It’s a frequent and reasonable question asked in the freestyle world. The short answer to this question is ‘yes’; the real question is ‘should you?’
Having skated freestyle on a popsicle board for most of my life I can attest to the benefits and hindrances of a popsicle-shaped board.
For me the benefits are the opportunity to create a unique style, invent new tricks (Kangaroo Flip) and skate a more unorthodox setup to many freestylers around the world.
The Josh Dunstone Kangaroo Flip (Marvel Stadium, 6 May 2024)
I have had to make small modifications in which I downsize my trucks and buy offset wheels so that in rail stand I still have the stability to make rail flips, coco wheelies and primo slides possible.
The hindrances are in plain sight. Popsicles weren’t made with the thought of freestyle tricks in mind, limiting the variety of tricks being made possible (or at the very least making some tricks ten times more difficult than need be). Without the right skid plates you’ll also find razor tail being a big issue. In my peak I was running through a board a month; compare that to most freestyle setups protected with skids—most last several months.
Razor tail forming on the current skidless setup after one month of skating.
For skaters transitioning from street and dabbling in freestyle, adding offset wheels to their street setup might be beneficial though. It’s a smoother transition before going all out with a freestyle complete as it does take a bit to adjust to the smaller, shaped platform. With meet-ups like MelbourneFreestyleSkaters and scenes popping up in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth, going to a session with locals is the best way to dip your toes in the water and try your hand on a freestyle setup.
Another downside to skating freestyle on a popsicle board is that established street companies see skaters trying a freestyle trick or two on their popsicle boards and then don’t feel the need to make or stock freestyle boards/setups. Where possible, it’s worth supporting freestyle companies that would be open to expanding their market.
It goes without saying yet I’ll say it anyway—there are so many freestyle companies creating shapes tailored for freestyle tricks. But for most skaters hailing from Australia the issue is more about accessibility.
We are quite literally on the other side of the world from all of the freestyle companies. For the past fifty years there has never been that accessibility Down Under, forcing those who are interested to either pay extraordinary prices for shipping or frankensteining a street board to tailor to their freestyle needs.
Boards made for freestyle skateboarders by freestyle skateboarders
Here’s our current list of freestyle skateboard companies, established and freshly formed:
With freestyle’s recent growth in the modern era and having riders who lived through the nineties/Y2K starting their own companies, I think it’s important to support brands that are producing quality freestyle products and that are freestyle-skater-owned. These are the skaters who have lived through freestyle’s death and rebirth, stuck it out through those dark times and are now are giving back by putting out more product than ever before.
In saying that, having the means to purchase a freestyle setup from overseas is tricky for most. Aikenheads skateboards in Perth frequently stock Waltz and, as far as I’m aware, are currently the only skate shop stocking freestyle gear in Aus. Maple Road Skateboards (also located in Perth) are currently working on a prototype of their own in-house freestyle deck so hopefully the wait isn’t too much longer for us Aussies to have our own freestyle gear to represent down here.
This is an easy one. I street skated from the mid 80s to the early 2000s. In the late 90s, I blew out my knee (skating stairs) and had it reconstructed.
I kept street skating but the impact and twist involved would put too much strain on my knees. I want to see myself skate up to my senior years so in order to do this, I had to pick a style that suited this. When the Casper…video came out, it showed me that freestyle was still alive and well. All 30 freestylers worldwide.
I recall that you’ve got a connection with Australia. Could you tell us a bit about that?
I moved to Australia around 1994 from Brunei Darussalam. My parents sent me there for college and university. I lived there for 6 years to finish my Bachelors.
Uni days in Melbourne, ‘about 30 years ago’. Photo source: Witter Cheng.
So did you get injured (and started freestyling) in Australia?
Yes, in Melbourne…and yes, the full freestyle transition happened around 2001/2002, I think, when the East Coast Industries single kicks came out.
Hopefully the healthcare here was good?
My dad paid for insurance prior to my trip and he said I maximised it. First year there, my friend crashed his car and I had to be rushed to the hospital. After that, foot fractures, the 3 knee surgeries, etc.
The healthcare is fantastic! Pay for in full and then claim about 95% back with no questions asked. In the States, they question every bill. I stayed in the hospital for 5 days with my own room, food, etc., and I think insurance paid for it all.
What was it like, being part of a very, very small scene?
