Skateboarding
Skateboarding
Vert skating vs. street skating: A comprehensive comparison
While they have some similarities, vert and street skating are generally different approaches to skating.
Whether you ride to work or shred at a skatepark, skating’s a go-to hobby and mode of transportation for many.
“[It’s] just me and my board having fun,” said professional skateboarder Jamie Foy. “Every day, I’m thinking of something new to try or something that hasn’t been done before.”
But not all skating is the same. There are several types of skateboarding, and vert skating and street skating are two of the most popular types. Below, you’ll learn all about vert skating vs. street skating and how to get started with both.
01
What is vert skating?
Vert skateboarding
© Emil Sollie / Red Bull Content Pool
Vert skating, short for vertical skating, is the practice of riding your skateboard on near-vertical surfaces like ramps or half pipes. It involves picking up enough speed to launch yourself into the air, perform tricks, and land smoothly.
You feel your body rushing through the wind during this gravity-defying experience. You also hear the quiet as your wheels leave the ramp and feel your wheels making contact with the surface again.
Once you’ve upped your vert skating skill level, you might decide to enter a competition and try your hand at advanced tricks. Before you get there, though, you’ll need to start with the basics. You’ll need:
- Elbow and knee pads to protect your joints if you fall or slide on the ground
- A well-fitting helmet that doesn’t move when you put it on
- Gripping shoes that provide support and balance on your board
- The right wheels that measure between 56mm and 58mm in diameter, with a hardness level (durometer) between 95a and 100a
- A ramp or incline where you can practice your vert skating skills
Sakura Yosozumi at a skateboard park in Iwade-city, Wakayama, Japan
© Jason Halayko / Red Bull Content Pool
What is the history of vert skating?
Vert skateboarding dates back to the mid-1960s, and empty backyard swimming pools were the original vert ramps. Skaters would start at the bottom of a pool, push off on their boards to pick up speed, and roll up the bowled ends.
As skateboarding’s popularity increased in the mid-’70s, more people started vert skating in pools. Over the years, skate parks added bowls and ramps so skaters could practice in spaces designed for this type of skating. Since then, vert skating has evolved into the execution of technical skills on the smoothest of surfaces.
Several notable names helped make vert skating as popular as it is today. Tony Hawk created dozens of vert tricks and is known as one of vert skating’s originators. He was also named the top vert skater for 12 consecutive years. Bob Burnquist was also instrumental in popularizing vert skating — in fact, he was the first skater to land a MegaRamp 900.
What are the techniques used in vert skating?
Vert skateboarding
© Alfred Jürgen Westermeyer/Red Bull Content Pool
Below are some of the top techniques practiced in vert skating.
- Fakie ollie. One of the most basic vert tricks, a fakie ollie is essentially a backwards ollie. During a fakie, you pop your board down into the ramp in the direction you’ll be heading.
- Nollie. For this ollie variation, you’ll use your front foot to snap down the nose of your board and pop up the tail. You complete a 180-degree rotation to head back down the ramp.
- Powerslide. Skate up the ramp and slightly lean backward to take most of the weight off your front wheel. From there, you move your board across the surface, pivot, and skate back down the ramp.
- McTwist. For this aerial move, you’ll rotate 540 degrees while grabbing the frontside of your board between your feet to perform a front flip.
- 900. This is a 900-degree spin (2.5 revolutions) performed mid-air after launching from a skateboard ramp. Because of the balance and timing it requires, this trick is one of the most difficult to perform.
02
What is street skating?
Ryan Sheckler 180 ollies over a bar in North Carolina on April 20, 2021.
© Tim Aguilar / Red Bull Content Pool
In this skating discipline, you perform tricks on rails, ledges, stairs, and curbs. It’s especially popular in urban areas since it involves getting creative with what’s around you. It’s also more difficult than park skateboarding since it requires extra technicality — you’re skating on surfaces that weren’t made for skateboards.
Street skateboarding is often associated with freedom and self-expression. You’re finding new ways and places — ones that people typically use for sitting or walking — to ride your board. While your board is your main piece of equipment in street skateboarding, there are some other items you’ll want to grab too.
- A good helmet to protect your head
- Skate pads that protect your elbows and knees if you slide or fall on unforgiving concrete
- Good skate shoes that give you maximum control of your board as you’re grinding and sliding
- The right wheels with a diameter between 52mm and 54mm and a hardness level (durometer) of at least 99a
What is the history of street skating?
Ryan Sheckler during Red Bull Drop In Tour in France in 2022
© Anthony Acosta / Red Bull Content Pool
Street skating began as skaters ventured outside of their dedicated, traditional spaces (empty swimming pools and skate parks) and into public areas. In 1978, Alan Gelfand first performed the ollie, a revolutionary trick that launched the beginning of street skating. Through this maneuver, skaters could pop their boards from the ground onto common outdoor areas like handrails and benches. Rodney Mullen popularized the ollie on the street, and skaters widely adopted the trick in the ‘80s.
Street skating gained even more popularity in the ‘90s when skaters trained to compete in the annual X Games. The Street League contest of the 2010s later sparked a greater sense of interest and competition among skaters. The tournament continues to introduce innovations in street skating.
What are the techniques used in street skating?
Zion Wright filming YOU GOOD? in Taiwan in 2019
© Kenji Haruta / Red Bull Content Pool
While you can perform variations of many vert tricks on the street, there are some other tricks and techniques you can try too. Below are some of these techniques.
- Ollie. The most foundational skateboarding technique, the ollie involves popping your board into the air so you can jump onto a surface.
- Kickflip. This simple trick is where you jump and kick off your board to flip it 360 degrees before landing back on it.
- Grinding and sliding. There are dozens of grinds and slides, and they involve sliding your board or its trucks across a surface. The frontside 50-50 and boardslide grinds are two simpler types, while the frontside feeble and backside crooked grinds are more advanced.
- Boneless. This trick involves picking up some speed on your board, then grabbing the middle of your board with one hand. From there, you place one foot on the ground to start a jump and bring your board in front of you. You then plant your foot back on your board to land and continue riding.
Comparing vert skating vs. street skating
Now that you have a better understanding of vert and street skating, here are the core differences between these styles of skateboarding.
- Terrain. To skate vert, you’ll need a special surface, such as a ramp or bowl. With street skating, you’ll make use of your environment.
- Required skills. Most vert techniques require accurate timing for aerial tricks. For street skating, you need to exercise quick precision to pop your board from the ground onto a rail or ledge.
- Physical risk. When you’re street skating, you might find yourself on cracked or uneven pavement. You also may come into contact with concrete or pointed edges. The surfaces used for vert skating are generally a bit more forgiving. However, when you’re performing tricks and flips so high in the air, there’s the risk of miscalculating a landing.
- Fashion trends. Loose pants, jackets, and bold, trendy hair colors and styles are all characteristic of street skaters. Vert skaters, on the other hand, often base their clothing choices on their protective gear, as their aerial flips and tricks call for it. Shorts or straight-legged pants that aren’t too baggy for skate pads to fit over are common among these skaters.
- Accessibility. Although in some areas it’s illegal to skate on public surfaces, you can often easily find a rail, bench, or ledge for practice. Vert skating, however, requires a nearby dedicated skate park.
Finding your skating style
While they have some similarities, vert and street skating are generally different approaches to skateboarding. Now that you know more about them, you can choose a skating location and pick out some skills you want to try. Most importantly, you shouldn’t feel you need to stick to one style of skating. Grab your board and gear, and express yourself to the fullest!
