the definitive list
by Nicole Dreon, Winter X Games Skiboarding researcher
Here is a glossary of Skiboarding terms:
# AIR OR AIRS - What it is called when riders clear jumps or obstacles.
# BANK- An obstacle that usually sticks out of the side of trail like a triangle, looks like a tabletop angled at 45 degrees.
# BEATER - Wipeout or fall.
# BOARDS - Universal term for a pair of skiboards.
# DIGGER - Similar to a beater, but usually results in an injury.
# FAKIE - Riding backwards.
# FRUIT BOOTERS - Derogatory term for skiboarders mainly used by snowboarders and alpine skiers. Also a term used by skateboarders for in-line skaters.
# GAP-It is like a tabletop without the snow in the middle. Or it is a jump that has a take-off ramp that is higher then the table below it. A gap is the distance or space between two objects.
# GRAB - Grabbing either or both boards with one or both hands. Frontside or backside.
# GRIND-Sliding on a handrail or other object.
# HIT- A jump
# HALFPIPE-Snow structure that consists of opposing walls the same height and size. Skiboarders use them to do tricks.
# JIB- When riders bonk or tap their skiboards on handrails, garbage cans, logs etc. "Jibbing" usually takes place in the terrain parks, it is derived from in-line skating.
# JOEY- Same as a poser.
# LANDING FAKIE - Landing backwards.
# LATE - Used to describe doing a trick or style late into the jump. Also known as stalled.
# LAUNCH- The moment a rider starts to execute a jump, and or the time when he is actually flying through the air.
# MINI SKIS - Alternative name for skiboarding.
# MAILBOX- Looks like a mailbox, but it is extended about 10 feet long, riders slide and grind on it.
# OBSTACLES-Jumps, hits, handrails, etc., anything a rider uses to throw tricks.
# POSER - Skiboarding wannabe. Anyone who looks and acts the part, but can't back it up in performance.
# OFF AXIS- When a rider is not straight up and down but tilted slightly to the left or the right.
# QUARTERPIPE- A halfpipe with one wall; a banked hit
# RIDER -An acceptable name for a Skiboarding athlete.
# SLIDE: What a rider does when he "slides" across a handrail or mailbox, etc.
# SKIBOARDING - Preferred name for sport.
# SKIBOARDER - One of two acceptable names for Skiboarding athletes. The other is Rider.
# SLOPESTYLE- The name of the type of course skiboarders will be competing on at Winter X 2000. It is a competition format derived from snowboarding. Should include quarter pipes, spines, tabletops, gaps, banks, handrails, mailboxes, etc. Riders are expected to utilize all of these to score maximum points.
# SNOWLERBLADER - Derogatory term for skiboarders, mainly used by snowboarders and alpine skiers.
# SPINE- Two-quarter pipes placed back to back
# SWITCH/UNNATURAL-Spinning in the opposite direction of what is natural
# STALLED - When a maneuver is intentionally started late into a jump/trick.
# TABLE TOPS- Type of jump where ramp goes up, then is flat on top, then there is a landing ramp on the other side.
# TRANSITION- The area from the bottom of a take-off ramp to the point where a rider actually initiates a jump at the end of a take-off ramp.
# TWEAKED OUT - Standing up in a jump, adding some style.
# USS - United Skiboard Series (USS) is the current skiboarding competition series.
# WSF - World Skiboarding Federation (WSF) was formed by Anywhere Sports Production (along with the USS). The WSF is the sanctioning body while the USS is the series.
Tricks
For the most part, skiboarding tricks and maneuvers have evolved from in-line skating and snowboarding. As the sport continues to progress, so does the invention and difficulty of new tricks. Moves that were considered risky like front and back flips, are now deemed elementary tricks as skiboarders test the skill limits with moves like rodeo and misty flips. What is "in" is anything off-axis, as well as grabs, grabs, and more grabs. Here are a few examples of what is popular right now, as well as standard skiboarding moves. Competitors will be judged on Execution, Difficulty, Landing, Variety, Amplitude, and Style.
Judging criteria
# Execution-How a trick is performed in its entirety. Including preparation, takeoff, initiation, apex (top of trick), release, re-entry, and landing.
# Difficulty-How hard a trick or jump is to perform. For example, approaching a jump fakie and landing fakie is more difficult than launching and landing the jump forwards.
# Landing-Clean landings, meaning no hands dragging on the ground, falling, or unsteadiness, will score higher than landings that are not clean.
# Variety-A rider who shows he is comfortable performing several different tricks and combinations will score higher than a rider who repeats his tricks.
# Amplitude-Aggressive energy and height.
# Style-riders who stall or tweak their tricks are considered to have style. Fluidity and athleticism are also considered style.
