slappy/curb discussion thread

[FrozenIndustries]

Maybe it's just technique or what but I feel like curb skating is way more mellow on my body than skating flatground ever was. Probably also some lifestyle stuff involved (lots of cycling, eating better, drinking less, etc) but generally speaking.

[i halfcab board ledges]

I reeaallly like fs slappys recently, especially ones that like cross lock feel so fuckn buttry, I wanna learn like fs 5-0s on slappys too like how they go on coping in like bowlz n shit

[IUTSM]

Maybe it's just technique or what but I feel like curb skating is way more mellow on my body than skating flatground ever was. Probably also some lifestyle stuff involved (lots of cycling, eating better, drinking less, etc) but generally speaking.

likewise. I'm pretty fresh into the regular curb/slappy game but it feels so much less impactful. I can warm up skating curbs but most of the time it takes me a good 30-45 minutes before I want to start popping and stuff. I'm still getting used to not popping into a grind from flat but I try to come at it like I'm trying to hit pool coping and it's all good. I mean falling sucks, but falling on a ledge, rail, or anything else is probably more impactful..

oh ya, I was pretty stoked to skate a chunky, tall curb and accidentally ride out and land a handful of krooks after having my front foot too far forward for the bs grind!!!

[cky enthusiast]

just came in from doing slappies after work for an hour and felt obligated to bump this thread

[FrozenIndustries]

Bump.

Got a curb near my work that some folks hit with a rub brick and spray enamel. It has started to wear down and would benefit from another coat. Whats the best way to get whatever wax and junk has been built up on top? Putty knife?

[rawbertson.]

Bump.

Got a curb near my work that some folks hit with a rub brick and spray enamel. It has started to wear down and would benefit from another coat. Whats the best way to get whatever wax and junk has been built up on top? Putty knife?

Why not just do another layer of spray + wax? sounds like the ledge is already smooth

[FrozenIndustries]

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Bump.

Got a curb near my work that some folks hit with a rub brick and spray enamel. It has started to wear down and would benefit from another coat. Whats the best way to get whatever wax and junk has been built up on top? Putty knife?

[close]

Why not just do another layer of spray + wax? sounds like the ledge is already smooth

The curb is getting pretty sticky and I don't know that enamel over wax is a good idea. I was thinking it would be better to get whatever wax is on there off and then re-coat it with enamel.

[fs1/2cab]

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Bump.

Got a curb near my work that some folks hit with a rub brick and spray enamel. It has started to wear down and would benefit from another coat. Whats the best way to get whatever wax and junk has been built up on top? Putty knife?

[close]

Why not just do another layer of spray + wax? sounds like the ledge is already smooth

[close]

The curb is getting pretty sticky and I don't know that enamel over wax is a good idea. I was thinking it would be better to get whatever wax is on there off and then re-coat it with enamel.

In that case, when there is already wax and/or enamel on the curbs, I just use clear spraypaint and then wax on top if needed, never had any problems. But I think it is important to use the spraypaint/enamel before the wax. Anyone have more insight?

[donkey]

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Bump.

Got a curb near my work that some folks hit with a rub brick and spray enamel. It has started to wear down and would benefit from another coat. Whats the best way to get whatever wax and junk has been built up on top? Putty knife?

[close]

Why not just do another layer of spray + wax? sounds like the ledge is already smooth

[close]

The curb is getting pretty sticky and I don't know that enamel over wax is a good idea. I was thinking it would be better to get whatever wax is on there off and then re-coat it with enamel.

[close]

In that case, when there is already wax and/or enamel on the curbs, I just use clear spraypaint and then wax on top if needed, never had any problems. But I think it is important to use the spraypaint/enamel before the wax. Anyone have more insight?

i've rub bricked and salba sauced way too many curbs to count. rub brick, then salba sauce, let dry, then wax always. if it is already a functional but sticky curb/ledge, just salba sauce it, let it dry completely, then wax

[Francis Xavier]

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Bump.

Got a curb near my work that some folks hit with a rub brick and spray enamel. It has started to wear down and would benefit from another coat. Whats the best way to get whatever wax and junk has been built up on top? Putty knife?

[close]

Why not just do another layer of spray + wax? sounds like the ledge is already smooth

[close]

The curb is getting pretty sticky and I don't know that enamel over wax is a good idea. I was thinking it would be better to get whatever wax is on there off and then re-coat it with enamel.

[close]

In that case, when there is already wax and/or enamel on the curbs, I just use clear spraypaint and then wax on top if needed, never had any problems. But I think it is important to use the spraypaint/enamel before the wax. Anyone have more insight?

