the truck that determine how easily it turns and “rebounds.”
• Kingpin : The large central bolt holding the truck together: tightening or loosening it adjusts the steering stiffness.
• Tight Trucks : More stable, less manoeuvrable (good for beginners or high speeds).
• Loose Trucks : More manoeuvrable, allowing for deeper carves (requires more control).

Wheels & bearings : speed and feeling

Wheels and bearings affect your speed, comfort, and grip depending on the terrain (street, park, cruising…).

• Wheels : Measured by diameter (size) and durometer (hardness).
• Bearings : Circular metal parts inside the wheels (2 per wheel) containing balls that allow them to spin.
• ABEC : A precision rating often cited for bearings. While a higher ABEC rating means higher precision and potential speed, it doesn’t necessarily mean the bearing is more durable for high-impact skating.

Skate basics : positions and references

Before talking tricks, you need to know the words that describe your stance and how you roll.

• Stance : Your natural position on the board (which foot goes in front).
• Regular : Left foot in front, right foot at the back.
• Goofy : Right foot in front, left foot at the back.
• Switch : Skating in the opposite position to your natural stance (much harder).
• Fakie : Rolling “backwards” (staying in your natural stance but moving in the direction of your tail).
• Mongo : Keeping your back foot on the board and pushing with your front foot. Avoid this! While it might feel stable at first, it’s essential to learn to push properly with your back foot. Mongo is only really “tolerated” when skating switch.
• Frontside : Approaching an obstacle or rotating so your chest faces the “outside.” Example: for a goofy skater, a Frontside 360 = rotating 360° with your back leading the way (turning right).
• Backside : Approaching an obstacle or rotating so your back faces the “outside.” Example: for a regular skater, turning right using your heels = a backside turn.
• Ambidextrous : A rider who is equally comfortable in both regular and goofy (a solid “switch” game).

Fundamental tricks

These terms come up constantly. Master these, and you’ll understand 80% of skatepark chat.

The basic jump

• Ollie : The foundation jump where all 4 wheels leave the ground without using your hands (a combination of a tail “pop” and a front foot “flick/slide”).
• Pop : The act of snapping the tail against the ground to trigger a jump.
• Nollie : An ollie triggered from the nose while rolling forward.
• Fakie Ollie : An ollie performed while rolling in fakie (backwards).
• Switch Ollie : An ollie performed while in your switch stance.

Rotating the board “flat”

• Shove-it (Shuv) : A 180-degree horizontal rotation of the board under your feet, with or without a jump.
• Pop Shove-it : A shove-it combined with an ollie for more height and “cleanliness.”
• Frontside Shove-it : A shove-it that rotates forward (frontside).
• Backside Shove-it : A shove-it that rotates backward (backside).
• 360 Shove-it: A full 360-degree horizontal rotation.

Iconic Flips

• Kickflip : An ollie combined with a rotation (flip) of the deck along its longitudinal axis, flicked towards the toe side.
• Heelflip : An ollie combined with a rotation along the longitudinal axis, flicked towards the heel side (opposite rotation to a kickflip).
• Double Flip : Two flip rotations in one jump (more technical).
• Triple Flip : Three flip rotations (very technical).
• Varial Flip : A kickflip combined with a shove-it (usually a 180).
• Treflip (360 Flip) : A 360 shove-it combined with a kickflip.

Balance

Combo or Line : A sequence of several tricks performed one after another in a single run.

Manual : Balancing and rolling on only the back two wheels (nose up).

Nose Manual: Balancing and rolling on only the front two wheels (tail up).

Advanced trick vocabulary

Once you start linking moves together, you’ll hear these words on repeat at every spot: grinds, slides, grabs, and “signature” flips.

Grinds : sliding on the trucks

• Grind : A trick where you slide along an obstacle using your metal trucks.
• 50-50 : Grinding on both trucks at the same time.
• 5-0 (Five-O) : Grinding only on the back truck.
• Nosegrind : Grinding only on the front truck.
• Crooked Grind : A nosegrind performed at an angle, where the truck is offset to the outside of the obstacle.
• Smith Grind : The back truck grinds the obstacle while the board is angled downwards and away.
• Feeble Grind : The back truck grinds the obstacle while the front truck hangs over the opposite side.

