Freestyle Scooter Tricks: A Guide to the Moves
The freestyle scooter is much more than just a means of transportation: it's a tool for stunts that allows you to express your creativity through a variety of tricks, from the simplest to the most complex. With practice, riders can attempt numerous stunts in skateparks and urban environments. Here's a guide to the most popular tricks, with helpful tips for performing them.
Basic Tricks to Get You Started
Bunny Hop
The Bunny Hop is one of the most basic tricks and simply involves jumping with the scooter. It's essential for all other moves because it helps you gain confidence with the scooter and learn how to manage your weight during jumps. Start by bending your knees slightly and pushing the scooter upward.
Manual
The Manual involves lifting the front wheel of the scooter while balancing only on the back wheel. Jumping isn't necessary, but it does require excellent control and leg strength. It's a useful trick for balancing and can be combined with other tricks.
Tailwhip
The tailwhip is a popular trick that involves rotating the deck (board) around the handlebars while in the air. To perform it, use your feet to propel the board and complete the rotation. It's a move that requires practice to perfect the synchronization between your hands and feet.
Intermediate Tricks to Improve
Barspin
In the Barspin, you rotate the scooter's handlebars 360 degrees while in the air. It's an intermediate trick that requires coordination and speed. To get started, try throwing the handlebars with one hand and catching them with the other, maintaining control throughout the movement.
180 and 360
These tricks are simply 180- or 360-degree rotations during a jump. They're ideal for adding style and dynamism to your moves. Training rotations helps develop balance and control in the air, two key aspects for advancing in freestyle.
No-Footer
The No-Footer involves releasing both feet from the platform during the jump and quickly putting them back in place before landing. This trick adds a touch of aesthetics to the acrobatics and requires quickness and coordination.
Advanced Tricks for Experienced Riders
Double Tailwhip
The Double Tailwhip is an advanced version of the Tailwhip in which the deck rotates twice around the handlebars before landing. It's a spectacular and challenging trick, requiring strength, speed, and practice to complete smoothly.
Flare
The Flare combines a backflip with a 180-degree rotation. It's a complex and very spectacular trick that requires a good height to perform safely. Recommended only for experienced riders and in controlled environments such as equipped skateparks.
Finger Whip
The Finger Whip is an advanced trick where you push the deck with your fingers to initiate rotation. This move requires agility and quick reflexes, and adds a technical component to freestyle tricks.
Tips for Riders
Wear Protective Gear : Helmet, knee pads and elbow pads are essential to avoid injuries, especially when learning advanced tricks.
Consistent Practice : Consistency is key to improving. Spend regular time on basic and intermediate tricks to build a foundation for more advanced ones.
Study Other Riders : Watching more experienced riders can offer new insights and help you perfect your moves.
The world of freestyle scooter tricks is vast and stimulating, with endless possibilities for experimentation and improvement. With the right training and determination, any rider can hone their skills and personalize their style.