The small scene…that’s a whole book by itself. You won’t believe what we went through, especially with the lack of social media. It was a nightmare but we pulled through. Everyone knew each other and equipment was hard to come by.
Is that why you started selling and designing gear?
Nah, Decomposed was supposed to be one and done. One small deck run made for myself so I can have a supply of decks after Capital Skateboards went down. Slowly, I made a few more for friends like YoYo, Guenter, Keith, etc., then a few more after that and the rest is history.
What was your favourite Decomposed board out of all the ones you made (and why)?
Too many to mention. I like the Guenter ‘monster faces’ one because of the silk-screened detail in it.
The Darryl Grogan ‘skeletal one’ is also one of my faves. Clear matte ink screened on black so you can only see the image under the right lighting.
The Rodney Mullen one was also extra special. It was our 10th anniversary release. One continual graphic on a 2-deck set. The image was also set on a wood grain which gave the image a brown rusty tint.
I guess picking your fave board would be like picking your fave child. Too hard a decision.
Ok, last question: what do you hope you’ll be doing in 10 years’ time skate-wise? Collabs? Personal trick/skate goals? Decomposed stuff?
In 10 years, as long as I can keep skating and keep everyone else skating and happy, I’ll be happy. Collabs, these are never planned, just spur of the moment. Personal trick, I only have one. The coconut, backside 360 flip out. I never take anything too seriously and everything is done just because it is ‘fun’.
What is a rail toespin? A rail toespin is a pirouette done on the wheel in rail stance.
Being something other than a railwhip or rail flip, it’s a fun way to spice up a line.
Board Prerequisites
You want a stable rail for this trick. Any wobble caused by the board is going to throw you off balance.
Offset wheels are a must; trying to stay in rail and spin on an axle nut is just asking for a broken ankle. Tight trucks is next down on the shopping list, as well as wheels that are close to flush with the rail. Finally, risers and or wheel wells are great for helping your toes clear the board as you make the rotation.
Rider Prerequisites
Even before attempting this trick, make sure you are confident in heelside rail stance. Can you comfortably complete the physiotherapist’s ‘star excursion balance test’ while in rail? If the answer is ‘yes’, then you have the strength, flexibility and proprioception required.
Bonus points go to skaters who can already railwhip. You’ll know how to safely return to rail stance at the end of this trick.
Breakdown of the trick
At first, it can be scary spinning on a wheel while in rail. To help you commit, prop the skateboard on some good flatground that’s next to a step. If things go wrong, the step is a shorter height to drop down onto than the ground.
Once you are in heelside rail, position the balls of your feet on the wheels. Bend your knees a little; not only does this lower your centre of gravity, it also causes your toes to lift slightly, enough for them clear the deck when you spin.
While prepping, cheat a little with the rotation by turning your feet and upper body towards the direction of the spin. If spins make you dizzy or lose balance, try spotting an object in the distance.
When spinning, avoid the urge to whip around. A controlled, centred push off will get you to your destination.
Don’t lift onto your toes. Unlike a pirouette on a longboard/skateboard where one needs minimise the friction beneath one’s feet, the wheel will spin freely with you. If you try to decompress, the upward motion may either throw you off balance, or cause your toes to angle downward and catch the deck.
Initially, you may not be able to return your moving foot to the wheel. Don’t worry, just aim for a spot on the step immediately behind the wheel. As you gain better control, you will begin to be able to tap your foot on the wheel before stepping off. Once you do successfully return to heelside rail stance, bent knees and square shoulders in line with the deck will help you stay centred.
Additional notes
Tony Gale has a trick tip page and video on rail toespins. Don’t be disheartened by his recommendation to learn toespins/pirouettes first; these are a related trick but not an essential skill to have.
Perth freestyler Dean WedgwoodOne of Dean’s freestyle decks, a Powell-Peralta Per Welinder reissue
Why freestyle?
[Firstly,] I was totally spellbound the first time I saw footage of pure (‘not hybrid’) freestyle. I’d seen Rodney Mullen on a bootleg VHS of 411 Video Magazine and could not believe my eyes.
Not long after that, I found Powell-Peralta’s Future Primitive in a bargain bin at my local video store for like one dollar in about 2001. I saw Rodney’s name on the back, and then the year it was made (1984), thinking ‘surely it’s not the same guy’. When I watched it and his part came up, it blew my mind into tiny pieces. I was like ‘THAT…I wanna do that’. It also seemed a bit ‘left of centre’, a bit obscure, which I think fits my M.O. a bit.