Slides : sliding on the deck

• Slide : A trick where you slide on an obstacle using the board (deck) rather than the trucks.
• Boardslide : Sliding perpendicular to the obstacle, with the middle of the deck (between the trucks) in contact.
• Lipslide : A slide where you bring the back truck over the obstacle to enter (the approach and exit are reversed compared to a boardslide).
• Bluntslide : A slide where you are propped up on the tail (often performed on ledges or coping).

Grabs : sizing the board in transition

• Grab : Catching the board with your hand during a jump (mostly in bowls/ramps).
• Indy : Grabbing the frontside rail with your back hand, between your feet.
• Melon : Grabbing the backside rail with your front hand.
• Method : A highly stylish grab involving an extension or “tweak” (often a tweaked Indy).
• Stalefish : Grabbing the backside rail with your back hand, behind your leg.
• Mute : Grabbing the frontside rail with your front hand.

Signature flips

• 360 Flip (Tre Flip) : A combination of a kickflip and a 360 shove-it (a true “skater’s” classic).
• Laser Flip : A combination of a heelflip and a 360 frontside shove-it.
• Hardflip : A kickflip combined with a frontside shove-it rotation (distinctive vertical look).
• Inward Heelflip : A heelflip combined with a backside shove-it rotation.

The skatepark and the street : locations, modules, and etiquette

Skating is also about how you describe the “spots,” the obstacles, and how you approach a session.

Everyday terms

• Spot : Any place you skate (park, plaza, street ledge, etc.).
• Session : Time spent skating, whether solo or with a crew.
• Run : A single passage or sequence of tricks on a course (common in contests).
• Line : A fluid sequence of tricks and obstacles, performed with rhythm.
• Warm-up : Loosening up before tackling harder tricks.

Common obstacles (modules)

• Quarter Pipe : A ramp shaped like a quarter of a tube.
• Mini Ramp : A small U-shaped ramp (two quarters facing each other with a platform).
• Spine : Two quarter pipes joined back-to-back at the top edge.
• Funbox : A combination module featuring various obstacles (ledge, gap, rail, etc.).
• Ledge : A low wall or curb used for slides and grinds.
• Hubba : A ledge that runs down alongside a set of stairs.
• Bowl : A concrete basin with transitions for continuous riding. Originally inspired by empty swimming pools, modern bowls are purpose-built with tighter transitions and metal coping for grinding.
• Vert : A high ramp that becomes (nearly) vertical at the top.

Expressions and culture : talking “skate”

At the park, people comment, encourage, and get hyped. Certain words are part of the furniture.

Wheel Bite: When a wheel touches the underside of the deck during a sharp turn or landing, causing the board to stop abruptly and the rider to fly off.

Land / Landed : Successfully completing a trick (“I landed it clean”).

Bail : Jumping off the board mid-trick to avoid a bad fall.

Fail : To miss a trick or crash.

Stoked : Extremely motivated, happy, or hyped (“I’m so stoked!”).

Sketchy : A trick landed clumsily, off-balance, or “not clean.”

Steez : Style + Ease (performing a trick with fluid personality and effortless grace).

Gnarly : Impressive, high-risk, or dangerous.

Flow : Natural fluidity and rhythm in a sequence of moves.

Hype : Collective excitement around a trick, run, or rider.

Face-plant : A fall where the head or face hits the ground first.

Footage : Video clips captured during a session.

Grom : A young, up-and-coming skater.

Mall Grab : Carrying a skateboard by the trucks (widely considered a fashion “no-no”).

Poser : Someone who adopts the look or culture but lacks any actual passion or practice.

Snaking: Cutting in front of someone who has been waiting their turn. Respect the “flow” and wait your turn.

Game of S.K.A.T.E : A game of replication. One player sets a trick; if they land it, others must copy it. If they fail, they get a letter. The last person to spell S.K.A.T.E wins.

FAQ – Your questions about skate jargon