In a recent TikTok video, Andy Anderson went through a trick from each decade, including the boneless to tailblock spin. ‘This trick’s really popular in the 80s’, he noted. ‘A lot of people were doing it at street contests’.
This old-school street trick easily fits into a freestyle line. It’s not too difficult either; any confident beginner can give it a go.
Board prerequisites
The trick works on most skateboards. However, if you’re planning to do a lot of tailblock spins, skid plates will protect your kicks.
Rider prerequisites
Confidence in stomping down from tailstop is a must, so if you are new to skateboarding, make sure you’ve got a good grasp on this skill.
Also be familiar with the original boneless. While this variation lands in the more forgiving tailstop position, instead of bolts, some knowledge of boneless basics will help you make the trick look and feel better.
Breakdown of the trick
As the name suggests, the trick is made up of two parts: a boneless and a tailblock spin (aka ‘tailspin’).
To start the boneless, position your back foot on the tail. Bend down and grab the toeside rail of the board. Then plant your front foot on the ground, compress and hop with an 180-degree rotation. You’ll be pulling the board up as you hop, with the back foot preferably in contact with the tail at all times and the back knee bent towards the griptape.
At the end of the boneless, you should be in tailstop, facing the other direction, ready to start the tailblock spin.
For the tailblock spin, the back hand lets go of the rail and the front hand grabs the nose. Tug up so that your wheels are clear of the concrete. Generate the momentum of the frontside spin with your shoulders.
While feeling out the spin, don’t worry too much about the front foot. Once you get more comfortable, you can start lifting that front knee towards the chest. Eventually, you’ll gain the confidence to stomp down with the front foot to finish off the spin.
At first, the combo will look like two distinct tricks. Don’t be discouraged. With enough practice, the boneless will seamlessly transition into the tailblock spin.
Additional notes
Stewart Storrar’s video on tailblock spins is worth a watch. It’s a thoughtful discussion on hand positioning, spin momentum and progression tips—our favourite kind of freestyle skateboarding tutorial.