A frontside grind is a fundamental trick in skateboarding, rollerblading, and snowboarding where the rider slides along an obstacle while facing it.
In aggressive rollerblading, a frontside grind involves sliding on the h-blocks of the skates. The h-block is the recessed, grindable area located in the middle of the frame, between the two central wheels.
Key Characteristics of a Frontside Grind (Aggressive Skating)
Based on the provided reference, here's how a frontside grind is performed on a ledge:
- Approach: The skater approaches the obstacle (like a ledge or rail).
- Jump On: The skater jumps onto the obstacle.
- Landing: Both feet land on the h-blocks, placing the h-blocks directly onto the edge of the obstacle.
- Body Orientation: The skater's toes are facing the ledge, and their entire body is turned to face the object they are grinding on.
- Slide: The skater slides along the obstacle on the h-blocks.
- Exit: The skater slides off the end of the obstacle or jumps off.
Example from Reference:
- "if a skater jumps on to grind a ledge with both feet landing on the h-blocks (the grindable area in the middle of the frame), with the toes facing the ledge, the skater is doing a frontside grind. Their whole body will be facing the object."
Understanding the Stance
The crucial defining feature of a frontside grind is the rider's body position relative to the obstacle:
- Facing the Obstacle: Throughout the grind, the skater's front is oriented towards the ledge, rail, or box they are sliding on.
- Grinding Surface: The specific part of the skate, board, or snowboard making contact depends on the sport. In aggressive skating, as mentioned, it's the h-blocks.
Frontside vs. Backside
The terms "frontside" and "backside" describe the direction the rider turns relative to the obstacle during the approach and execution of the trick.
- Frontside: The rider faces the obstacle throughout the trick.
- Backside: The rider turns their back towards the obstacle throughout the trick.
| Feature | Frontside Grind (Aggressive Skating) | Backside Grind (Aggressive Skating) |
|---|---|---|
| Grinding Part | H-blocks | H-blocks |
| Body Facing | Obstacle | Away from Obstacle |
| Toes Facing | Obstacle | Away from Obstacle |
Knowing the difference between frontside and backside is fundamental to understanding grind tricks in various board and skate sports. Mastering the frontside grind is often one of the first grind tricks aggressive skaters learn due to the intuitive body position facing the obstacle.
