Street Skateboarding: Endless Grinds and Slides: An Instructional Look at Curb Tricks

When I decided to learn street skateboarding I was in a dilemma many skaters will identify with, I wanted to start at the top with some spectacular flip tricks and rail tricks that would have my friends jaws a-drop. But soon enough I realized that skating is an art of slow, small steps, and you have to give yourself room to reverse, always an escape hatch. Evan Goodfellow's introduction to flat world curb tricks was just what the doctor ordered. I've never seen Goodfellow in person, but the clips I saw convinced me he knew what he was talking about. I started on page one and never really looked back. Funny to think of pro Evan posing for the photo set where he just ollies up a curb over and over again, must be like child's play to him. Soon enough he's onto switch stances and the "half cab noseslide," one of the most surprising of the curb tricks he outlines. On the wax debate, Goodfellow places himself firmly on the pro-wax team, even going so far as to suggest we abolish skate parks in favor of imitation city curbs and lots and call them our parks. You have to hand it to the photographer too. They certainly don't skimp on photos unlike some of the other so called intros to skateboarding. The photographer, Tadashi Yamaoda, prints his slides in a clever greyscale system so that the deep background of each picture, the city skyline and so on, appears only in a fog of light gray, and the important details of the foreground are rendered in sharp black clarity. Very useful. A disclaimer at the beginning of the book says to wear safety equipment while skateboarding, but neither Evan nor any of his fellow models doing the tricks in the book look like they're wearing any gear, maybe a jockstrap possibly? Oh well, we get the picture, it's a sport that takes balls and talent.

I've seen the guy skate before, both in California and up in Canada, and have been blown away by the stuff he's been able to pull off. He lays his book out very well, showing the beginner, and the want-to-be-pro alike, exactly how to pull the best tricks off for themselves. Most instructional skating books are useless, but this one is actually very valuable, which is the first one like it that I've seen anywhere. You won't be disappointed in getting this book.

This book really gave me some great tips on learning new curb tricks. I found it to be really informative and well put together. I like the fact that the author is a skateboarder himself and can therefore offer valuable instruction from experience. I would recommend this book to any skateboarder looking to take their skating to the next level.

This book is the best I've read. The trick photos are cool and show me exactly how to do them. I wish he wrote books on surfing too.

Finally, someone has written a book about skateboarding that can actually help you learn tricks. The photo sequences and step by step instructions are really helpful and the way the book is organized makes it really easy to learn how to improve your skateboarding. I would recommend this book for any skaters who are looking for some totally useful advice from a guy who has the skills to back up what he is saying. Evan Goodfellow knows skating! Check out the book for yourself and read what a pro skater has to say about the fastest way to learn grinds and slides.