Sidewinder

also known as: 50/50 Sidewinder

freestyle freestyle difficulty 6/10
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roll 0° yaw 0° pitch 0° body 0°

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 truck-to-truck transfer out of a 50/50: the rider hops, throws the nose down toward the floor so the board swaps ends beneath them, catches the rising tail with the back hand, and lands with the foot on the front truck in a switch 50/50. The board pitches a half rotation end-over-end around its short axis while the rider stays facing the same way, so every element - standing foot, holding hand, board orientation - swaps sides in one beat. The hand catch on the tail is the crux; the trick has since been largely supplanted by the smoother no-catch carousel.

Step by step

  1. Establish a stable 50/50: one foot on the back hanger, hand holding the nose.
  2. Compress, hop off the standing foot, and throw the nose down toward the ground with the hand.
  3. Let the board pitch end-over-end: nose dropping to the floor, tail swinging up.
  4. Catch the rising tail with your back hand as the nose becomes the new ground contact.
  5. Place the standing foot onto the front truck hanger as the board settles vertical on its nose.
  6. Absorb into the new switch 50/50, re-balanced over the fresh contact point.

Body mechanics

Front footTargets the front truck hanger mid-transfer and takes the landing in the switch 50/50.
Back footThe original standing foot; drives the hop off the back hanger and then hangs free.
ShouldersStay facing forward throughout - the board swaps ends, the body does not rotate.
ArmsFront hand throws the nose down; back hand makes the critical tail catch that completes the transfer.
GazeFollows the tail up into the catching hand, then drops to the new truck for the foot placement.