Line

A line is a connected sequence of tricks or obstacles ridden in one run without stopping. It is the path a rider chooses through a spot, a park or a set of jumps. In filming, a line is several tricks linked together with no cut.

Meaning

The word has two common uses.

1. A path through terrain. On a dirt or trails course, the line is the order of jumps and the way a rider links them. In a park, it is the combination of quarters, boxes and gaps a rider rides in sequence.
2. A sequence of tricks. A street line might start with a manual along a ledge, a bunny hop onto a bank and a barspin off a wall.

A good line has flow. The rider keeps speed, each trick leads into the next, and the whole thing looks easy even when it is hard.

Origin and usage

Line is an ordinary English word, and the same usage appears in skateboarding, snowboarding and mountain biking. When BMX riders began calling a linked sequence a line is not clearly documented.

Lines matter in street riding and filming. A single trick shows skill, but a line shows control, creativity and speed management. Filmers often chase a line at a spot after the harder single tricks are done, and many web edits include one or two lines among the bigger moves.

Riders also talk about choosing a line, such as the line through a bowl or the line across a skatepark. Picking a good line means reading the terrain: where to pump, where to keep speed and where to place the next trick.

A line ends when the rider stops, bails or finishes on an ender.

Examples

• "He filmed a full line through the plaza: manual, hop, barspin, then a gap to bank."
• "I like that line through the pump track, you carry speed all the way."
• "Let's get one more line before the security guard shows up."

Related terms

• Spot: where many street lines are filmed.
• Ender: the closing trick of a run.
• Web edit: online videos that often feature lines.
• Session: a group ride where riders compare lines.
• Street: the discipline most associated with filmed lines.