Vert variations

Tired of doing the same tricks all the time on the halfpipe? Then I guess it's time to throw in some variations in your run.

Tired of doing the same tricks all the time on the halfpipe? Then I guess it's time to throw in some variations in your run.

Grinding: Eh - put your skates on that little metalbar on the ramp, and sliiide!

Spinning: You can add spins to your run - for instance 360s, 540s, and 720s.

Switch grinds Start one grind, and change your stance into another. For instance from a soul grind to a topside soul grind, or a frontside to a unity to a backside grind.

Inverts: Do inverts. Try to grab the coping and do inverts, or coping spins - also called laidbacks.

Zerospin: When you go up forward and down backwards, or the other way around - without spinning

Fakies: Starting or landing the trick you are doing travelling backwards. For instance, if you go up backwards, do a 360 and land forwards, you have done a fakie 360. If you go up forwards and land backwards, you have just got a fakie landing, but it doesn't affect the trick name.

Disasters: When you do an air before you land the grind. For instance you can do a stale japan and land a royale, do a unity grab and landing a unity, doing mute air and doing a fahrvergnugen. It is a lot harder than just jumping into the grind. Partly because you have to concentrate about grabbing your skates, but also because you usually can't spot your landing from where you launch into the air.

Rewinds: When you spin into a stall or grind, and then spinning the opposite way the same amount of degrees out.

Airs: Have you ever thought of going above the coping - if not, you kind of missed out on something.

Grabs: You can add grabs to your airs. You can also do more than one grab in an air or rotation for more style.

Switch: Spin the opposite way of your natural way. If you normally spin clockwise, try to spin anticlockwise. Or do switch grinds - if you normally soul with your right foot, practice to grind with your right soul foot. At competitions, you show the judges that you did a switch trick by raising your finger.