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The 10 Best Noseslides in Skateboard History

Features & Interviews October 2nd, 2012 · 10:05 am · 49

“He [Jereme Rogers A.K.A. J. Cassanova A.K.A. J.R. Blastoff] leads off this latest offering with a noseslide, the building block of modern skateboarding…Indeed, the noseslide serves as the basis for his entire repertoire. This is the main thing he has going for him in 2012. Shit is relatable; it’s still the first trick I do in any session. Dude also does a lot of switch tailslides, which are, of course, an inverted mirror-image way of getting into a noseslide. And whether you are switch inward heelflipping into one or f/s switch bigspin kickflipping (or some shit like that) out of one, a noseslide is still a noseslide. His ender even incorporates two different noseslides into a three-trick ledge combo that the editors of Transworld probably hate. More importantly, as we have seen in the recent Gino x McEnroe internet video clip, noseslides are highly relevant in 2012 because most people can do them, but few can do them well.” — Frozen in Carbonite: Bookmark Me, Maybe? – 2012 Song of the Summer/Video Part of the Summer Retrospective

There is not much to be said about the obvious significance of the the ollie, kickflip and Osiris D3 in skateboarding history. But there *was* something to be said about the oft-forgotten cornerstone of skateboarding known as the noseslide, until the above paragraph conveniently took care of that two days ago. Consider this an addendum to our “30 Phattest Outfits” study. It should come as no surprise that there is an overlap between the two lists — any skater who knows how to dress, knows how to do a proper noseslide. Thanks to Sweet Waste for compiling this list.

10. Lucas Puig — Transworld Pro Spotlight Part (2011)

We touched on the significance of this specific noseslide in our annual wrap-up last December, but it still stands out as most imporant post-Fully Flared noseslide. Puig, who given his starring role in Lakai’s 2007 technical landmark, is no doubt mildly responsible for skateboarding’s current aversion to simplicity, turned over a new leaf with his switch to Adidas, and reverted back to the basics with far-reaching results.

View @ 0:28

9. Quim Cardona — Transworld: Greatest Hits (1997)

In true Quim fashion, he opts to noseslide something in the most awkward way possible, by skating the foot-long side of the Paine Webber bench’s back. If it’s not the shortest “ledge” to ever be noseslid, it certainly has the most absurd length-to-height ratio considering it is waist-high. Also, please note the best nollie hardflip ever done before it and that his outfit is great.

View @ 3:06

8. Billy Rohan — Zoo York: EST 3 (2002)

It’d be nice to have a long lens view of this. The spot involves a three-foot gap to a five-foot-long round rail over a three-flat-three into mid-day pedestrian traffic outside undoubtedly one of the busiest public transportation centers in America. If he hit a child at the speed he was going, he would be in jail for manslaughter right now. It’s a noseslide only a “crazy” person would try.

View @ 1:44

7. Jan Kliewer – Cliché: Bon Appetit (2003)

Doing a nollie from a lower ledge up to a higher ledge mid-noseslide seems remarkably difficult to do. At a time in American skateboarding when the noseslide was still married to the nollie-flip-trick-in-and-or-out, enterprising Euros were flying under the radar with refined, yet simple noseslide innovations.

View @ 1:29

6. Kenny Reed – New Deal: 7 Year Glitch (2002)

2002 was one of the final years when you could safely assume a specific pro did the tallest / longest trick, most stairs, etc. Skateboarding’s progression accelerated tenfold mid-decade, Canadians and Brazilians became better than everyone else, but no one ever heard of their record-breaking achievements. Lest you claim an American did the tallest / longest trick, most stairs, etc., and a YouTube commenter would inevitably point in the direction of an obscure Canadian / Brazilian project to show how wrong you are.

At the time, this seemed like a safe assumption for the longest noseslide ever done.

View @ 1:28

5. Chad Muska – Shorty’s: Fulfill the Dream (1998)

He noseslides a ten, then proceeds to noseslide an eighteen in the same line. Unfortunately, this trend of the doing the same trick in a two-trick line did not catch on in skateboarding, but it’s never too late. (Shout out to Stephan Martinez, who brought it back with two 360 flips in 2010.) Oh, and there is a ticker over an “art” angle of the line that tells you he did it first try.

View @ 5:10

4. Stevie Williams — Transworld: The Reason (1999)

The switch noseslide is an underutilized trick, so being good at it isn’t exactly a lofty distinction. Stevie was however, better at it switch than most are at it regular.

