BS5050 (On ledges)

[mongoswongofongo]

I couldn't find any threads on this trick. I know it's considered pretty beginner, but it feels daunting to me. Any tips getting this trick down? I can FS5050, I can boardslide, I can noseslide, I can BS180, and I can ollie up the ledge backside.

When I try this trick, I cannot lock in. I either spin almost into a boardslide (guess I'm opening up my shoulders) or end up in a BS crook.

I'm not sure how to wind up my shoulders beforehand (if at all), where to look when I pop, or how to lock in the back truck. Curious what other people think about this trick!

[tzhangdox]

you can look at the obstacle as you roll up with your shoulders slightly open, but as soon as you pop, you need to close them off to line your body and thus board up with the ledge. looking at your back foot immediately after you pop can help you turn your head in a way that helps you close your shoulders off

[mongoswongofongo]

you can look at the obstacle as you roll up with your shoulders slightly open, but as soon as you pop, you need to close them off to line your body and thus board up with the ledge. looking at your back foot immediately after you pop can help you turn your head in a way that helps you close your shoulders off

I'll definitely have to try looking at the back foot! I have noticed my best attempts have been looking basically straight down to avoid the frontside turn, and this sounds like a better version of that. Thanks for the tip.

Do you have a truck you "lead" with? On my FS50s, I focus primarily on getting the back truck on first, and the front truck kinda falls in line. I've heard a lot of people say they lead with the front for the BS. Maybe this isn't as important of a point as I've been thinking, idk.

[tzhangdox]

Expand Quote

you can look at the obstacle as you roll up with your shoulders slightly open, but as soon as you pop, you need to close them off to line your body and thus board up with the ledge. looking at your back foot immediately after you pop can help you turn your head in a way that helps you close your shoulders off

[close]

I'll definitely have to try looking at the back foot! I have noticed my best attempts have been looking basically straight down to avoid the frontside turn, and this sounds like a better version of that. Thanks for the tip.

Do you have a truck you "lead" with? On my FS50s, I focus primarily on getting the back truck on first, and the front truck kinda falls in line. I've heard a lot of people say they lead with the front for the BS. Maybe this isn't as important of a point as I've been thinking, idk.

That helps some people at first but once you get comfortable with them its defintiely not front truck first then back. That doesn't work as smooth and doesn't work on rails

[123]

I keep my back parallel to the ledge before and during the pop.

Im a back-truck-first kinda guy.

[mongoswongofongo]

I keep my back parallel to the ledge before and during the pop.

Im a back-truck-first kinda guy.

So are your shoulders kinda closed on the way in? Like, you're still hitting it at a slight angle, but your shoulders are closed enough to keep your torso in line with the ledge.

[Lame_Fella]

My back 5050s aren’t the best, but the way I learned them was from trying back 5-0 and focusing on getting my back truck above the ledge. Since you’re not comfortable backside you’ll naturally put your front truck down when you land in the 5-0. Once you get comfortable getting above the ledge, then focus on evening out your Ollie a bit more to get both trucks at the same time.

Idk if that’s helpful or just makes it more complicated.

[Unkle Fleak]

Front truck is the truck that matters. The back truck will fall in line. I don’t look at my board. I look at the curb then I look where I hope to end up.

Back 50 is my most practiced trick. I love them more than anything.

I could do a pov video if you like

[skatebruh]

Go at a larger angle at a slower speed, do a small backside rotation, and "catch" the ledge instead of going at a smaller angle really fast.

Watch Gonz do one on a curb in this video:

[123]

Expand Quote

I keep my back parallel to the ledge before and during the pop.

Im a back-truck-first kinda guy.

[close]

So are your shoulders kinda closed on the way in? Like, you're still hitting it at a slight angle, but your shoulders are closed enough to keep your torso in line with the ledge.

Yes.

[botefdunn]

Can you do a bs 50-50 stall? I'd say try that, coming straight at something low, like a curb. Then gradually roll in at more of an angle until it starts grinding/moving.

[rocklobster]

Start with a line or crack on the ground and practice locking in backside and like others have mentioned start with a sharp angle while really aiming to get the front truck locked. As you're popping you want to get your shoulders up and parallel with the ledge, your dragging foot is responsible for getting it on and parallel. If you're getting into boardslide it means you're dragging up and onto the ledge, you want up and parallel to the ledge.

[Texas_Tone]

It’s super wack but I learned them over the top on a smallish ledge, I feel like that’s a good way to figure out how they feel and build up to being able to do them from the side, I still go over the top when I’m skating a long ledge and I wanna get the whole thing but no one seems to call me out so I keep running them, also I completely disagree with flea, back 50s are all in the back truck, I’ll almost purposely pop higher to make sure my back truck gets on first

[rocklobster]

[Unkle Fleak]

I’ve noticed I hang my heels at the pop to get the board to travel behind me more than I angle my approach.

This effect is amplified by having a tighter truckness.

[Teethcanbesexy]

How I learned bs5050s:

Go at it like you’re ollieing up the curb/ledge bs

Mid Ollie pretend to do a late turn, like a late bs 180 but you’re only turning 15ish degrees, what youre doing is straightening out your board so that both trucks get on

Lock the wheels in against the edge of the ledge with you weight on the heels, this stops you from just falling off the ledge

Grind and feel really cool

Dismount and ride away clean

[mongoswongofongo]

Not that anyone necessarily cares, but I thought I'd reply in case someone else runs into this thread after having trouble with the trick.

I haven't landed the trick completely, but I'm doing WAY better as far as locking in. Going back and practicing (again) my BS50 stalls and practicing little BS shifties next to a crack was a good intermediate step. WRT the actual trick attempts, closing off my shoulders to line up with the ledge before I pop has made a big difference. (I've also tried opening up my shoulders for FS50s, and that seems to make them a bit easier too!)

It's been a lot of work getting up the comfort/confidence going backside, and I'm hoping it'll translate to other tricks. I have to go faster than I think and pop higher than I think to not fall into a willy grind.

Thanks for the tips!

[enjoithejunt]

I felt the exact same way about bs 5050s. One thing my friend told me was to find a crack in the ground and practice ollie backside into it as if it was a ledge (or rail) and get both trucks on the crack. Then try it on a low ledge. Then rails, I usually cross lock them.

[WashingtonNECKTIE]

More figurative than practical, but I always imagine magnets on the inside of the toe-side wheels.

Roll nearly parallel, strong ollie, slightly shifty toward the ledge, and get those magnets to cling to the outside of the ledge. I'm thinking strength and power when I grind back 50s.

I end up really heavy on my toeside, working to keep those wheels flush to the ledge. I also find prepping for back 50 back 180 out can help solidify the lock-in

[Don]

Lock in with your heel on the back foot, thats maybe the most important thing on the bs50

[cant kickflip but can tre]

I'm still learning back 50's but did a few on a ledge the other day. What helps me is to bring up my popping foot instead of trying to swing my back leg behind me towards the ledge. Hopefully that makes sense?

[WashingtonNECKTIE]

I'm still learning back 50's but did a few on a ledge the other day. What helps me is to bring up my popping foot instead of trying to swing my back leg behind me towards the ledge. Hopefully that makes sense?

Yeah there shouldn't be much "swinging", I think more like a dialed-in, guided pop, which I think is similar to what you're saying. Angling vs arcing, for another description