Frontside Smith Grind
also known as: Front Smith
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Shown for a regular-footed rider. Teal ring + arrow = the rider's facing direction; teal band = the tail; a dot is where a hand holds the board - bright yellow for the front hand, amber for the back one, which is the whole difference between a mute and an indy. Board and rider rotate independently - each follows its own component. Drag to orbit.
How it works
A smith grind with the obstacle approached on the toe side: the back truck grinds, the nose plunges down the near (toe-side) face, and the deck's toe-side rail wedges on the corner. The rider crouches over the tucked front knee with chest facing the ledge, weight mostly on the rear axle; the wedge geometry means the board cannot roll off the edge, making front smiths one of the most locked - and most style-defining - grinds on rails and coping alike.
Step by step
- Roll at the obstacle on your toe side at a shallow angle, slightly faster than for a front 5-0.
- Ollie in and set the back truck on the edge while steering the nose down the near face.
- Seat the toe-side deck rail on the corner so hanger and rail wedge together.
- Sink low, front knee tucked toward the ledge, hips over the rear axle.
- Grind the wedge, keeping constant front-foot pressure so the nose does not float back up.
- Pull the nose up level, unweight the back truck, and hop off to flat (or bonk the front truck on the edge to roll out 50-50 style).
Body mechanics
| Front foot | Behind the front bolts driving the nose down the ledge face; its pressure keeps the wedge loaded. |
|---|---|
| Back foot | Ball of foot centered on the tail, weight over the grinding hanger, ready to snap the exit. |
| Shoulders | Square with the chest angled toward and slightly over the obstacle. |
| Arms | Front arm dropped along the nose line; back arm out and up behind. |
| Gaze | The corner ahead of the deck rail contact point through the whole grind. |