Boardslides and lipslides look similar at first glance, but the difference lies in which side of the rail or ledge your trucks cross first. Knowing this single distinction unlocks every other nuance you’ll need to practice, name, and troubleshoot your slide tricks.
Once you can spot the entry path, the rest—foot placement, shoulder timing, safe dismount—falls into place faster.
Core Definition: What Separates the Two
A boardslide means the board’s center slides along the obstacle while the trucks pass over it on the way in. The nose crosses first, so your hips face the rail.
A lipslide reverses that journey; the tail clears the rail first, so your back truck snaps up and over while your front truck stays on the near side. Your hips now face away from the rail, creating a blind entry that feels very different underfoot.
Think “nose over” for boardslide and “tail around” for lipslide and you’ll never confuse them again.
Visual Cues: Spot the Trick in One Glance
Pause any clip right before the pop; if the skater’s front wheels travel past the rail first, it’s a boardslide. If the rear wheels whip around and pass first, it’s a lipslide.
This simple checkpoint works on flat bars, handrails, and even picnic-table lips. Train your eyes on the truck path, not the sliding angle, and naming becomes instant.
Approach Angles That Set Up Each Slide
Boardslides like a shallow diagonal—about 20–30° toward the rail—so the nose can lift and glide straight over. Too much angle and the front truck misses, sending you into a sketchy 50-50 or a hang-up.
Lipslides demand a sharper 45° line so the tail can whip around without the nose clipping early. Come in too straight and the back truck can’t clear, leaving you stuck on top of the rail in an awkward stall.
Speed Check Tips
Boardslides need enough speed to carry you past the grind patch but not so much that you overshoot the landing zone. Lipslides require slightly more board speed because the tail-around motion scrubs momentum on entry.
Test both on a low ledge first; if you stick, add one extra push next try.
Pop Timing and Foot Mechanics
For a boardslide, pop straight off the back bolts with your front foot already angled open; this keeps the nose light and ready to lift. Your shoulders stay parallel to the rail until you’re above it, then turn 90° mid-air.
Lipslides start with a quick scoop from the tail while your front foot guides the nose slightly away from the rail. The scoop plus a small hip twist creates the tail-clearing arc that defines the trick.
Time the pop so the truck passes the rail at the peak of your ollie; too early and you bonk, too late and you land on top.
Body Position Mid-Slide
Keep your weight centered over the board, knees bent, and eyes looking toward the end of the rail. Leaning back is the top cause of slip-outs in both slides.
In a boardslide your front shoulder naturally opens toward the landing, giving you a clear view. In a lipslide your back shoulder leads, so spot the end by peeking under your armpit; this tiny head turn prevents early rotation.
Common Mistakes and Quick Fixes
Boardslide hang-ups usually mean you popped too close to the rail. Take one extra board length back and aim the nose higher.
Lipslide slips happen when the tail doesn’t fully clear; exaggerate the scoop and jump a hair higher. If you keep sliding off the toe-side edge, drop your back shoulder a fraction to stay flat on the rail.
Shoe and Griptape Clues
Check the wear patch on your toe cap; heavy outer-foot wear hints you’re leaning too far heelside during slides. Center that scuff by softening your knee bend and keeping the chest upright.
Safe Progression Path
Start on a low, waxed curb with a smooth run-up. Master boardslides to fakie first; they’re forgiving because you can see the exit.
Once you can ride away clean half the time, move to a ledge with a slight downhill angle—gravity helps you finish the slide. Finally, take the lipslide to the same ledge; the familiar surface lets you focus on the new entry motion instead of balance.
Exit Strategies: Fakie vs 270 Out
The easiest way out of either slide is to pivot 90° and roll away regular. To ride out fakie, begin unwinding your shoulders just before you reach the end of the rail; your hips will follow.
Adding a 270 out requires a little more wind-up. Spot the last six inches of rail, then snap your shoulders past 90° while your legs stay locked on the board; the twist happens above the waist so the deck keeps sliding straight.
Combining Slides With Other Tricks
Boardslides set up naturally into nollie or switch tricks because your shoulders are already open. Try a nollie 270 shove out to keep momentum down a hubba.
Lipslides pair well with late spins; the blind entry gives you a hidden wind-up for a front-side 270 out. Just remember to unwind late so you don’t drift off the edge.
Mindset Tips for Consistency
Film every attempt for five minutes and watch in slow motion. You’ll spot tiny shoulder dips or foot drags that words can’t describe.
Keep sessions short but focused; three clean makes beat thirty sloppy tries. End on a make, even if it’s on the curb, so your brain locks in the right feeling.