Science of BS Salad Grind on Transition in skateboarding

Let us begin with the definition

The backside Salad grind is performed by locking the rear truck onto the obstacle while the front truck is twisted backward.

Some may view this as merely a crooked variation of a 5-0 grind, and that perspective is understandable.

In fact, a Salad grind can sometimes resemble a misaligned 5-0. If you prefer to categorize it as a 5-0, that is entirely acceptable.

How Salad grind differs from a 5-0 grind

Despite what some riders claim, I believe the Salad grind is distinctly different from a standard 5-0.

One of the reasons I refer to it as the Salad grind rather than a 5-0 is that it possesses characteristics that the classic 5-0 simply does not.

The next section explores these unique features in more detail.

Feature #1 The tail dips lower

In a Salad grind, the tail can dip below the level of the obstacle's flat surface.

This is not possible in a 5-0, as the tail would immediately strike the obstacle.

By rotating the board backside, the tail gains extra clearance, allowing it to move lower without making contact with the ledge or coping.

Feature #2 The heelside wheel carries your weight

Unlike the 5-0 grind, where the rear truck as a whole supports your weight, in a Salad grind most of your weight shifts onto the heelside wheel of the rear truck.

Although this makes the trick feel noticeably different from a traditional 5-0, I do not claim to hold the definitive definition.

In fact, the boundary between a Salad grind and a 5-0 can be somewhat ambiguous. If you have your own interpretation, I would be glad to hear it in the comments.

Premises

Now, let us consider how the trick actually works. Rather than relying on the vague advice to “approach the obstacle and commit,”

we will instead break the movement down from a scientific perspective.

We begin by identifying the major forces involved and examining how to make effective use of them.

Force #1 Gravitational force

Gravity always pulls your body downward toward the ground, regardless of whether you are skating a ramp or a ledge.

To place the heelside wheel onto the coping, you must first pump upward and help your board rise to the coping level.

Viewed horizontally, your movement follows a parabolic arc. If the peak of that arc rises above the coping, you will overshoot and land on the deck. This is similar to throwing a ball toward the transition: if the ball has too much upward energy, it ends up on the deck.

There are ways to prevent this overshoot—which we will discuss shortly—but the principle remains: the upward component of your motion should not be excessive.

In other words, you need enough energy to climb the transition, but your vertical momentum must diminish by the time you reach the coping.

If you push your board too late or pump too aggressively, you will be launched over the obstacle. Adjust the intensity of your pump so that the upward momentum naturally tapers off at the peak of the arc.

Once locked in, as mentioned earlier, the heelside wheel of the rear truck becomes the primary point supporting your body weight.

Force #2 Horizontal force

Let us now examine the motion from a top-down perspective.

Whether you are skating a ramp or a ledge, the idea is the same: you approach the obstacle at a certain angle.

If you do nothing to intervene, the horizontal momentum carries through the lock-in, causing you to travel straight onto the deck or the top surface of the obstacle.

To prevent this, you must redirect your momentum by generating a counteracting force that neutralizes the inward horizontal motion and aligns your trajectory parallel to the obstacle.

To achieve this, pump your body toward the obstacle to keep your center of mass inside the ramp. The intensity of this pump should correspond to your speed and the steepness of the transition.

Force #3 Friction

During the grind, your board constantly receives friction from the obstacle. To continue moving, you must place your weight behind the board to push it forward through that friction.

In this respect, the Salad grind resembles a powerslide: you keep substantial weight over the rear and drive the board forward against the resisting force.

Because you must push the board forward, timing is essential.

You should begin this forward-pushing motion slightly before reaching the coping, while still maintaining your body inside the ramp.

If not, the board will shoot upward and onto the deck. In my own skating, I begin applying this forward pressure when I am roughly 30 cm away from the coping.

The sensation is similar to performing a powerslide on transition: place substantial weight on the heelside and allow the board to slide momentarily before locking in.

I also recommend keeping your shoulders open during the lock-in.

This orientation helps you face the direction of travel, making it easier to guide your momentum parallel to the obstacle.

In practice, my upper body is already oriented forward before I lock in. Although my eyes focus on the rear truck at the moment of contact, because my face is already turned forward, I can still perceive the exit path in my peripheral vision. This greatly assists in determining the appropriate degree of inward lean and the adjustments needed for a controlled grind.