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Crooked Grind

Also known as K-Grind, Crooks

A nosegrind where the board is at an angle — the nose truck grinds while the board points at roughly 45° to the obstacle. Also called K-Grind.

The Crooked Grind is an advanced Grinds trick. Most skaters land their first one within 2-5 months of consistent practice.

C

Spec

Difficulty
advanced
Complexity
Learn time
2-5 monthsⓘ
Category
Grinds
Stance
regular

Your progress

LearningMastered

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What the tutorials teach

All three tutorials agree: approach angle is minimal (almost straight on), weight lives on the nose and front truck, and the board needs to be tweaked into the crooked position rather than approached at an angle. Braille and SKATE HACKS both recommend a standstill or slow-speed entry drill on a small curb before rolling at full speed. John Hill adds the rail-specific cue of keeping the wheel locked firmly against the obstacle edge as the primary balance mechanism. The exit nudge (front foot forward, back foot kicks back) is consistently identified as the hardest part to learn.

  • Approach almost parallel to the obstacle; the crookedness is a tweak from your body, not from your angle of attack
  • Lock weight into the top-left pocket of the board (regular) with the front wheel pressed against the ledge to prevent slipping
  • Practice the lock-in position standing still on a curb before adding roll-in speed
  • Pop out with a nollie-style nudge: front foot pushes forward, back foot kicks back

Synthesized from the top video tutorials. Watch them

Steps

  1. 1

    Master nosegrinds first

    A crooked grind is a nosegrind with an angle. If nosegrinds aren't consistent, work on those first.

    Force
    ●●○○○
    Direction
    forward
    Weight
    front
    TipThe lock-in is the same as a nosegrind — the angle comes from the approach.
  2. 2

    Approach at sharper angle

    Approach the ledge at a sharper frontside angle than a nosegrind.

    Force
    ●●○○○
    Direction
    forward
    Weight
    centered
    TipThe approach angle determines the K-grind angle. Experiment.
  3. 3

    Lock nose truck while angled

    Land the nose truck but keep your body's angle maintained. Don't square up to the ledge.

    Force
    ●●●●○
    Direction
    up
    Weight
    front
    TipYou're fighting the instinct to align parallel. Stay angled.
  4. 4

    Grind through the angle

    Maintain the 45° angle throughout the grind.

    Force
    ●●●○○
    Direction
    forward
    Weight
    front
    TipK-grinds are shorter than nosegrinds because the angle creates more resistance.
  5. 5

    Pivot or pop out

    Exit by pivoting to regular position and rolling away, or popping a small ollie.

    Force
    ●●●○○
    Direction
    up
    Weight
    centered
    TipA clean K-grind exit maintains the angle all the way through the pop-out.

Common mistakes

Tail catching ledge

What
The tail catches the ledge because of the angle.
Why
Back truck too close to ledge surface.
Fix
Ensure your ollie-in clears the back truck fully.

Angle straightening mid-grind

What
You lock in crooked but the board squares up during the grind.
Why
Instinct to align parallel is overriding your commitment.
Fix
Use your back foot pressure to actively maintain the tail's position throughout.

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Community clips

How other skaters land the Crooked Grind. Hype the ones you rate — the most hyped becomes this trick’s cover in the catalog.

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Why this works

The mechanics behind the trick

Board
The nose truck is locked onto the obstacle but the board angles toward your toe side. This creates a unique visual with the tail hanging at a distinctive angle.
Feet
The angle is maintained by keeping pressure on the nose truck while your back foot holds the tail at the desired angle.
Weight
Weight on the nose truck, with a slight frontside lean to maintain the angle.

Frequently asked

How long does it take to learn a Crooked Grind?
Most skaters land their first crooked grind within 2-5 months of consistent practice, once you can nosegrind consistently.
What should I learn before the Crooked Grind?
The crooked grind builds on Nosegrind. Get that consistent first, since the crooked grind reuses the same pop, balance, or flick.
Is the Crooked Grind hard to learn?
The crooked grind is an advanced trick. It gets much easier once you can already nosegrind.

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