Here’s an actual photo of the same trick:

View @ 4:35

3. Gino Iannucci — Girl: Yeah Right! (2003)

Has there ever been footage of the switch backside tailslide in this ad, or is it safe to assume it was never landed? It doesn’t matter, because the way he came out of this one looked like a pop out (back to switch) that is usually reserved for superior backside tailslides, not frontside noseslides. It is hard to remember a single other front nose fakie in the entire history of skate videos because of Gino’s.

View @ 0:31

2. Rob Welsh — Transworld: Free Your Mind (2003)

Monstrous pop-outs from noseslides are standard protocol for Welsh, but he went above and beyond here. This was Welsh’s finest work in the field, and that is saying a lot for a guy who is most likely history’s greatest noseslider.

View @ 3:17

1. Drake Jones — Real: Non-Fiction (1997)

Drake Jones manages to briefly freeze in mid-air when popping out of this, making us believe it was a borderline supernatural occurrence. When was the last time someone ended their video part with a noseslide on a ledge, and it seemed totally fine? Even in the pre-hammer / ender-ender era, it was a bold move. They don’t noseslide like they used to.

View @ 02:35

Honorable Mention (cannot be included in the standard list because he does a trick out): Karl Watson – Frontside noseslide pretzel spin out on Hubba Hideout in 411 Best of 7 (2001). View @ 1:27.

49 Comments

  1. What about the noseslide Muska did on the aptly named “Muska Ledge” in Boston? I don’t know what video it was in, its that monstrous hubba down near govt center.

    It might not have even happened, thought I saw it somewhere – I might have no idea what I’m talking about.

  8. You forgot Cardiel’s nose slide on the Cardiel Ledge?!!! How many have a spot named after them for doing a nose slide? Slipping.

  11. This list is comprised of pure excellence. Not one but TWO Non-Fiction era noseslides? (Quim & Drake) – with Drake’s at #1?… you magnificent bastards.

    Stevie’s is also an essential choice. If there were a top ten list of specific photos/tricks/moments that define the early 2000’s / Photosynthesis era in Philadelphia, this would definitely be on the list – alongside some Kalis Love Park propped-up-tile-launch-ramp business, various Fountiain Gap antics and all things involving camo drawstring swooshy pants

  17. a list of Top Ten WORST noseslides would certainly include Danny Minnick’s bailed noseslide on a pitifully low slanted ledge in Element ‘Fine Artists’

    followed by a shrill and somewhat embarrasing “oh my god what the FUUUUUCKKK!!!!”

    would be interesting to do a list of “filmers who used to be pro or am” with a bar graph of their ratio of filming ability to skate ability. Danny’s would be mad lopsided. Greg Hunt’s would be considerably more even

  20. Loving the obscure and very on-point Minnick diss. That dude deserves every bit of hate anyone/everyone can heap on him! Seeing his antics in person in Seattle in the early 90s was an immediate buzz kill.

  21. zered bassett did a huge double kinked noseslide in the city of killers tour video that deserves an honorable mention

  22. What about Kenny Anderson in One Step Beyond. Pretty sure Adio used that shot for every single one of his shoe ads for like, four years.

  25. All due respect to Koston, he is one of the best skateboarders to ever live, but James Frankhouse (as pointed out by the curator of this list) did that City Hall noseslide before him in a Denver video.

  29. pj’s noseslide pop into the street on in boston is notable in wonderful horrible life.

  31. Totally agree! Drake Jones, Non-Fiction. All amazing noseslides in their own right though.

  33. Keenans noseslide fakie on the picnic table then sw fs noseslide line has two of the best in the same line. Needs a mention.

  34. The best noselide of all time is gino iannuci’s in that new tennis add for nike, hands down!!!!!!!!!!

  37. for a website that likes to jerk off all over Geo Moya at every opportunity, how did you forget to put his noseslide on the mars hubba in here. Or is that just a quartersnacks legend that has absolutely no evidence to back it up? On another note, Rob’s noseslide gap out over curb should take the number 1 spot.

  40. although it was brought up for other reasons in a previous post, Billy’s noseslide at MSG is fucking insane

  46. Really good call on the Quim noseslide. I remember seeing that one when I was kid, and something about it just stuck with me.

  47. Interestingly enough, the Arco rails seemed to be precisely the place for “doing the same trick in a two-trick line”. The aforementioned Muska double noseslide, Arto double lipslide in Menikmait, Heath attempt at double lipslide (on the big rails) in Sight Unseen, and Muska again making an appearance with the double 50-50 in a 411 opener, all at Arco.

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