How to Do a Frontside Tailslide on a Skateboard

A frontside tailslide (or FS tailslide) is a slide on the tail of the skateboard deck. To perform a frontside tailslide, you ollie and land with the tail of the board on the edge of an obstacle's lip. You can perform this skateboarding trick on nearly any obstacle, including curbs, ledges, transitions, and rails. Before attempting to perform a frontside tailslide, you should already know how to perform the following tricks: a noseslide, ollie, 180 ollie, boardslide, lipslide, and stall.

While you may already be proficient in noseslides, tailslides are a more difficult trick. This is because the tail end of a skateboard deck is shorter than the nose end, giving you a smaller sliding surface. Learn to do a frontside tailslide with this step-by-step guide:

1. 1. Approach the coping at an angle, as if you’re doing a lipslide.
2. 2. Ollie before you reach the vertical portion of the ramp, snapping your tail so you jump it up onto the coping. (Note: You just want to reach the coping, not jump over it, then come down on it.)
3. 3. As you’re coming up onto the coping, keep your front foot over your front bolts and shift your weight to your back foot on the tail so that you can stand and slide.
4. 4. Slide, keeping your weight balanced on your back foot, until you begin to slow down.
5. 5. To come back in, let your front wheels drop, shifting your weight to your front foot like you would when dropping in. Alternatively, you can ollie out of the tailslide, but it will reduce your speed.

Follow these helpful skateboard trick tips to perfect your frontside tailslide.

1. 1. Learn on curbs. Before attempting a frontside tailslide on a skatepark vert ramp, try learning on curbs in order to prevent hard falls when you miss planting on the lip.
2. 2. Start by practicing an ollie to tail stall. Knowing the ollie to tail stall combination will make learning the frontside tailslide easier. To execute an ollie to tail stall, take a parallel approach to a curb at a slow to moderate speed, put your feet in the ollie position, pop an ollie, turn the board 90 degrees, and land with the tail of the board on the edge of the curb.
3. 3. Purchase skateboard wax. Apply the wax to your sliding surface to reduce friction so it’s easier to slide.
4. 4. Try frontside tailslide variations. Once you master the frontside tailslide, challenge yourself to also learn the backside tailslide (or BS tailslide). You can also have a lot of fun combining the frontside tailslide with other tricks such as a fakie frontside tailslide, a kickflip frontside tailslide, and a nollie frontside tailslide. The more variations you learn, the easier the basic frontside tailslide will become to perform.

There’s risk involved for new skateboarders in learning any trick, so take the proper precautions to ensure that you’re safe your first time.

1. 1. Wear a helmet and pads. If you're a novice skateboarder, falling or tripping is part of the process. Ensure that you have the right pads to break your fall—specifically knee pads, elbow pads, and a helmet.
2. 2. Read and follow official rules. Every skate park will have a list of rules to ensure everyone’s safety and enjoyment. Do your part and check them out anytime you skate a new park.
3. 3. Observe before joining in. To avoid collisions, park skaters take turns skating. This is especially important when the park is busy. Notice when other skaters take their turns so you can understand the order and flow, then claim your spot and take your turn.

Whether you’re just learning how to ollie or ready to tackle a Madonna (the vert trick, not the singer), the MasterClass Annual Membership can help you find confidence on your board with exclusive instructional videos from skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, street skater Riley Hawk, and Olympic hopeful Lizzie Armanto.