Secondly, I can’t afford to hurt myself too badly as I work for myself…[With] freestyle, while you can hurt yourself (in an interview with Don Brown, he talks of smashing all of his teeth out on a pogo), it’s not anywhere near the same as street or vert.
Besides…nothing gives me the same feeling as freestyle skating.
You found freestyle during the ‘dead’ period. Did you try it then, or was it a bit later? And if it was then, how did you find hardware?
Ha! Exactly!! Back then, it was virtually impossible to get ANY dedicated freestyle gear, especially in the most isolated capital city in the world. Even on the internet.
Around the same time, I ended up getting one of the very first Enjoi Mullen decks and Tensor trucks…to reach Aus and was doing some approximation of ‘hybrid skating’…although it was more ‘streetstyle’ for sure.
It wasn’t until about 18 months ago that I found Decomposed, got right back into skating and the rest is…
Video tutorials in 2001 would have been in their infancy. How did you learn tricks???
As for the current day, there’s a plethora out there. Mike Osterman’s trick tips have been very helpful.
We are so lucky with the internet. We can see freestylers from around the world and get inspired. Is there a particular skater who influences you (apart from Mullen)?
Agreed! Omg yes, fanboy or not, Mullen is not by any means the whole picture. I’m totally stoked on ANYONE who freestyles. Just a few names: Mike Osterman, Yuta Fujii, Masahiro Fujii (Yuta’s dad), that kid Orson blows my mind (basically all the Waltz skaters are beyond sick), Jamie Chalmers, the ‘Iceman’ Kevin Harris and Per Welinder. Honestly I could go on and on. Oh and Isamu, Kilian…
OK, I’ll stop. Whoever might read this, then them too haha.
That’s an epic list with skaters from all around the world. There are not so many local freestylers though (amateur, professional, or otherwise).
Yes! And I am so stoked that, for such a small community, the reach is so far and wide now. Truly amazing freestylers are coming from the most unexpected corners and pockets from every continent.
And as I have read this, I feel shamed that I didn’t include one of the most unique and talented skaters in the F.S. world, our own Josh Dunstone!! That’s a guy who truly takes his own path and as such, he is one of a kind!
Is there anything you think that can be done to change the lack of a local community?
That’s a great question, and something I’ve long given thought too…
Decomposed ‘Fun without Friends’ shirt. Photo reproduced with permission from Witter Cheng.
This shirt comes to mind!! Before I met Glen at Aikenheads, you would have no idea how many confused, sideways, or otherwise dumbfounded looks I’d get asking other shops about anything freestyle.
So I can’t say enough how cool it is to have such a mecca here. As far as a community of F.S. skaters beyond that, I’ve given up. There’s nothing more I’d like to do than go to meet-ups, etc. Actually skate with, trade tips and ideas among other people who share our passion. Would be so awesome.
But our country’s geography, and sometimes stale ways, makes it a prospect closer to fantasy then probable reality.
Then again you never know.
Indeed, you never know. Maybe we’ll have a national meet someday soon (fingers crossed).
Okay, last question: if we have a competition/meet one day, which city should it be in and will you be there?
In Australia?!?! Just the idea makes me giddy. Have to say Syd or Melb. And you betcha.
Connect: You can find Dean Wedgwood on Instagram (@dnobambeano). Ask him nicely and he might just tell you where the good flatground is in Perth, Western Australia.
Sunset at Noble Park: the after-school scooter kids and their minders have gone home for dinner, replaced by an older crowd. One nonchalantly drops in, on a scooter, at the deep end of the bowl. Another hang-ten wheelies on the flat before rolling into the snake run.
The three of us are standing in a cosy circle, off to the side. There’s Kyoko and Cheryl, two adult beginners who frequent this suburban skate park for its transition, and I, a beginner freestyler who prefers the bright blue court nearby. None of us talk much beyond the occasional yelp as we each try to make our own no-comply impossible happen. Push the tail down. Sweep sideways. The board should wrap around the foot.
