Welcome to our little Skateboard ABC! Whether you're new to the world of skateboarding or just want to refresh your knowledge, you've come to the right place. Skateboarding is more than just a sport—it's a lifestyle that comes with a variety of terms and techniques. In this article, we'll explain the most important skateboarding terms so that you can join in the conversation the next time the topic comes up. Whether it's "Griptape," "Kickflip," or "Ollie"—we'll get you ready for your next skate adventure!

A

A: Hardness grade of the wheels and bushings. The higher the number, the harder the wheel.

Achse (Trucks): The trucks allow you to steer your skateboard. You can also grind with them.

Air: When the board completely leaves the ground, often in a halfpipe or vert ramp.

B

Bail: A controlled fall when you realize a trick isn't going to work.

Backside 180: A 180° turn where you rotate backward.

Bambooly®: NEMO BOARDS® premium skateboard decks made from a combination of bamboo and maple wood.

Baseplate: The connecting piece between the deck and the truck.

Board: Also known as the deck, the wooden plank of the skateboard.

Boardslide: When you slide with the middle of your board.

Bolts: Screws that hold the deck and trucks together.
Boneless: A trick where you step off the board with one foot and hold it with your hand before getting back on.

Bushings: Located in the trucks and allow steering.

C

Caballerial (Cab): Fakie backside 360° without touching the board.

Catchen (Catching): When you catch your board with your feet after a trick for a clean landing.

Chip: When pieces of wood chip off your deck.

Concave: The curvature of your deck.

Coping: The round metal pipe at the top edge of a ramp.

CORK Softgrip®: A special surface made from cork, providing a non-slip and soft grip for kids' skateboards.

Cruiser: A skateboard with a special shape and wheels, focusing on comfortable riding rather than tricks.

Curb (Ledge): A long block with edges for grinding or sliding.

D

Darkslide: Sliding with the griptape side of the board.

Deck: Also known as the board, the wooden plank of the skateboard.

Dolphinflip: The board flips forward, with a half kickflip executed as the deck tips forward, making the skateboard rotate vertically between your legs.

Double Kick: A deck with upturned ends on both sides (nose and tail).

Drop-In: Entering a halfpipe or ramp from the top.

E

Entry / Exit: Tricks before or after a grind, slide, or manual.

F

Fakie: Riding backward on your board, with the tail facing the direction of travel. Any trick can be done fakie.

Flat: Skating without obstacles.

Flatrail: A rail without incline for grinding or sliding.

Flip: In skating, tricks where the board spins around its axis.

Frontside: A 180° turn where you rotate forward.

Frontside Flip: A combination of a frontside 180 and a kickflip.

Fußstellung (Foot Position): How you position your feet on your board.

G

Gap: A gap you can jump over with an ollie or another trick.

Goofy: Foot position where your right foot is forward, and you use your left foot to push.

Grind: Sliding with your trucks over an obstacle.

Griptape: The (often black) part glued to your deck, providing grip and more control over your board.

H

Halfcab: Fakie backside 180°.

Halfpipe: A construction resembling a half-pipe.

Handrail: A rail at stairs that can be grinded or slid on with a skateboard.

Hanger: Connects the wheels to the baseplate.

Hardflip: A combination of a kickflip and a frontside pop shove-it.

Heelflip: Similar to a kickflip, but you flip the board with your heel.

Hippie Jump: When your board rolls under an obstacle and you jump over it.

Hospitalflip: A half kickflip followed by a shove-it, controlled with the front foot.

I

Impossible: A trick where the board rotates vertically around the back foot while the front foot guides and controls the board.

J

Judo Air: A trick in a ramp where one leg is extended while holding the board.

K

Kickflip: A trick where you flip the board with your foot (ideally with a ninja kick).

Kickturn: A quick turn of 180° or less, usually on a ramp or in a pool.

Kingpin: The large bolt in the bushings.

Kinkrail: A rail with bends.

Kugellager (Bearings): Each wheel requires two bearings. Without them, the wheels cannot roll.

L

Laserflip: A frontside 360 shove-it combined with a heelflip.

Late-Tricks: A trick performed after another trick.

