Last updated: 3 October 2026
Reviewed by Jordan Morley, FA Level 2 Football Coach
Transition (‘tranny’) skating uses curved ramp surfaces — quarter pipes, half pipes, bowls and vert ramps — as opposed to the flat ground and street obstacles of street skating. It emphasises generating speed by pumping the transitions, carving lines, and performing airs (flying above the coping), grinds on the coping and lip tricks. Transition skating descends partly from the empty-swimming-pool skating of 1970s California. It demands a different feel from street skating — commitment to speed and the curved wall — and many skaters favour one discipline, though plenty do both.
- Skating curved ramps and bowls
- Pump for speed, carve lines, do airs
- Descends from pool skating
- Distinct feel from street skating
In practice
Transition skating in skateboarding (riding ramps, bowls and pools rather than flat ground or street obstacles) demands a different balance and pumping technique than street skating — generating speed through rhythmic pumping on curved surfaces rather than pushing with the foot — which is why many skaters specialize more heavily in either transition or street disciplines rather than being equally strong at both.
FAQ
What's the difference between transition and street skateboarding?
Transition skating takes place on curved surfaces like ramps, bowls and pools, using pumping technique to generate speed, while street skating uses flat ground, stairs, rails and other urban obstacles with a different skill set centered on technical flip tricks and grinds.
Why do some skaters specialize in just one discipline?
The balance, speed-generation (pumping) and line-reading skills needed for transition skating are different enough from street skating's flat-ground trick technique that many skaters develop much stronger ability in one discipline over the other.