How to Tailslide on a Skateboard: A Step-by-Step Guide

The tailslide is one of the tricks that separates riders who can grind from riders who understand how to control a board across a whole ledge. Instead of both trucks locking onto the ledge like a 50-50, only the tail makes contact, which means your balance has to do a lot more of the work. It looks technical because it is, but it’s a completely learnable trick with the right approach.

This guide walks through everything from picking the right obstacle to popping off cleanly at the end of the slide, plus the mistakes that trip up most beginners.

What You Need Before Trying a Tailslide

You’ll want a confident, consistent ollie, since you’re popping the board up and placing the tail on the ledge in one motion. It also helps to already be comfortable riding and balancing on a ledge, so if grinds are new to you, spend some time on flat 50-50s or a low curb first to get used to the sensation of your board sliding rather than rolling.

A low, smooth ledge or box, ideally around shin to knee height, is the best place to learn. Waxing the edge with a skate wax block makes a noticeable difference in how predictable the slide feels, especially on concrete or rough ledges.

Step-by-Step: How to Tailslide

1. Approach at a Slight Angle

Ride toward the ledge at a light angle instead of straight on, roughly enough that your back truck and tail naturally line up to land on top of the ledge. A pure straight-on approach makes it harder to get the tail centered cleanly.

2. Pop and Place the Tail

Just before you reach the ledge, ollie and use your back foot to guide the tail down flat onto the ledge surface. You’re aiming to land with the tail centered on the ledge and the rest of the board hanging off to the side, perpendicular to the direction of the ledge.

3. Center Your Weight Directly Over the Tail

This is the part most beginners get wrong. Once the tail is on the ledge, your weight needs to sit directly above it, not shifted toward the nose. Leaning forward is the most common reason the board slides out or the nose drops early.

4. Keep Your Shoulders and Hips Square to the Ledge

Rotating your upper body too early, before the slide is finished, twists the board out from under your feet. Keep your shoulders and hips parallel to the ledge the whole way through, and save the rotation for landing back on the ground.

5. Pop Off the End and Land Straight

As you reach the end of the ledge, pop the tail back down to the ground the same way you’d land any trick, with your weight centered over both feet and your knees bent to absorb the landing. Rushing this step is a common cause of bailing right at the finish.

Common Tailslide Mistakes

• Popping too high. An overly high ollie makes it harder to place the tail precisely; aim for just enough height to clear the ledge edge.
• Leaning forward mid-slide. This is the number one cause of the board slipping out. Stay centered over the tail the entire time.
• Approaching too fast. More speed means less time to react if your balance is off. Slow the approach down while you’re still learning the motion.
• Not committing through the whole slide. Bailing mentally halfway through often causes the exact fall you were trying to avoid. Commit to riding it out to the end.

Where to Take It Next

Once tailslides feel solid, related tricks become much more approachable. A noseslide uses the same balance principles on the opposite end of the board, and once you’re comfortable sliding on ledges in general, a boardslide is a natural next trick to work on. If you want to push the tailslide itself further, learning to add a shove-it out or trying it on a rail rather than a ledge are both common next steps.

FAQ: Tailslides

What tricks should I know before learning a tailslide?

A solid ollie is the main prerequisite, since you need to pop the tail cleanly onto the ledge. Comfort with basic 50-50 grinds also helps, since the balance and approach are similar.

Why does my board slide out from under me on a tailslide?

This usually means your weight shifted forward off the tail mid-slide. Keep your weight centered directly over the tail for the whole slide instead of leaning toward the nose.

Do I need special wax for tailslides?

A wax curb or block designed for skateboarding makes ledges and rails slide much more smoothly and is worth using, especially when you’re first learning. Unwaxed, rough ledges make it harder to isolate what you’re doing wrong.

What’s the difference between a tailslide and a boardslide?

A tailslide is done with the board perpendicular to the ledge, sliding on the tail with the nose pointing away, while a boardslide has the board sliding sideways along its full length with the rider facing the obstacle.

Should I learn tailslides on flat ground first?

You can practice the pop and tail-press motion on flat ground to build muscle memory, but the actual balance of sliding only comes from practicing on a real ledge or box, ideally a low, waxed one.