How to bluntslide on a skateboard

Although often considered dangerous and the source of slams and injuries, the frontside - and backside - bluntslide is relatively easy and safe.

If you're confident with your ollie and tailslide, you should try the finest and more elegant of all skateboard slides.

The bluntslide is a maneuver in which the board slides on its wheels with the tail locked against the ledge of a curb, flat rail, handrail, or coping.

Practicing on a low sliding obstacle is key to gaining confidence and avoiding falling off.

Keeping your arms extended while sliding across the surface is key to maintaining balance.

Frontside Bluntslide 101

Here's how to pull off a frontside bluntslide:

1. Push on your skateboard at low speed toward the ledge at a 45-degree angle;
2. Ollie into the obstacle, keeping the deck relatively vertical, and making sure to align your shoulders with the curb or the flat rail's direction;
3. Slightly twist your torso and hips toward the rail or curb;
4. Connect the back trucks' baseplate to the sliding surface;
5. Keep a relatively low stance;
6. As soon as you start losing speed, prepare to disengage;
7. Pop out of the obstacle or wait until you reach the end of it;
8. Land and roll away;

A regular footer will be looking toward their left shoulder, thus sliding backward; a goofy footer will look toward their right shoulder while moving across the sliding surface.

"Sticking the ollie onto the ledge is almost entirely legwork," explains Per Welinder, author of "Mastering Skateboarding."

"Your chest doesn't turn with the board as it might if you were doing a flatground backside 180 ollie."

"When you're on the ledge in the bluntslide position, your lead foot is crossed in front of you, and your shoulders are aligned with the direction of the ledge."

"When you get to the end of the ledge, bring the nose of the board around so it's pointing forward as it comes off the ledge."

It's interesting to note that you will not need as much ollie as you might think. A higher ollie could result in the board hitting the ledge and slipping away from you.

If you're unsure about how much ollie is needed, practice the jump straight into the blunt position on the ledge to figure out how much is required before trying to slide it out.

"When your rear foot slides off the tail, try to ollie higher onto the ledge, so you are coming down onto the corner from an upward diagonal direction and not straight into it from the side," adds Welinder.

"This will help you establish balance on your rear foot over the corner of the ledge where it should be."

Backside Bluntslide 101

Now, it's time to try the backside bluntslide. Here's how to land it:

1. Push on your skateboard at low speed toward the ledge at a 45-degree angle;
2. Do a frontside ollie that is high enough to get your back trucks on top of the ledge;
3. Keep the tail firmly on the corner of the ledge and the nose sticking up high;
4. Let your forward momentum move the board forward as the wheels and tail slide along the obstacle;
5. Keep your weight on your rear foot so that most of the pressure on the board is on the tail area that is against the ledge;
6. As you reach the end of the ledge, pop the board off of it with a quick snap on the tail and bring the nose around with your lead foot;
7. Land all four wheels simultaneously, with your feet over the bolts, and roll away;

Before practicing the bluntslide, choose the obstacles and structures you feel more comfortable with.

A low and relatively short ledge with a steel waxed-up edge is ideal.

Lastly, the less weight you put on your wheels while sliding, the smoother the travel is likely.