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Navigate Flatlandia: your freestyle hub downunder

You found us. Huzza.

When we first set up the Flatlandia website in 2023, it was pretty basic:

ABOUT told you that Flatlandia was there to support Australian freestylers
BLOG had some information about freestyle skateboarding, freestyle skateboard setups, and a couple of interviews.

Since then, the addition of SHOP and over forty blog posts has made the website more complex, making it easy to miss out on a lot of interesting stuff, especially when you’re a first-time visitor. To quote some feedback from one skateboarder:

‘I found there is a wealth of knowledge and resources…[that] are just buried amongst the pages and if you’re not scrolling and reading each article you can very easily miss them. I found myself stumbling upon information I didn’t even know was on there.’

It’s great to hear that netizens are getting something out of Flatlandia, but we don’t like that people are having difficulty locating things, so here is a virtual signpost for the first-timers.

signpost in australia — It’s signposting time. (Photo by Prabhath Jayarathna on Pexels.com)

Fresh to freestyle skateboarding?

‘What is freestyle skateboarding? (And why haven’t I heard about it?)’ is a short and sweet introduction to the sport. If you’re new to skateboarding as well, Stuart Maca’Ghobhainn’s ‘What I have learnt as a beginner freestyler’ shares some insider tips and tricks. Speaking of tricks, Flatlandia has TRICK TIPS, a blog category that has tutorials on rail toespins, k-walks, and other things.

Curious about gear?

A collection of freestyle skateboards — Freestyle skateboards come in many shapes and smallish sizes.

If you’re unsure whether you should buy a dedicated freestyle setup or work with what you’ve already got, we suggest looking at Josh Dunstone’s opinion piece ‘Can you skate freestyle/do freestyle tricks on a popsicle (street) setup?’.

Leaning towards buying something freestyle-specific? ‘The “yeah, nah, yeah” guide to freestyle skateboard setups’ goes through the parts that make up a freestyle complete, as well as where to source products in Australia. Do keep in mind that this article was written prior to us setting up our SHOP which now stocks freestyle brands such as Decomposed, Moonshine, Protostyle, and East Frisian Skateboards.

If you want reviews, Rohan Cowley has been testing out freestyle boards, including the Denny Riordan reissue and MLM Skates’ Goose Country. Jamie Wong also talks about his experience skating three board shapes from Waltz Skateboarding. More product reviews are in the pipeline, so do keep tabs on the REVIEW blog category.

Freestyle brands are very niche and are often run by one, maybe three, passionate skater(s). We thought it important to get to know the people behind the brands. You’ll find questions and answers with people like Decomposed’s Witter Cheng under the MEET THE MAKERS blog category.

Thinking of competing?

It feels like freestyle competitions are popping up all over the place, and there’s talk of one happening in Australia next year. Go ask David Mock for details.

Competing in freestyle requires more than just turning up though. To help you prep, we’ve written posts about freestyle-skateboarding contests, with much input from the global freestyle community.

Needing to connect with more Aussies?

In ‘Fostering freestyle-skateboarding communities’, we talked about the importance of skating with crew.

Freestyle is a fairly small scene, hence it can be hard to find local freestylers to skate with. To make things easier, Flatlandia aims to unearth freestyle-minded folk around Australia. We’ve interviewed skateboarders from Adelaide (SA), Deception Bay (QLD), Inverell (NSW), Melbourne (VIC), Sydney (NSW) and Perth (WA).

Plus don’t forget to follow us on Instagram (@flatlandiafreestyle) where we repost and share stories from Aussie freestylers.

Still lost?

Let us know in the comments below

Drills for better casper disasters

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 ~~life~~skateboarding, 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.

A love-hate relationship with skid plates

Until recently, freestyle skateboarder Josh Dunstone preferred riding skidless, choosing razor tail over fussy installations that required drill bits and a mallet. We thought it would be ~~fun~~ helpful for the rest of us to quiz him about his ambivalence towards skid plates.

What skid plates have you tried in the past? How did you find them?

I think the first skids I had were a pair from Decomposed. Not sure if they were made for a popsicle shape or not and I didn’t drill them in; I used self-tappers so they weren’t stable at all. At the time, I disliked using them but I think that stems from my own ignorance.