Ledge: An edge for sliding or grinding.

Line: A sequence of tricks performed in succession.

Lipslide: Similar to a boardslide, but you lift the back truck over the rail.

Longboard: A board focused on riding, allowing high speeds due to its size and soft wheels.

M

Manual: Riding on the back wheels only (basically a wheelie on a skateboard).

Merlin-Twist: An impossible combined with a 180°.

Miniramp: A small halfpipe.

Mongo: Pushing with the front foot while the back foot stays on the board.

N

NEMO BOARDS®: The brand name representing a range of high-quality skateboards and accessories designed specifically for kids and families.

Nine-Hundred: A ramp trick involving 2 ½ rotations (900°) in the air.

No-Comply: A trick where you jump off with one foot while the board rotates.

Nollie: An ollie where the nose is popped.

Nose: The front part of your deck.

Noseslide: Sliding on the nose of your deck.

Nose-Manual: Riding on the front wheels only.

Non-Pop-Trick: A trick done without popping, meaning the tail doesn't touch the ground.

O

Obstacle: An obstacle like a curb, rail, ramp, etc.

Ollie: Jumping with your skateboard.

Ollie-North: An ollie where you remove your front foot from the deck.

Ollie-South: An ollie where you remove your back foot from the deck.

P

Pogo: A trick where you balance on the nose or tail and bounce the board like a pogo stick.

Pool: A (usually) in-ground basin.

Pop: Subjective feeling of how "easy" the board lifts off the ground.

Pop Shove-It: A 180° spin of the board under your feet.

Powerslide: Reducing speed by positioning the board perpendicular to the direction of travel.

Protektoren (Protective Gear): Equipment to prevent serious injuries.

Q

Quarterpipe: Half of a halfpipe.

R

Rail: A rail for grinding or sliding.

Regular: Foot position where your left foot is forward, and you use your right foot to push.

Riser Pads: Rubber pads between skateboards and trucks to raise the board and prevent wheel bites, as well as to absorb shocks.

Rock to Fakie: A trick where you bring the front truck over the lip of a ramp and then ride back down in fakie.

Rollen (Wheels): The wheels of your skateboard.

S

Set-up: The individual components of your skateboard.

Shockpads: Rubber pads between the deck and trucks for shock absorption and protecting your board.

Size: Refers to the width of the deck (measured in inches).

Shove-It: A 180° backside spin of the board under your feet.

Skatepark: A facility built specifically for skaters with various obstacles.

Slide: Sliding with the deck over an obstacle.

Softgrip®: NEMO BOARDS® grip surface made from cork or foam, offering a softer alternative to traditional griptape.

Spine: Two back-to-back quarterpipes.

Spot: A place with skateable obstacles.

Switch: Changing your stance, e.g., from regular to goofy.

T

Tail: The back part of your deck.

Tailslide: Sliding with the tail of your deck over rails and obstacles.

Tool: A tool to tighten or loosen all the nuts and bolts on your board.

Transition: The curvature in halfpipes, pools, or miniramps.

Trick: Doing something cool with your board.

Trucks: The part of your board that allows you to steer and grind.

U

Underflip: A trick where the board rotates below the feet.

V

Varial-Heelflip: A combination of a pop shove-it and a heelflip.

Varial Kickflip: A combination of a pop shove-it and a kickflip.

Vert: The vertical part of the halfpipe.

Vert Ramp: A ramp with a vertical wall.

W

Wachs (Wax): Applied to curbs, rails, or the underside of your deck to help grinds and slides glide better. Wax can also be used to prevent wheel bites by applying it where wheel bites usually occur.

Waist: The middle part of your deck.

Wallride: Riding with your skateboard on the wall.

Wheelbase: The distance between the two trucks, typically measured from the inner pair of bolt holes. The shorter the distance, the more agile the steering.

Wheelbite: When the wheels touch the board and block the wheels.

Wheel Wells: The area around the

X

X Games: One of the most well-known extreme sports events, where skateboarding plays an important role.

Y

Yellow Curb: A commonly used obstacle in skateparks or urban areas, used for grinding or sliding, and often painted yellow.

Z