Freestyle skateboarding
Encyclopedia
Freestyle skateboarding perhaps the oldest style of skateboarding
, is a type of skating that was popular intermittently from the 1960s until the early 1990s, when the last large scale professional competition was held; it would be 8 years until the next (2000). The emphasis in freestyle is technical flat ground skateboarding. Often a freestyler will need little more than a board and a smooth, flat surface. Music
and choreography
have always been an essential part of the professional freestyle routine. Freestyle in the 1950s was a direct result of surfing (or the lack of it). Surfers would imitate their moves on skateboards when the waves weren't breaking. In the 1960s, many freestyle tricks were derived from gymnastics
and dancing. In the 1970s and 1980s Freestyle progressed toward technical, fluid and more creative routines. Influential Freestylists of this era included Russ Howell
, Rodney Mullen
, Joe Humeres
and Per Welinder
. Freestyle changed significantly in the 1980s, when ollie
s and ollie based flip tricks
were invented and introduced to the discipline.
In 1995, pro freestyler Stefan "Lillis" Åkesson started the International Network for Flatland Freestyle Skateboarding (INFFS) and (with Daniel Gesmer) produced Flatline and the online version Flatline Online. All over the world freestylers realized they were not alone and through the Internet they could connect and interact in ways never done before. In the year 2000 the World Freestyle Skateboard Association WFSA was founded by Bob Staton, Åkesson and Gesmer. Freestyle now started to attract more interest. The main skateboarding media is still focused on streetskating and vert but magazines that focus on other "alternative" skateboard disciplines, such as bowl, slalom and longboarding, have shown an interest in covering some of the activities in freestyle.
The style has been fused to an extent with street skateboarding through professional riders such as Rodney Mullen
, Per Welinder
, Kilian Martin and Darryl Grogan.
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
, is a type of skating that was popular intermittently from the 1960s until the early 1990s, when the last large scale professional competition was held; it would be 8 years until the next (2000). The emphasis in freestyle is technical flat ground skateboarding. Often a freestyler will need little more than a board and a smooth, flat surface. Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
have always been an essential part of the professional freestyle routine. Freestyle in the 1950s was a direct result of surfing (or the lack of it). Surfers would imitate their moves on skateboards when the waves weren't breaking. In the 1960s, many freestyle tricks were derived from gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
and dancing. In the 1970s and 1980s Freestyle progressed toward technical, fluid and more creative routines. Influential Freestylists of this era included Russ Howell
Russ Howell
Russ Howell began skateboarding in 1958. He competed and won many contests, including the main event at the 1975 Del Mar Contest that was featured in the Dogtown movies. He also won city, state, national, and two international skateboarding titles...
, Rodney Mullen
Rodney Mullen
John Rodney Mullen is a professional freestyle and street skateboarder. He is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and influential street skaters in the history of skateboarding...
, Joe Humeres
Joe Humeres
Joe Humeres is a United States National champion freestyle skateboarder and Creative Director at Bodega Skateboards who lives in Brooklyn, New York...
and Per Welinder
Per Welinder
Per Nils Welinder , is a Swedish professional skateboarder. He has the distinction of being the only person to have ever beaten Rodney Mullen in a contest....
. Freestyle changed significantly in the 1980s, when ollie
Ollie (skateboarding trick)
The ollie is a skateboarding trick where the rider and board leap into the air without the use of the rider's hands. Particularly on flat ground, it is not intuitively obvious how the liftoff is achieved, making the trick visually striking....
s and ollie based flip tricks
Skateboarding trick
A skateboarding trick, or simply a trick is a maneuver performed on a skateboard while skateboarding. Learning and perfecting new tricks is the primary goal of many skateboarders, for whom most of the time spent skateboarding is spent on tricks....
were invented and introduced to the discipline.
In 1995, pro freestyler Stefan "Lillis" Åkesson started the International Network for Flatland Freestyle Skateboarding (INFFS) and (with Daniel Gesmer) produced Flatline and the online version Flatline Online. All over the world freestylers realized they were not alone and through the Internet they could connect and interact in ways never done before. In the year 2000 the World Freestyle Skateboard Association WFSA was founded by Bob Staton, Åkesson and Gesmer. Freestyle now started to attract more interest. The main skateboarding media is still focused on streetskating and vert but magazines that focus on other "alternative" skateboard disciplines, such as bowl, slalom and longboarding, have shown an interest in covering some of the activities in freestyle.
The style has been fused to an extent with street skateboarding through professional riders such as Rodney Mullen
Rodney Mullen
John Rodney Mullen is a professional freestyle and street skateboarder. He is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and influential street skaters in the history of skateboarding...
, Per Welinder
Per Welinder
Per Nils Welinder , is a Swedish professional skateboarder. He has the distinction of being the only person to have ever beaten Rodney Mullen in a contest....
, Kilian Martin and Darryl Grogan.
External links
- http://www.neverenoughsk8.com/
- Stefan "Lillis" Åkesson Official Site
- Yoyo Skates Freestyle Skateboarding Homepage
- World Freestyle Skateboarding association
- Dutch Flatlands Site
- Tommy Harward's Freestyle Videos
- Frank Lavallee's Official Site
- Blogs, photos, Bio, Pro Freestyle skateboarder Gary Holl
- Small School Cooperation
- Darryl Grogan-info and current footage
- Decomposed Pro Freestyle Decks