Why freestyle?
The first time I was introduced to freestyle was watching the Bones Brigade Video Show when I was ten years old. I remember seeing Per Welinder in the Venice Beach scene and he was doing his freestyle routine in front of this random local crowd. Like they just gathered to watch. There was breakdancing going on, hip-hop music, [and was] just such a ghetto street vibe!
For some reason this looked like the coolest thing in the world! So I was always fascinated by the freestyle concept, and always wanted to learn it from then on.
What was the first freestyle trick you learnt?
I’ve been a street skater my whole life so there is a fine line between defining street-style tricks from freestyle tricks such as a kickflip, etc. I’d say the day I learnt a switchblade on a freestyle deck was when I felt like I had landed something freestyle for the first time.
Do you combine street tricks with freestyle or do you keep them strictly separate? And if you do combine them, can you give us an example?
Things like shuvits, manuals, nose manuals and big spins I love doing and it works with freestyle too. Doing a g-turn to shuvit out is one of my fave flat ground tricks to do for sure. I’ve still never done a kickflip on a freestyle deck, it seems completely different to a standard street board. I need to work that one out still!
Can you tell us a little bit about your setup?
My deck is a reissue Powell Peralta Per Welinder freestyle which I put a custom old-school-style griptape job on for the vibes. I also had to have custom skid plates made for it because no one was selling the plates to suit this shaped deck. A guy in Australia made them for me and sent them over. My trucks are the Independent 109s with the T-hangers. Wheels are Mode 55mm freestyle wheels with Bones Reds bearings. I’m also running some big 1/2″ riser pads but I’m thinking about putting thinner ones on to mellow out the ride height. It’s actually the most expensive skateboard I’ve ever set up!
Someone in Australia makes custom skid plates? Deets please?
Haha yeah!
There’s a guy I found on one of the Aussie skateboard collectors pages – his name is Davert Skate (I think). He makes rails, copers, lappers and more, mainly for old-school boards…[Finding him] was pretty cool because I did buy some modern-style skid plates from Mode but their shape was a little different to the old-school Welinder. The guy had to measure up the Welinder and design a template to fit the actual deck which I approved first so he could make them. I got my very own red ones. Now there is a template for them in Oz! I believe Powell may have released a few complete freestyle decks lately which I assume have their own skid plates nowadays too. But a few years ago I couldn’t find them.
Yeah, freestyle is still so niche in Australia, which can make it hard to find parts or even other people to skate with. Have you found many other Adelaidians who are into freestyle?
We do have a little crew that catch up every couple of months or so. My old school mate Ben freestyles a fair bit so him and his girlfriend Tanya started the Adelaide freestyle group!
It’s been great to hang out with friends and inspire each other. Myself, Blocky, Jason, and Tom Liggins are the older guys. Then there’s Jamie who is a teenager and his freestyle is amazing to watch!
Having a crew must be so helpful. Are there tricks that you’re all working towards at the moment?
We all have different tricks so it’s more like we all fire each other up, try and teach different things, and it also keeps us motivated to keep freestyling. Skating with your friends is always fun.
Final question. Who rocked it better: Per Welinder with the headband or Rodney Mullen with the white socks and shoes?
Now that’s a tough question. Welinder def brought the more punk feel to skating but I’m going to give it to Mullen for the perfect 80s ‘I’m here to kick ass’ skate nerd look.
Connect: Simon Ingels skates with friends in Adelaide, South Australia. They don’t just skate freestyle, but if they do, you might find them at the courts of the SA United Church Netball Association. You can also see Simon DJing around town; check out the deets on Instagram, @simon_fiction.