From Crooked to Feeble Grind: Guide to Skateboard Grind Tricks

There are different types of grinds skateboarders can try. Each frontside version also has a backside version that usually consists of rotating or facing another direction.

1. 1. Feeble grind. A feeble grind is a difficult skateboarding trick that combines a 50/50 and a boardslide. This move is common among skateboarders at more advanced levels. To perform this trick, the skater approaches the rail at an angle to do a boardslide, then ollies with enough air that the front truck clears the railing, before grinding the back truck along the rails.
2. 2. Frontside 5-0 grind. A frontside 5-0 grind is a grind trick where the skateboarder uses an obstacle, like a skate ramp or the edge of a swimming pool, to grind between the skateboard’s back truck. The skater approaches the lip of the structure from the frontside, lifting the nose and letting the back trucks grind on it. This move requires good balance to pull off, as the skater will need to shift their weight appropriately to hold the frontside grind position.
3. 3. Backside 5-0 grind. Like a frontside 5-0 grind, the backside 5-0 grind is a grind trick where the skateboarder uses an obstacle to grind between the skateboard’s back truck. For this trick, the skater approaches the lip of the structure from the backside instead of the frontside.
4. 4. Frontside smith grind. A smith grind is an advanced skateboard trick similar to a feeble grind invented by and named after skateboarder Mike Smith. To perform this trick, a skater uses the skateboard’s back truck to glide along a handrail or another steep rail before landing on their back truck.
5. 5. Backside smith grind. To perform the backside smith grind (or BS smith grind), the skater rides up the side of the vertical wall, leading with the back foot, and grinding across the coping with the lip balanced between the wheels of the back truck.
6. 6. Crooked grind. A crooked grind is a grind trick that is the opposite of a smith grind. To perform this trick, the skater ollies onto a rail, then grinds the front truck at the nose of the board onto the rail with the tail of the board at a 45-degree angle. The “crooked” part of this trick’s name refers to the angle at which the board’s tail hangs from the railing.
7. 7. Frontside 50/50. A frontside 50/50 grind is a skateboarding trick where the skateboarder ollies their board onto an obstacle (like a handrail or bench), grinding forward on the middle part of the deck, with both trucks grinding on the obstacle, before landing their board on the ground again. The “50/50” part refers to how the board hangs half-on and half-off the chosen obstacle.
8. 8. Backside 50/50. A backside 50/50 is the same as a frontside 50/50, where the skateboarder ollies their board onto an obstacle grinding on the middle part of the deck, however the approach is from the back.

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