And then you didn’t use them for a while. Why?

It was accessibility (or lack thereof). I did manage to wrangle up a pair once, but they just didn’t work well.

I’ve ridden popsicles most of my skating life and it was tricky to find skids that fit and felt right. I was skating hybrid street/freestyle at the time and found they dampened my pop and got in the way of tail/nose slides.

Then I got comfortable skating without them and didn’t want to change things up.

Why have you started using skid plates now?

I decided to try a freestyle board again after coming back from Worlds in Germany last year. I had previously tried out freestyle shapes with no skids, then went back to what I thought was the old reliable popsicle shape up until going to Germany. Over there I was inspired to try again seeing the versatility and benefits of not just a freestyle board but one with skids. Carolyn also pushed me to give skids another go and I haven’t looked back since.

How has it changed the way you skate?

Durability has been the biggest change in general. I’m not as worried when it comes to the tail scraping that is a big part of my style in footwork. It’s saving a bunch of boards turning into kitchen knives from razor tail.

A close up of Josh Dunstone's razor-tailed skateboard. — Before skid plates, Josh would razor tail a board in less than two months.

And I’m now venturing into trying more truck-based tricks thanks to the stability that skids provide.

How long do your boards last a) without skids and b) with skids?

Without skids? I would go through roughly a board every two months if not every month. I was blessed to be sponsored by Maple Roads and Glen Billwiller gave me a new, free-of-charge popsicle board whenever I needed one.

Now, with skids, I’ve been riding the same board for about four months: the Moonshine Nick Beaulieu shape.

Replacing worn-down skid plates on a freestyle skateboard. — Switching out the skid plates, from Crystal Skids to Thin Blistered Skids, on the Nick Beaulieu board.

The first skids I’ve tried with the Nick Beaulieu were the Decomposed Crystal Skids 5.5″: a really good all-round skid plate that accommodates most shapes and I liked how they’re clear so they blend with the graphic a bit more (until once they get all scratched up).

The second skids, the ones I’m using now, are the Decomposed Thin Blistered Skids 5.5″: I love the low profile to these. After a small break-in period, they feel pretty unnoticeable. To me, the durability is holding up a bit better than the Crystal Skid as well and will probably be my go-to pair from now on. But I’m always happy to experiment with more.

What was using 3D-printed skids like?

That was an interesting experiment. It was fun having our friend Cass knock out a bunch of different shapes and sizes with a 3D printer. The fun aspect of playing around with those also influenced my interest in riding skids again.

In conclusion I have been converted. Skid plates are a worthy investment, especially if you have a freestyle board and care about your wallet. I’d recommend doing a bit of research on how to install skids and making sure you’re getting the right shape for the board you are riding.

Josh Dunstone performs truck-stand tricks at sunset. — 2026 predictions: more skids and more truck tricks for Josh Dunstone.

Tricks for the less confident freestyle skateboarder

Some start learning freestyle with a solid set of skateboarding skills. Others begin without any skateboarding background.

If your experience is the latter, it can be hard diving into most freestyle tricks. Yes, you can watch a bunch of online tutorials on freestyle kickflips from the likes of Mike Osterman and Tony Gale for instance, but actually tackling said kickflip in the real world requires a certain level of confidence.

And while there is no shortcut to gaining such confidence—just hours and hours of time spent on the board—there are some beginner-friendly things to work on while you’re waiting to get good enough to try the tricky stuff.

Popcorn

Remember this trick?

Almost every beginner starts with the popcorn. It’s one of the most accessible ways to flip the board; the only prerequisite is a stationary hippy jump, and that’s not even a firm prerequisite.

There’s one particular version of the popcorn that can help you get used to the build up of tension needed to flip the board over during a freestyle kickflip, as well as get used to the rotation required to land afterwards.

To do this variation, start with the board on the ground with the griptape facing down, and stand in the original kickflip starting position. Keep one foot on the board and hook the other foot under the board.

Top view of a skateboard, featuring a signature and graphic designs, alongside a foot wearing a patched sneaker. — Starting position for our variation of the popcorn.