[close]

i've rub bricked and salba sauced way too many curbs to count. rub brick, then salba sauce, let dry, then wax always. if it is already a functional but sticky curb/ledge, just salba sauce it, let it dry completely, then wax

This^^

[Ray C. Usery]

Acetone is the mortal enemy of wax

Make sure you use latex gloves, soak an old t-shirt rag and go to town. Don't breath the fumes

After just sauce it and only wax your board or trucks. Then hang a sign up that says the same thing

[Grip Jobs]

Slappies are pretty much rollerblading so that’s why it was outlawed in the late 90s.
Proceed

[beandemon]

A curb I hit a lot that has sand behind it. Seems like every time I skate it, it’s full of sandy wax. Always better after a few grinds. Always clean away dirt or rub brick dust before applying schmoo.

[IpathCats]

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Bump.

Got a curb near my work that some folks hit with a rub brick and spray enamel. It has started to wear down and would benefit from another coat. Whats the best way to get whatever wax and junk has been built up on top? Putty knife?

[close]

Why not just do another layer of spray + wax? sounds like the ledge is already smooth

[close]

The curb is getting pretty sticky and I don't know that enamel over wax is a good idea. I was thinking it would be better to get whatever wax is on there off and then re-coat it with enamel.

[close]

In that case, when there is already wax and/or enamel on the curbs, I just use clear spraypaint and then wax on top if needed, never had any problems. But I think it is important to use the spraypaint/enamel before the wax. Anyone have more insight?

If the curb is sticky you have worn whatever clear coat/wax that was on it off already. Just spray it again, and wax once dry.

[mj23]

What are the curbs like in everyone’s area?

I’m curious because I recently got back to LA after a long trip through NY, NJ, and TX. And god damn the curbs here are so much easier to skate than anywhere else. It’s almost cheating.

NYC has those rounded, metal-wrapped curbs everywhere— some are sticky, some go fast af. Pretty fun but not quite as satisfying as concrete. Also not as easy to really lock in.

NYC also has plenty of concrete curbs but they’re generally extremely rugged. Really need to put your weight behind it to get anywhere on most of them. These are the kinds of curbs where slappies do feel relatively “high impact.” This is what I grew up skating and now I can’t believe how nasty some of my old favorites are upon re-visiting. However the relatively straight almost 90 degree angles make nose and tail slides pretty easy.

Texas has a ton of curbs with great thick coats of red safety paint, but they’re almost all shaped like a mellow rounded transition/bump (I think so that people can basically drive over them without fucking up their tires). Didn’t get a chance to skate any while I was there but I imagine they might be more like skating a tiny little ramp than a proper “curb.”

And of course in Southern California we have tons of curbs with a slight angle up, very non-porous texture, thick red paint. Basically the platonic ideal of a skateable curb imo— except that nose/tail slides are made slightly more difficult by the angled edge.

So anyway, what are your local curbs like? And does anyone know about the particular specifications of concrete used in different regional construction practices? I assume the porous east coast concrete has to do with anticipating swelling and contraction during temperature changes. SoCal concrete doesn’t need to do that so it can be extremely dense and more tightly packed, for lack of a better term.

[FUBAR]

I’ve never slammed so many times learning a trick as I have on fs slappies. Still don’t have them. If that front truck doesn’t get on, or on just right, I find myself sailing through the air.

[cucktard]

I’ve never slammed so many times learning a trick as I have on fs slappies. Still don’t have them. If that front truck doesn’t get on, or on just right, I find myself sailing through the air.

I imagine your weight is a bit too far forward and your digging that front truck in, no?

[JimGeko]

So what's your techniques for FS Slappies?

I have both feet on the respective truck bolts and kind of just ride into it at a slight angle while letting my weight up a touch.

I keep my back foot on the bolts so I'm not tempted to lift my nose.

its scary to me every time because the physics just don't compute in my head but it works every time.

[manysnakes]

This video really helped me with frontside slappys

[Frank]

So what's your techniques for FS Slappies?

I have both feet on the respective truck bolts and kind of just ride into it at a slight angle while letting my weight up a touch.

I keep my back foot on the bolts so I'm not tempted to lift my nose.

its scary to me every time because the physics just don't compute in my head but it works every time.

relatively the same as you. sometimes i like to carve into them like lifting up my fs facing wheels and bash into them. like an exaggerated fs powerslide where you only sit on your heelside wheels to get the front side facing wheels over. these hit kind of different, but i like doing them this way a lot.

[yghartsyrt]

any pointers for how to properly get out of a FS crooked slappy? BS crooked is no problem, but every FS version ends up as a FS 50. The crooked grind itself is looking good though – not in the FS nosegrind territory.

[Lou Strux]

So what's your techniques for FS Slappies?

I have both feet on the respective truck bolts and kind of just ride into it at a slight angle while letting my weight up a touch.

I keep my back foot on the bolts so I'm not tempted to lift my nose.

its scary to me every time because the physics just don't compute in my head but it works every time.

Slap on, lock in, ride it out, exit.
Steep angle, or gentle; it’s all about that brief millisecond of “unweighting” the board as you slam the front truck in with your weight on your heels & then slide the back one up/onto the skurb.
EDIT: Note how far back mah rump is, relative to my foot position, as I ease into that slap, in order to illustrate how much you need to be on your heels before sliding into that FS lock.
Shalom on your frontside pursuits.