Grinds and slides
# Grinds or Slides - Both mean sliding on a rail.
# Handrails - What riders slide and grind on, looks like and is a handrail.
# 50/50 - Standard rail slide.
# Fast line - Holding up one leg while doing a 50/50.
# Backside grind - Jumping with back towards rail and sliding.
# Backslide- Grind handrail, whatever foot is downhill is up.
# Frontside grind - Jumping up facing the rail and sliding.
# Fastslide- Grind handrail, whatever foot is uphill is up.
# 270 on /270 off- Rider either does a 270 degree rotation onto or off of handrail.
# Mailbox- looks like a mailbox, but is extended about another 10 feet. Riders slide on it.
# Riders will approach handrails forwards and backwards.
Flips
# Backflip - Flipping backward off a jump.
# Frontflip- Flipping forward off a jump.
# Misty Flip - Front flip with a 180 twist. The rider either goes off the jump backwards or lands backwards. Similar to a snowboarding misty flip.
# Rodeo Flip - Going off the jump, the rider rotates to do an almost back flip with a twist, like a corkscrew.
# Side Flip 180- Rider approaches jump forward, does what looks like a cartwheel through the air, then lands backwards. Known in skiing as the Lincoln Loop; sometimes referred to as the Maheu Flip, after Serge Maheu. Also referred to as a corkscrew.
Spins
During a regular spin, a rider is totally straight up and down.
# 180 - 1/2 rotation
# 360 - 1 full rotation (commonly called a helicopter)
# 540 - 1 1/2 rotations
# 720 - 2 full rotations
# 900 - 2 1/2 rotations
# 1080 - 3 full rotations
Flatspins
# Flatspin-rider is neither totally inverted nor upright, but spinning sideways.
# Flatspin 540 - spinning sideways while completing 1 1/2 rotations and landing backwards.
# Flatspin 720 - spinning sideways while completing two full rotations and landing forward.
Bios
# Bio's- spins where rider is off axis.
# Bio 360 - Grabbing the skiboards while completing 1 full rotation.
# Bio 540 - Grabbing the skiboards while completing 1 1/2 rotations and landing backwards.
# Bio 720 - Grabbing the skiboards while completing 2 full rotations.
# Bio 900-Grabbing the skiboards while completing 2 ½ rotations and landing backwards.
Grabs
# Grab - Grabbing either or both boards with one or both hands. Frontside or backside.
# Liu Kang - Safety grab where free leg extends out to the side. Can be combined with both a misty and rodeo flip.
# Flying Fish - Similar to a Liu Kang, where either foot is brought into a 45° angle so that it hits the inner thigh of opposite leg.
# Method - Grabbing right foot with right hand.
# Mute Grab - Grab (with the right hand) over the top of left foot, and pull the feet off to the opposite side. Works with left hand on right boot, too.
# Parallel grab - Reach over knees and grab the left foot with the right hand. Works vice versa.
# Safety - Introductory grab where rider grabs the outside of either boot.
# Stale Grab - (Was called a Stale Japan, but has since been renamed.) Similar to a mute, but instead of grabbing across the body, reach behind and under the right leg and grab the left foot (originated from in-line skating)
# Stalled grab - A rider starts a 360 (or higher spin), and halfway through the turn, the rider grabs and then completes the spin.
Combinations
# Fakie Back Flip Liu Kang- Rider approaches jump fakie, does a backflip with a Liu Kang (a grab where rider extends one leg out like a karate kick and tucks other one next to body, which he grabs), then lands jump fakie.
# Britnick- A fakie backflip 180 or 360, a move Brinton Gundersen and Mike Nick did for the first time at the 1999 U.S.S. Championships at Mountain High, CA.
# Fakie Bio 900- Rider approaches jump fakie, spins 2 ½ rotations on an axis and lands forward.
# Side Flip 180- Rider approaches jump forward, does what looks like a cartwheel through the air, then lands backwards. Known in skiing as the Lincoln Loop; sometimes referred to as the Maheu Flip, after Serge Maheu.
# Flat Spin 540 - Rider approaches jump forward. His body neither goes totally inverted nor straight up--but sideways. He spins 1½ rotations and lands backwards.
# Fakie Zero Spin Rocket Air - Rider hits jump fakie, stays backwards the entire time he is in the air, extends both legs in front of him and uses one hand to grab the skiboard opposite of hand.
# Rodeo 720 Safety- Rider does a barrel roll backflip with a 360-degree rotation. During rotation he brings his knees to his chest and grabs left skiboard with left hand.
# Misty 720 Safety- Same as rodeo but with a front flip.
