Boardslide
vs lipslide
The short answer
Both slide the middle of the board across a rail or ledge with your feet over the bolts. The difference is the way in: in a boardslide your front truck crosses the rail first, and in a lipslide you turn the ollie the opposite way so your back truck crosses first. Once you are locked in, the slide looks similar. Learn the boardslide first: it is level 3 of 5 in our guides, the lipslide is level 4, and the lipslide uses the same slide balance.
Side by side
The difference
| Frontside Boardslide | Backside Boardslide | Lipslide | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In short | The middle of the board slides on the rail, rail ending up in front of you. | The middle of the board slides on the rail, rail behind you. | Like a boardslide, but the back truck goes over the rail first. |
| Crosses the rail first | Front truck | Front truck | Back truck |
| Ollie turn on the way in | Backside 90 | Frontside 90 | 90 the opposite way from a boardslide |
| Lock-in | Middle of the board on the rail, feet on the bolts | Middle of the board on the rail, feet on the bolts | Middle of the board on the rail, feet on the bolts |
| Level | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
| Learn first | ollie, backside 180 | ollie, frontside 180 | frontside boardslide |
Same slide, three ways in
How you get on the rail
Frontside Boardslide
Ollie and turn backside 90 so the rail ends up facing you as you land.
Drill: Practice backside 90 ollies onto a low, flat ledge you can already ollie onto, then add the slide once the landing feels square.
Backside Boardslide
Ollie and turn frontside 90, clearing your front wheels over the rail as you turn.
Drill: Practice frontside 90 ollies onto a low ledge you can already ollie onto, focusing on clearing your front wheels before the slide.
Lipslide
Ollie and turn 90 the opposite way from a boardslide, lifting your back truck over the rail.
Drill: Get a solid boardslide first, then practice the opposite-direction ollie turn onto a low, flat ledge before taking it to a rail.
When it won't land
Common mistakes, each trick
Frontside Boardslide
- You stall out halfway across
- Keep your weight evenly split between both feet through the whole slide.
- You slip off the rail sideways
- Commit to a full backside 90 on the pop so the board lands straight across.
- You can't turn back out at the end
- Look and turn your shoulders back the way you came before you run out of rail.
- You catch a wheel on the way in
- Pop a little higher before starting the backside turn.
Backside Boardslide
- You catch a wheel on the way in
- Turn a little earlier and pop a bit higher so the wheels clear before you land.
- You spin out too far and land past the rail
- Turn just enough to face away from the rail. Stop the rotation once you're square.
- You lose your balance looking down at your feet
- Look down the rail ahead of you instead of at your board.
- The board slides out from under you at the end
- Turn your shoulders and head to lead the exit before you reach the end.
Lipslide
- You catch your back truck on the way in
- Pop a little higher and focus on lifting your back foot through the turn.
- You spin out too far
- Turn just enough to land flat across the rail, then stop the rotation.
- You lose balance mid-slide
- Keep even weight on both feet, the same as a boardslide.
- You can't judge the turn direction
- Get a solid boardslide first, then practice just the opposite-direction ollie on flat ground.
FAQ
Boardslide vs
lipslide FAQ
What is the difference between a boardslide and a lipslide?
In a boardslide your front truck crosses the rail first; in a lipslide your back truck crosses first. The slide itself looks similar once you're locked in.
Is a lipslide harder than a boardslide?
In our guides the lipslide is level 4 of 5 and both boardslides are level 3. You have to lift your back truck over the rail on the way in, and the turn goes the opposite way from a boardslide, which feels backwards at first.
Should I learn the boardslide before the lipslide?
Yes. Lipslide uses the same slide balance as a boardslide, just entered from the other direction, so the boardslide lock-in should already feel solid.
What is the difference between a frontside and a backside boardslide?
They're entered with opposite ollie turns. Frontside boardslide pops a backside 90, backside boardslide pops a frontside 90. The slide itself looks the same once locked in.
Is a backside boardslide harder than a frontside boardslide?
Most skaters find backside a little trickier at first because you can't see the rail as clearly on the way in. Both need the same practice with the entry ollie.
What should I practice lipslides on?
A low, flat rail or box you're already comfortable boardsliding, so the only new part is the entry direction.