[Jory4]

any pointers for how to properly get out of a FS crooked slappy? BS crooked is no problem, but every FS version ends up as a FS 50. The crooked grind itself is looking good though – not in the FS nosegrind territory.

Push / throw your body weight back from
Your front toes toward the side of your back foot if that makes sense?!

For FS slappies o found having my front foot about 45 degrees and just in front of the bolts helps. I kinda focus on mentally thinking about unweighting so the front truck bounces on them pivoting the back truck on after. Maybe that’s just my mental gymnastics that make it work
For Me though!

[Gab]

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any pointers for how to properly get out of a FS crooked slappy? BS crooked is no problem, but every FS version ends up as a FS 50. The crooked grind itself is looking good though – not in the FS nosegrind territory.

[close]

Push / throw your body weight back from
Your front toes toward the side of your back foot if that makes sense?!

For FS slappies o found having my front foot about 45 degrees and just in front of the bolts helps. I kinda focus on mentally thinking about unweighting so the front truck bounces on them pivoting the back truck on after. Maybe that’s just my mental gymnastics that make it work
For Me though!

I have found this works well for me too. Sometimes even angling my front foot onto the nose as well. Sometimes I still do a slight lift but trying to correct that. This foot positioning also works well for Slappy fs nosegrind too.

[EvenStevieNicks]

Hey all,

Chiming in on some breakthroughs I've had as I try to learn proper BS slappies and recover from ACL recon back in early March.

I'm lucky to have a perfect curb cut by my house to work with, and I've been using the cut as a ramp to get up there grinding... I had grown very comfy with this kind of grind before my surgery, but I'm chasing the real goods here as I'm sure so many are.



I've posted my curb here for reference not because it's a great pic, but to illustrate the changes in how I'm approaching it, and my weight distribution as I hit.

I've moved from a really shallow 25-30 degree angle of approach and just ramping up into a 50-50, to a 90 degree approach with a deep carve into the cut. As I've worked on the timing and deepened the carve into the curb cut, I've begun to feel out the beginnings of ramming into the curb like a proper slappy.

I force myself to place my front foot almost in the pocket and always covering all my bolts, back foot in just a bit from the end of the tail and with both front and back feet slightly "opened" (or heels slightly closer together than toes). This helps with the "back truck following the front" deal, and it helps open my shoulders as I find the balance point up into the fifty.

I'm working on weighting into my toes now to rely less and less on the cut. I'm almost powersliding for a split-second and hitting the middle of the cut! My front heelside wheel is hitting the top corner of the cut, and the ramp of the cut is helping ease my weight up into the slappy.

I'm unlocking this trick piece by piece, and as I heal and get more confident that I'm not gonna rip out my graft, I can sense the full slappy is really close!

[yghartsyrt]

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any pointers for how to properly get out of a FS crooked slappy? BS crooked is no problem, but every FS version ends up as a FS 50. The crooked grind itself is looking good though – not in the FS nosegrind territory.

[close]

Push / throw your body weight back from
Your front toes toward the side of your back foot if that makes sense?!

cool. thanks. I'll give it a try

[FUBAR]

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I’ve never slammed so many times learning a trick as I have on fs slappies. Still don’t have them. If that front truck doesn’t get on, or on just right, I find myself sailing through the air.

[close]

I imagine your weight is a bit too far forward and your digging that front truck in, no?

Now that you mention it…yes. I may need to bring the front foot back and get more weight on my heels as I go into it. More weight on heels and NOT forward. Thanks!

[Jory4]

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any pointers for how to properly get out of a FS crooked slappy? BS crooked is no problem, but every FS version ends up as a FS 50. The crooked grind itself is looking good though – not in the FS nosegrind territory.

[close]

Push / throw your body weight back from
Your front toes toward the side of your back foot if that makes sense?!

For FS slappies o found having my front foot about 45 degrees and just in front of the bolts helps. I kinda focus on mentally thinking about unweighting so the front truck bounces on them pivoting the back truck on after. Maybe that’s just my mental gymnastics that make it work
For Me though!

[close]

I have found this works well for me too. Sometimes even angling my front foot onto the nose as well. Sometimes I still do a slight lift but trying to correct that. This foot positioning also works well for Slappy fs nosegrind too.

I also found learning fs slappy smiths helped as its kinda just an exaggerated version of the same movement.

[gabbesucks]

How do you cross lock frontside slappies like this?
 
https://youtu.be/ZK5NIJ6Axvg?t=35 00:35

I can lock in "normally" but it doesnt look as stylish

[beandemon]

How do you cross lock frontside slappies like this?
 
https://youtu.be/ZK5NIJ6Axvg?t=35 00:35

I can lock in "normally" but it doesnt look as stylish

Learned it on transition, so that’s how I know how to describe it, but: weight in and back, shoulders slightly open.  Kinda jamming your rear healside wheel into the coping/curb.