TRICK TIPS PRESENTED BY VANS - THE FRONTSIDE BLUNTSLIDE
TRICK TIPS PRESENTED BY VANS - THE FRONTSIDE BLUNTSLIDE
As you've heard many times before, learning new skate tricks doesn't happen instantly, you have to practice and start over hundreds of times before you can say you've mastered a trick. To make things easier for you and give a little boost to your progression on the board, we prepared some slo-motion videos and quick explanations that we hope will help your learning curve.
The frontside bluntslide is very similar to the frontside board in terms of approach and pop. The slide is totally different though. A front blunt on a rail looks a bit like a backside tail slide, except that instead of approaching the obstacle backside, you will approach it frontside (the rail will be in front of you instead of behind). Wanna learn how to master the front blunt, let us break it down for you!
About the shoe
The Vans Half Cab is one of the most iconic shoe ever made if not the most iconic. Released in 1992 as a mid-top version of the Vans Caballero, the Vans Half Cab was created when Steve Cab himself noticed that skaters were cutting his signature sneaker, The Caballero. When he saw that people loved that shoe, but with a lower-profile, he asked Vans to create the Half Cab.
Almost 30 years later, the Half Cab is back once again as part of the new Vans Skate shoes line. The 2021 Vans Half Cab is the next level of skate footwear and it still looks just as good as ever, but now features some of the most advanced details to push your skateboarding progression to the next level.
What you get
FULLY REVISED UPPERS - Made with sturdy suede and canvas and featuring locked-in tongue straps and two-part foxing for heightened board contact.
LEGENDARY GRIP - Vans new, proprietary SICKSTICK™ gum rubber compound has been elevated to the next level of grip and durability.
POPCUSH™ CUSHIONING - Vans standard best-in-class upgrade, the new Popcush™ insoles snap back and won’t pack, providing impact protection and custom energy return for any type of skating.
UNRIVALED DURABILITY - Reinforced DURACAP™ underlays and are built to withstand the daily abuse of skateboarding.
The roll up
As we said earlier, you will approach the obstacle just like you would for a frontside boardslide, with the rail in front of you. Remember that the goal here is to pop high enough for your back truck to go over the rail and to land on your tail with the bar locked right between your wheels and tail. Approaching the rail at a slight angle is a good trick to make sure to take those wheels to the other side of the rail. That said, be careful not to take too much angle as this will make the slide harder.
As you roll up to the rail frontside with a slight angle, remember to keep your weight distributed around the back of your board. As opposite as a frontside board, where you slide on the middle of your board with your weight and balance point in the center, the Frontside Blunt will need you to push your weight towards your tail and to keep your back foot as the balance point. Thinking about keeping your weight in the back while rolling up is something that will definitely help you understand the trick to lock into a precise frontside blunt.
The foot position
The front blunt’s foot placement is pretty easy and feels a lot like a frontside board, with a few small differences. Your front foot will need to be placed right below the front bolts just like a frontside boardslide, but with a slight angle. Your front foot acts more like a guide during the trick, but will be essential for the pop out at the end of the slide.
As for the back foot, you will need to place it as far as possible on the tip of the tail. You’re gonna want to do that because the more your back foot is far on the tail, the less chances you have to be blocked by your shoes soles touching the metal bar while you slide. To put it simply: Back foot on the tip of the tail, front foot at a slight angle below the front bolts.
The Pop
Once you get the right foot placement and approached the rail at a slight angle while preparing to push your weight backwards, it will be time for you to pop on the rail. Remember to pop higher than for a frontside board as you will need to make that back truck pass over the rail.
When you are close enough to the obstacle, bend your knees to gather pop, snap your tail on the ground and start turning your body and board 90 degrees like you would do for a frontside boardslide. Stay in the air a bit longer and pop a little higher and you should be able to transfer your back wheels over the rail and to land into a frontside blunt position.
The Slide
The most important part of this trick and the hardest. Popping and locking a frontside blunt on a flatbar is pretty easy, but the sliding part is a bit harder as you will need to focus your weight in your back foot and lean back to hold the slide all while having the correct body and shoulders posture to allow you to move forward freely once you get on the rail.
That’s when the foot placement comes into play. To be able to slide a frontside blunt without blocking, you will need your back foot to be further on your tail as you don’t want your heel or toes touching the obstacle and block your motion while you try the trick. If you placed your back foot far enough on the tip of the tail and thought about keeping the pressure on your back foot, you should be able to slide well.
Last but not least, the shoulders. Just like a frontside board, you will need to turn your shoulders to make sure the slide goes smoothly. If you’re trying to land the frontside blunt to regular, open your shoulders towards what's behind you and turn your head in the same direction like if you were trying to look over your shoulder. To do it to fakie, keep your shoulders aligned with the rest of your body. The important part here is to keep the same position for the whole duration of the slide.
THE POP OU AND ROLL AWAY
You rolled towards the rail frontside at a slight angle, you popped and slid, now it’s time to find your exit strategy. If you placed your front foot properly and kept your shoulders and head still during the slide, you shouldn’t have much problems popping out of this one.
If you chose to do the trick to regular, keep your shoulders wide open and your head turned like if you were trying to look at what’s behind you over your shoulders, your body will follow your shoulders and head and this will allow you to land. Once you got out of the rail, absorb the impact with your knees, roll away and do it again until you feel like you mastered it!