ORIGINS AND EARLY ROOTS
Freestyle skateboarding is one of the earliest and purest forms of skateboard expression, built around flow, balance, footwork, and creativity rather than obstacles or terrain. Long before massive handrails and concrete bowls defined the image of modern skateboarding, freestyle was already flourishing on smooth asphalt, driveways, and parking lots. In the 1960s and early 1970s, skateboarding was still closely connected to surfing, and freestyle reflected that influence with graceful manoeuvres and dancing steps across the board. Riders would slide, spin, and shift their weight with a focus on style and control. It was skateboarding as performance and self-expression, a discipline that valued originality and smoothness over sheer impact.
THE GOLDEN ERA OF COMPETITION
The late 1970s and 1980s marked the golden era of competitive freestyle. Skaters like Rodney Mullen, Kevin Harris, Per Welinder, Tommy Harward, Russ Howell, and Don Brown revolutionized what was possible on flat ground. Mullen in particular changed skateboarding forever, inventing an astonishing number of tricks including the kickflip, heelflip, casper slide, 360 flip, and flatground ollie. These tricks became the foundation of modern street skating, even though they began in freestyle competition. Boards during this period were narrower and more lightweight, often featuring single kicktails and specific wheelbases optimized for precision footwork. Freestyle contests were structured performances, with riders choreographing runs to music, focusing on timing, flow, and technical progression.
THE SHIFT TO STREET SKATING
By the early 1990s, skateboarding culture shifted toward street skating, fuelled by the rise of video parts, urban exploration, and a more rebellious visual identity. Freestyle, with its planned routines and dance-like movement, was overshadowed by the rawness of street. However, many of the skaters and tricks that emerged from freestyle became integral to street progression. The modern street-based vocabulary is essentially built upon the inventions of freestyle riders, even if the discipline itself faded from the mainstream spotlight. The foundations never disappeared; they simply evolved and resurfaced in other forms.
THE MODERN REVIVAL
In recent years, freestyle has experienced a thoughtful and creative revival. A new wave of riders has embraced the discipline not as nostalgia, but as an open-ended platform for progression. Modern freestyle incorporates aspects of dance, footwork, slalom-inspired board control, and even flatground tech. Boards often feature longer wheelbases or symmetrical shapes, double kicks, and smaller, harder wheels to maximize responsiveness. The renewed interest has also been fuelled by social media, where freestyle’s visual fluidity translates beautifully to short-form video. Riders now share combinations and ideas globally, building a truly international community.
FREESTYLE TODAY
Today, freestyle stands as a reminder that skateboarding is not defined by obstacles, trends, or competitive formats. It is rooted in self-expression, adaptation, and personal style. Whether it’s a smooth parking lot session with flowing footwork, a complex manual combo, or a quiet attempt at refining a simple trick until it feels perfect, freestyle invites skaters to slow down and reconnect with the craft of movement. It remains both historical and forward-thinking, an art form continually reshaped by those who step onto the board and choose to create rather than imitate. It encourages exploration, patience, and personal voice in a way that few other styles do. Whether someone arrives at freestyle through nostalgia, curiosity, or a desire to reconnect with the simple joy of skating on flat ground, the discipline offers a place to grow without comparison or expectation. At its heart, freestyle is a conversation between skater and board, spoken through movement rather than impact. It’s a reminder that skateboarding has always been more than tricks or trends—it’s a craft, an art, and a lifelong practice in finding flow.
