Board Sports Lingo: Understanding the Terminology

In board sports, gnarly is used to describe something that is impressive or challenging, often in a positive sense.

A sick air is a skateboarding or snowboarding trick that is particularly impressive or difficult to perform.

Shredding is a term used to describe riding a board in a fast and aggressive manner, often involving jumps and tricks.

A kook is a derogatory term used to describe a beginner or inexperienced boarder who lacks skill or knowledge.

Dropping in is the act of starting a run by riding down a steep slope or into a half-pipe.

A carve is a smooth, controlled turn made while riding a board.

An ollie is a fundamental skateboarding trick that involves jumping the board into the air without using the hands.

A kickflip is a skateboarding trick where the board is flipped 360 degrees in the air while the rider remains on top.

A grind is a skateboarding trick where the rider slides the board along a surface, such as a rail or curb.

A grab is a skateboarding or snowboarding trick where the rider grabs the board with their hand while in mid-air.

Switch is a term used to describe riding a board with the opposite foot forward than usual.

Fakie is a term used to describe riding a board backwards.

A nollie is a skateboarding trick where the rider jumps the board into the air without using their hands, similar to an ollie but starting from a fakie position.

A heelflip is a skateboarding trick where the board is flipped 360 degrees in the air while the rider remains on top, using the heel of their back foot.

A pop shove-it is a skateboarding trick where the board is flipped 180 degrees in the air while the rider remains on top, using the back foot to pop the board into the air and the front foot to shove it.