What are the trick categories in Skateboarding?

Verdict

Tricks are categorized by type and contribute to scoring based on their difficulty: Flip tricks: Board rotations initiated by the feet (kickflips, heelflips, varial flips, tre flips, hardflips, laser flips, etc.); Grinds and slides: Riding along edges with trucks (grinds: 50-50, 5-0, smith, feebl...

Why people argue about this

People often think that the difficulty level of a trick determines its category, rather than how it's performed in space. But actually, the categories are based on the type of movement (like flips, grabs, etc.), and not just how challenging it looks or feels to do. This can lead to arguments about whether a particular maneuver fits into one category over another, depending on who is judging it.

Section 5: Rules of Play

5.1 Street Format

The Street competition uses a two-phase format combining runs and single best-trick attempts:

Runs (2 attempts): Each athlete performs two 45-second runs. During a run, the skater chooses their own line through the course, linking tricks on multiple obstacles. Runs are scored on overall impression (0.0–100.0) based on the totality of the performance.
Best Trick (5 attempts): After all runs, each athlete receives 5 individual trick attempts. The athlete chooses one obstacle and performs a single trick per attempt. Each trick is scored independently (0.0–100.0).
Final score: The best 4 of 7 scores count. This may be the best run + best 3 tricks, or any combination of 4 highest scores from the 7 total attempts.
Qualification: A preliminary round reduces the field. The top 8 athletes advance to the final, where scores reset to zero.

5.2 Park Format

Runs: Each athlete performs 3 runs of 45 seconds each
Scoring: Only the best single run score counts as the athlete's final score
Flow and continuity: Judges reward continuous flow through the course. Athletes should use multiple sections of the bowl and link tricks without excessive pushing or stopping.
Aerial tricks: Height above the coping, rotation complexity, grab variety, and clean landings are critical scoring factors
Qualification: A preliminary round reduces the field to the top 8 athletes for the final

5.3 Trick Categories

Tricks are categorized by type and contribute to scoring based on their difficulty:

Flip tricks: Board rotations initiated by the feet (kickflips, heelflips, varial flips, tre flips, hardflips, laser flips, etc.)
Grinds and slides: Riding along edges with trucks (grinds: 50-50, 5-0, smith, feeble, crooked, overcrook) or the deck (slides: boardslide, lipslide, tailslide, noseslide, bluntslide)
Aerials and grabs: Getting airborne above coping or off ramps. Grab variations (melon, indy, stalefish, mute, method, madonna) add difficulty and style.
Transition tricks: Lip tricks performed on the coping of bowls (rock to fakie, rock and roll, disaster, axle stall, blunt to fakie, smith stall)
Rotations: Body and/or board rotations measured in degrees (180, 360, 540, 720, 900). Combinations with flip tricks increase difficulty exponentially.

5.4 Run Timing and Procedures

Athletes are called to the start position and given a signal that the course is clear
The 45-second clock starts when the athlete's skateboard makes contact with the course surface from the starting position
A horn or buzzer signals the end of the 45-second period
Any trick initiated before the buzzer is scored, even if it is completed after the buzzer sounds
Athletes who fall may continue their run within the remaining time
There is no penalty for falling, but falls impact the overall impression score and reduce time available for additional tricks

Section 5: Rules of Play

5.1 Street Format

The Street competition uses a two-phase format combining runs and single best-trick attempts:

Runs (2 attempts): Each athlete performs two 45-second runs. During a run, the skater chooses their own line through the course, linking tricks on multiple obstacles. Runs are scored on overall impression (0.0–100.0) based on the totality of the performance.

Best Trick (5 attempts): After all runs, each athlete receives 5 individual trick attempts. The athlete chooses one obstacle and performs a single trick per attempt. Each trick is scored independently (0.0–100.0).

Final score: The best 4 of 7 scores count. This may be the best run + best 3 tricks, or any combination of 4 highest scores from the 7 total attempts.

Qualification: A preliminary round reduces the field. The top 8 athletes advance to the final, where scores reset to zero.

5.2 Park Format

Runs: Each athlete performs 3 runs of 45 seconds each

Scoring: Only the best single run score counts as the athlete's final score

Flow and continuity: Judges reward continuous flow through the course. Athletes should use multiple sections of the bowl and link tricks without excessive pushing or stopping.

Aerial tricks: Height above the coping, rotation complexity, grab variety, and clean landings are critical scoring factors

Qualification: A preliminary round reduces the field to the top 8 athletes for the final

5.3 Trick Categories

Tricks are categorized by type and contribute to scoring based on their difficulty:

Flip tricks: Board rotations initiated by the feet (kickflips, heelflips, varial flips, tre flips, hardflips, laser flips, etc.)

Grinds and slides: Riding along edges with trucks (grinds: 50-50, 5-0, smith, feeble, crooked, overcrook) or the deck (slides: boardslide, lipslide, tailslide, noseslide, bluntslide)

Aerials and grabs: Getting airborne above coping or off ramps. Grab variations (melon, indy, stalefish, mute, method, madonna) add difficulty and style.

Transition tricks: Lip tricks performed on the coping of bowls (rock to fakie, rock and roll, disaster, axle stall, blunt to fakie, smith stall)

Rotations: Body and/or board rotations measured in degrees (180, 360, 540, 720, 900). Combinations with flip tricks increase difficulty exponentially.

5.4 Run Timing and Procedures

Athletes are called to the start position and given a signal that the course is clear

The 45-second clock starts when the athlete's skateboard makes contact with the course surface from the starting position

A horn or buzzer signals the end of the 45-second period

Any trick initiated before the buzzer is scored, even if it is completed after the buzzer sounds

Athletes who fall may continue their run within the remaining time

There is no penalty for falling, but falls impact the overall impression score and reduce time available for additional tricks

5.3 Trick Categories