Pull the board over into a half flip and jump. While jumping, rotate ninety degrees to land bolts.

Unlike the freestyle kickflip, the feet are always in contact with the board for this popcorn variation, so there isn’t the added complication of spotting the land. It’s a good way to ease into freestyle kickflips.

Judo kick

If you’re learning basic truckstand exits—the half-fingerflip-out variety—you might be stuck at the point where you can flip and catch the board with one foot, but not with both feet. And you never will, unless you start keeping both knees above and in line with the board while in truck stand, ready for the land.

Judo kicks can be used as flourishes while in truckstand stance and are a good manoeuvre to work on in conjunction with truckstand exits as they teach you to a) keep the knee of your free leg above the board, b) explore the space above the board, and c) improve your balance in truck stand.

To do judo kicks as a truckstand exercise, grasp the kick with one hand and step onto the truck. While balanced in truckstand stance, pull the knee of your free leg close to your chest so that it is above the board. Hinge kick from the knee to create the judo kick.

Yoyo hops

This one is no secret: yoyo hops are the stepping stone to fingerflips. They have the tug and the land of the fingerflip without the flipping part of the equation.

If you’re really fresh to skateboarding, start in tailstop and land in tailstop. If you’re confident with landing bolts (i.e you are comfortable with high hippy jumps or rolling hippy jumps), start in tailstop and aim to land bolts.

Not sure what yoyo hops are? Sarah Park-Matott has got you covered.

Needing more homework?

We’ve covered a bunch of beginner-friendly drills in previous posts, for caspers, walk-the-dogs, and rail stance. Francisco Patrone also has given recommendations on some skills to focus on in his interview with us during WFSC 2025. All of this should keep you going for a while…or at least until our next blog update. Have a read, give things a go, and let us know if our homework helped you with your freestyle.

Optimising your skateboard for truck stands

A skateboarder pogos their longboard. — Longboard pogos.

You can truck stand on most things skateboard-shaped.

But you probably wouldn’t want to fan flip, carousel, turkey wrap, or try any of the weird and wonderful truck transfers on anything other than a setup optimised for truck-stand tricks.

“Setup matters…every half a percent you can gain in your favor from mods or shape, is a half a percent closer to the big moves you want.’

Dan Harrigan on truck modifcations (2025)

So what hardware makes truck stands easier?

Boards for truck stands

Certain board shapes will fight or facilitate freestyle tricks, and truck stands are no exception to the rule.

Single kicks with a flat nose, or a double kick with one very mellow kick, will stand more upright in pogo and handed truck stand.

‘Single kicks are a must if you want to actually do truck tricks consistently….as having an angle makes it so hard to actually get an understanding of the movement you need to do.’

Rohan Cowley on board shapes for truck stands (2026)

4 different skateboard kick angles — Kick angles: 1) flat (Toxic’s Denny Riordon reissue) 2) very mellow kick (Waltz Skateboarding’s Karaoke) 3) mellow kick (Moonshine Skateboards’ Capra) 4) standard popsicle kick

On a flat or mellow kick, avoid too much length. The longer the kick, the higher the centre of gravity while in truck stand. You want a low centre of gravity while doing these types of tricks, since this allows you to tilt the board at greater angles before gravity pulls you down.

Also, if you plan on doing a lot of no-handed 50-50s, zero or minimal concave will help minimise foot ouchies.

Trucks for truck stands

Trucks are the main point of contact you have with your skateboard while doing truck stands, so even the smallest design details can affect how these types of tricks feel.

Some trucks have a blocky section on the baseplate; others have a cylindrical section. If you have options and you aren’t planning on grinding curbs (and why would you with a freestyle board), always choose blocky trucks. Squarish, flat things are easier to stand and balance on; rounded things are not.

Close up on a Paris 108 truck and a Bullet 110 truck — Blocky Paris 108 trucks (left) versus cylindrical Bullet 110 trucks (right).

Trucks also come in different heights: low, mid and high. High-profile trucks, such as the ones from Ace and Paris, give you more space to stand on while in truck stand. There are trade-offs, like reduced stability when rolling fast and a heavier setup that takes more effort to flip, so going for taller trucks may not always be the best option.

