What is a Boardslide on a Skateboard?
Boardslide is the most basic skateboarding trick, which probably you are going to learn after ollies. And it is one of the sliding tricks, in fact, might be the first of the slides and hence the easiest.
In sliding tricks the ply slides over the obstacle. (An obstacle can be a ledge, a ramp, a pipe, or any object you are using as a surface to perform your trick.) And, this is where these fall different from flips and grinds –
Back to boardslide –
How do you make a Boardslide?
Boardslide is easy to make – you can read the step-by-step guide below to learn the trick in detail. But in short – the trick can easily be made by an ollie. Well, the backside BS boardslide is nothing but an ollie and proper landing. In the frontside FS boardslide, there is a bit of body movement to that you will require to maneuver along with the skateboard.
So we start with the easier one. Read along –
How to Backside Boardslide in 4 Easy Steps?
1) Approach the obstacle at a moderate speed.
2) Pop an ollie turning 90 degrees onto the rail, bench, etc.
3) Once on the rail keep your weight centered to avoid slipping out.
4) Once at the end of the rail turn out and ride away.
Note: The faster you go the more manageable the boardslide.
How to FS Boardslide in 7 Easy Steps?
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1) You might want to start trying this trick on a double-sided curb, railroad tie, or parking block.
2) To start you will want to pop your ollie and turn your body perpendicular to your obstacle.
3) Land on the obstacle with your back leading the way.
4) Keep your shoulders turned to see where you are sliding
5) While sliding keep your weight centered over the board.
6) When coming off the obstacle, use the direction of your shoulders to turn your body and go with the flow
7) Bend your knees on the landing and roll away.
FS VS BS Boardslide – Which is Easier?
Without a doubt, the Backside boardslide is easier to perform than the FS one. The reason is that when you are approaching the obstacle you ollie, you turn 90 degrees and when you land on the rail (or ledge or just anything) your face and nose come in the front position of your movement. This makes landing super easy. You just have to flick your skateboard and you are grounded.
Now the same is not true with a frontside boardslide. As you turn 90 degrees after the ollie and land on the obstacle, your face and nose are now facing the perpendicular direction, mostly east of your movement. Basically, you are moving front with a sideways face.
And this can be a little tough when you land. You again need to rectify your standing position and movement. So there is this little bit of adjustment and the perpendicular facial fix that makes the frontside fs boardslide a little challenging.
Some skateboarders refer backside boardslide as the “boardslide” the original trick. And they count the frontside as a variation to the original one.
But the real variation is the lipslide, which is another form of slide commonly performed with the boardslide trick. And it is the real pro stunt stuff. Check the lipslide vs boardslide mash-up.
Lipslide vs Boardslide
Both – boardslide and lipslide are skateboarding sliding tricks, in which the skateboard slides over the obstacles. But there is one tweak that makes the traditional boardslide very interesting and at the same time a little challenging to perform.
What is the difference between a boardslide and a lipslide?
In a boardslide trick, as you ollie and turn 90 degrees the nose of the skateboard flies over the obstacle first and then the skateboard (along with you) lands over it. You continue and you land – pretty easy?
In a lipslide, the tail of your skateboard should be flying first over the obstacle and not the nose. So it’s the back of your skateboard that initiates the 90 degrees rotation after the ollie. Difficult? A little bit. Exciting? Totally!
Lipslide is not something you are going to learn first. Perfect your boardslide then go for this trick. It requires many adjustments on how you will scoop the board, how you will maintain balance, and lastly the way you will land.
We prefer the advanced one in the lipslide vs boardslide challenge.
For other Slides – Nose Slide and Tailslide – check out the guides below –