In this YouTube short, Russian freestyle skateboarder Alexey works his way up to the casper disaster, a rail trick invented by ’70s legend Bobby ‘Casper’ Boyden. The basic version consists of a seamless transition through the following: a fakie roll, a heelside rail entry, a 180 pivot, an exit to bolts. For those of you seeking a detailed breakdown of the trick, Tony Gale has provided a write-up on Freestyle Tricktips, as well as a YouTube video.
The casper disaster is something I’m currently focusing on. The individual components are easy enough; combining them all into one fluid motion is less so. To level up, Skate-IQ style, I’ve been adding some drills to the mix.
Drill one: one-legged heelside rail entry
How to do it:
- Get into heelside rail with only the back foot resting on the wheel.
- Hold one-legged balance in rail for five seconds.
- Knock the board down with the back foot.
The aim is to stay controlled. Work on a consistent pull up (not too strong, not too soft). Minimise the amount of balance corrections (i.e. arm/leg flailing).
This drill builds confidence and control in the first part of casper disaster. It also teaches freestylers how to maintain their weight and balance over the back foot for the trick.
Drill two: fakie backside pivot
How to do it:
- Start rolling fakie.
- Prepare with a ‘wind up’—the torso should turn to face the nose of the board.
- Unwind by turning the torso backside and let the board follow with the pivot.
Where possible, link the pivot to something else (i.e. a hippie jump or a shuvit), aiming to minimise the pause in between tricks. This trains the body and brain to get used to a smoother transition from pivot to rail exit.
Skaters seeking an extra challenge might also want to practise fakie casper bigspins on the side.
Drill three: rail exit with under-rotated torso
How to do it:
- Stand in heelside rail with the back foot on the back wheel with the torso facing the nose (i.e. open stance).
- Touch or kick the griptape with the front foot.
- Kick the board down with the back foot.
- Land bolts in an open stance.
In lifeskateboarding, stuff happens. Occasionally, the board and leg sweeps ahead of the shoulders during a casper disaster, making for a sketchy land. Practising for when things go wrong will make it easier to commit to landing bolts every time.
Drill four: rail pivot to bolts
How to do it:
- Place the board in heelside rail.
- Stand behind it with the back foot resting on the back wheel
- To prep, wind up (torso turning more towards the nose).
- Step up and backside pivot, leading with the torso and using the front foot to guide the board with you.
- Quickly transition into a rail exit.
A final word
This last dril is the most important one for me personally because my main failings with casper disasters are 1) under-rotation, and b) commitment issues.
But this might not be the case with you. You might find the first drill the most helpful. Or you might find none of these drills helpful at all.
I encourage you to reflect on your own attempts, see where your weaknesses lie and think of ways to fix them. Watch other trick tips, like YouTube videos from Denham Hill and Sarah Park Matott. Ask for feedback from your online/IRL freestyle crew. And as always, don’t forget to share what you learn with the rest of us.