Also, trucks with flattish hangers are less likely to dig into the legs while pogoing.

A Decomposed Gashadokuro truck with a Decomposed sticker and ACE skate tool. — In regards to Gashadokuro trucks: ‘Every super small detail on that truck has a reason behind its design’ (Decomposed’s Witter Cheng), including flat hangers for happy legs.

Modifications for better balance

Skid plates! Not only do they prolong the life of the kicks, they also increase their thickness, effectively doubling the surface area in contact with the ground and therefore making balancing easier. In Australia, skid plates are available from the Flatlandia shop or Aikenheads (Perth).

Risers are sometimes used to create a bigger platform for the foot to stand on. But, similar to high-profile trucks, they have their disadvantages.

Longer bolts and extra nuts are a good option for freestylers who prefer low-profile trucks but still want a bigger platform to stand on for truck tricks.

A close up of Paolo Virgilio Demurtas' skateboard truck. — For easier truck stands, Never Enough freestyler Paolo Virgilio Demurtas uses extra long bolts on his setup.

You can find a variety of risers and bolts at most skate shops.

Modifications for better traction

Trucks are shiny, slippery things to stand on, especially if it’s been a sweaty kind of session. Land the foot slightly wrong and it’s going to slide off and you’ll end up with a credit-card situation. So stick some griptape offcuts on your trucks.

Close up of a skateboard truck with griptape on the baseplate. — A small square of griptape on the trucks makes a big difference.

Some flatground can be quite slippery too. This isn’t a problem if you can choose how and where you skate. However, sometimes you might not have either option available.

This is what happened to Dan Harrigan who found himself having to deal with what he describes as the ‘glassy smooth surface’ at the World Round-Up. ‘Being truck heavy in my trick selection, it was absolutely necessary to not die every trick.

He created more grip by taping his kicks with Gorilla Tape and survived his run, unlike some other contestants. ‘Then I found other benefits outside of the contest and stuck with it. Dependable traction and reduced board wear at the top for sure. Also [using Gorilla tape] helps protect your fingers a bit too from the griptape.’

Harrigan insists that you must use Gorilla Tape, not hockey tape or duct tape.

Taping up the skateboard kicks with Gorilla Tape. — Dan Harrigan’s process of taping up his kicks.

Modifications for happier legs

Swapping out the factory kingpins with inverted kingpins won’t necessarily make your truck-stand tricks better, but they will save your legs, especially for tricks like multiple saran wraps or multiple pogos.

Or you could invest in some shin guards. We at Flatlandia always put on our Decomposed Bruise Blockers before working on truck tricks; they’re the best.

Finally, if your legs are still turning purple in spite of the inverted kingpins and shin guards, say hello to Hello Kitty foam tape.

A close-up of Witter Cheng's skateboard, with the trucks taped up with foam tape. — Witter Cheng’s solution to trucks digging into his calves: Hello Kitty foam tape!

The new year’s freestyle-community aspirations

A bunch of us were looking forward to attending the first Australian freestyle skateboarding contest in decades, scheduled to happen in March 2026. Freestyle contests have a different vibe to other skateboarding contests. Contestant runs are synced to music, showcasing a creative mix of footwork and unusual flatground tricks.

It’s been decades since we’ve seen a freestyle skateboarding contest Down Under.

Unfortunately, the planned March contest has been put on hold, so the Melbourne crew has started planning another contest for 2027.

The first step towards a national contest is setting up a not-for-profit (NFP) for the Australian freestyle skateboarding community. This will open up access to much-needed government grants and corporate sponsorship.

And because Flatlandia is one of the places for getting info about the local scene, we’re asking you to participate in our survey that will

give us an idea of what the Australian freestyle skateboarding community looks like
what kind of outcomes Aussie freestylers are wanting from the NFP, and
what level of volunteering individuals are able to commit to

The survey will be open until end of March 2026. If you are an Australian or an Australian resident who has an interest in freestyle skateboarding, please participate in the survey and share this post with your like-minded homies.