How big is the present day freestyle scene?

[Rasmus]

I'm not sure, what Powell's media strategy is these days, but I keep getting recommended videos by them.

Sometimes they post (what I assume is riders) from freestyle competitions - such as this: https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=1217304442589765

Here I thought that freestyle skateboarding was just something that Mullen and && was trying to conserve between the two of them, but it looks like there's big competitions, and riders that take it very seriously.

How big is this? Do they have pros? Do they ride specific freestyle boards? Will they at some point demand coverage in Thrasher?

The questions keep coming up...

[Underpressureflips]

There’s upwards of 72 freestylers globally

[Alan]

It's pretty big, but they're waiting in the shadows...

[Ghost Face]

There's only that one kid on IG that keeps flapping his arms to hype the crowd up. No one else matters. He's the GOAT.

[Pintofguinness]

 8)Buried in my head but iirc there was a girl on like flip or something recently who was doing freestyle but making it look super fluid and loose - can’t remember who the video was by or where she was from though - if u think u know what I’m talking about pls share!

[tuesday]

You probaby mean Kai Tanabe:

[Pintofguinness]

You probaby mean Kai Tanabe:

Yes! Thank u

[rawbertson.]

seems pretty big in japan, they love competing in things, but still not to the level of "street" or whatever you want to call popsicle stick shape riding. probably some microcosm of that happening in So Cal and BC and other largely populated skate scenes (maybe paris, London, milan, etc but i have no clue). seems like for every 100 popsicle stick skater you get a freestyler

so many people there and not a lot of space, i cna see how freestyle would be popular (thinking like jamie griffin beginnings in the shed)

[TheLurper]

McCrank has been taking the freestyle world by storm
https://www.theworldroundup.com/rick-mccrank/


(I can't find the episode where he did freestyle and Gerwer did slalom.)

[Síota]

[Bread Harrity]

McCrank has been taking the freestyle world by storm
https://www.theworldroundup.com/rick-mccrank/


(I can't find the episode where he did freestyle and Gerwer did slalom.)

[WavyDavy]

Well, theres a so called world freestyle event next month in Germany which looks quite big https://www.world-freestyle.com/

Here's some impressions from last year


This guy also films many contests
https://m.youtube.com/@FSLateTricks/videos

I have a feeling freestyle is quite an euro thing now. Fascinating that people from all over the world travel to Brandenburg or Paderborn Just to enter a freestyle contest

[fernando the skater]

Decomposed, run by Witter Cheng, is the big USA freestyle supplier - https://www.decomposedskateboards.com

In the UK it's Tony Gale, who has a pro model on Moonshine - https://offsetskatesupply.co.uk

[Rasmus]

You probaby mean Kai Tanabe:

Okay she made it look cool and fluid - I can see the attraction to this.

seems pretty big in japan, they love competing in things, but still not to the level of "street" or whatever you want to call popsicle stick shape riding. probably some microcosm of that happening in So Cal and BC and other largely populated skate scenes (maybe paris, London, milan, etc but i have no clue). seems like for every 100 popsicle stick skater you get a freestyler

so many people there and not a lot of space, i cna see how freestyle would be popular (thinking like jamie griffin beginnings in the shed)

This makes sense

[Rick Trapasso]

There's one dude at my park that rides a freestyle board sometimes and the next time I see that fool I'm going to crush him.

[Cheshire Cat]

You probaby mean Kai Tanabe:

She sure has a much better style than 99% of freestyle skaters I’ve ever seen. And that one foot -one wheel primo thing she did looked so fucked to try.

In fact this just makes me want to see what her mannual game could look like.

[TheDraught]

Don't ask, don't tell.

[Yakusoku2]

My friend Nozomi just won the 3rd price in a contest in Canada called World Round Up. You can see the list of contestants from different countries here https://world-round-up-2024.dative.ca/public-competitors

[WavyDavy]

so many people there and not a lot of space, i cna see how freestyle would be popular (thinking like jamie griffin beginnings in the shed)

Security won't kick you out when you just do flat ground tricks on a public plaza together with Longboard dancers and children learning bicycling.

[Hyliannightmare]

Isn't it big and Japan. I know there's a handful of companies making strictly freestyle boards

[Crust]

All things considered, it's quite small for the most part I believe

Stationary/slow moving tricks don't bring the same thrill, I feel. Also, the spot selection game just isn't as vast, if there at all

[////////////]

sometimes i sniff paint in my garage and call it freestyling

[Cheshire Cat]

sometimes i sniff paint in my garage and call it freestyling

hell yes dude

[lurkluke]

I'm not sure, what Powell's media strategy is these days, but I keep getting recommended videos by them.

Sometimes they post (what I assume is riders) from freestyle competitions - such as this: https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=1217304442589765

Here I thought that freestyle skateboarding was just something that Mullen and && was trying to conserve between the two of them, but it looks like there's big competitions, and riders that take it very seriously.

How big is this? Do they have pros? Do they ride specific freestyle boards? Will they at some point demand coverage in Thrasher?

The questions keep coming up...

Love the 100+ comments on the facebook vid all mentioning Rodney Mullen. Good insight, cheers dickheads.

Didn't Zero put a freestyle guy on recently?

[TheLurper]

Thanks for the link. It seems I need to get on a VPN to rewatch this.

Also, the irony of Rick McCrank's Vice show not being available in Canada. 

[Ninj2]

I like it. It’s funny.
I wanna see someone freestyle rap
while freestyle skateboarding and then like the sounds the board hits while it tik tac and twirl around make a beat. That's some shit I hope I see before I die.

[Grim Deeds]

My friend Nozomi just won the 3rd price in a contest in Canada called World Round Up. You can see the list of contestants from different countries here https://world-round-up-2024.dative.ca/public-competitors

I was there and competed in the Master's Am division. Nozomi killed it. Freestyle is a worldwide scene but much smaller and more tight-knit than the other disciplines. There are annual contests in Canada, Japan, USA, and throughout Europe that serve as major events for the scene. Waltz Skateboarding is a major contributor to what some are now calling the "Golden Age" of freestyle. Many are new to it, and some of the old guard are still ripping well into their 50s and 60s.

It's a fun and fascinating discipline with a generally supportive and positive scene. I'm stoked I got into it a few years ago after skating mainly street for the last 3 decades.

[Frank and Fred]

I love that there are still esoteric little subcultures within skateboarding.

The wooden plank is such a beautiful thing and skateboarding can be interpreted in so many bloody wonderful ways.

I just wish slalom and high jump were in the Olympics instead of 'Park' and 'street.'

[GAY]

There's one dude at my park that rides a freestyle board sometimes and the next time I see that fool I'm going to crush him.

Do you kids just use the words "crush" and "kiss" interchangeably these days?

[goldfishboot]

You probaby mean Kai Tanabe:

yo this girl is stone cold. she would probably absolutely rip low impact street skating if she ever got into it too. thanks for the vid