My board is flying everywhere. After watching a few attempts, Wedge tells me to slow down. He demos again. The board whips around windmill like. He then kicks the heelside edge up with his back foot, dropping to one knee. It’s like a bizarre marriage proposal, but instead of a diamond ring, there’s a caught skateboard in his hand.
The combo came from freestyle-skateboarding veteran Russ Howell who visited Australia for Expo 75, a surf-and-skate event that Wedge competed in. ‘I’m still in touch with him,’ Wedge tells us. ‘He can still do a gazillion 360s. On his seventieth birthday, he said he wanted to do a handstand for a mile, so he did a hundred-yard handstand run…sixteen times.’
January 1976, Melbourne Australia Top left to right: John ‘JJ’ Ambler, Stacy Peralta, Russ Howell, Rob ‘Wedge’ Francis. Bottom row: Chris Hammond, Colin Shipton, David Ralph, Craig Murray. Photographer: Ross Beale. Photo reproduced with permission from Rob ‘Wedge’ Francis.
Rob ‘Wedge’ Francis started skating in 1975 on a bidirectional deck shaped from a piece of discarded weatherboard and some garden hose. Like hundreds of other kids around the country, he was caught up in the latest craze imported from America. Skateboarding would be replaced with another craze the following year, but Wedge stuck with it, despite being ‘ostracised by everyone’ (Anderson 2024), eventually becoming Australia’s skateboarding champion in 1979 (Cansdale 2022).
He learned how to skate in a time before flatground ollies were invented. Skateboard trucks were still attached to surfboard-shaped decks with wood screws. Bearings were of the open-cone variety.
There were no skateparks, so riders made do with the concrete spillway off Regent Street, Mount Waverley. ‘It was one bank,’ Wedge recalls. ‘It was like the steepest over there.’ He indicates towards the biggest flat bank at Noble Park and then to the Skyrail which separates the park from the Douglas Street shopping strip. ‘But as high as the bridge. At the bottom it was just lumps of concrete tombstones and stuff, so you really couldn’t go down the bottom of the thing.’
The Mount Waverley spillway (March 2024)
‘You had to turn really quickly. You’d carve across it and do a kickturn around…You could get the 360 slides going down. So that was a bit of fun.’
The spillway in Mount Waverley, the concrete roof of the now-demolished toilet block in Burwood East’s Tally Ho, the famous Pymble pool in Sydney, these were sketchy, difficult-to-skate spots. Wedge recounts Stacy Peralta visiting the spillway and saying, ‘Ah, Wedge, I don’t know how you ride that thing.’ But until there were dedicated skate spaces, this was it for Wedge and his mates.
It’s unsurprising that early competitions focused on slalom and freestyle. Some were held at the newly built Doncaster Shoppingtown complex.
Doncaster Shoppingtown in 1976. Photo reproduced with permission from the Doncaster Templestowe Historical Society
‘Right over at the far boundary, there was a car park that goes down…and scoops up. We used to slalom there and there was a bit of freestyle going on as well.’ Back in 1976, Globe cofounders Peter and Stephen Hill skated there as ‘little grommets’, and a social worker would bring kids over from Broadmeadows, an outer suburb on the other side of town.
Slalom and freestyle were the two categories of the 1976 Sydney Skateboarding Olympics, which was held at the North Rocks Shopping Centre car park, as well. ‘Olympics’ seems like an out out-of-place descriptor for something so niche, but Wedge notes even back then there was a push for skateboarding to be part of the global sporting event.
He came third in slalom and second in freestyle, despite having to figure out how to skate in shoes for the first time: ‘I went to go into the competition, and they were, “Oh great, you’re here. Fill out the form. Where are your shoes?” I’ve gone, “I dunno. They’re probably in the car, why?” And they’ve gone, “Oh no, you gotta wear shoes if you want to go in the competition.” I thought, “I’ve never skated in shoes.” Anyway, they made me skate in shoes.’
In the footage of his 1976 competition run, Wedge slipped off a few times, perhaps due to fatigue from too many hours of skating or the unfamiliarity of wearing shoes on a skateboard. However, he still managed to pull off spacewalks, hang ten into 360 nose wheelie, and aggressive bertslides.
In what he calls his ‘brag file’, a collection of old skate footage and photos on Instagram, there’s black-and-white evidence of him, long-haired, shoeless, and doing triple-decker handstands. I ask him if he can still do any of his freestyle moves.
‘I can’t do the handstands any more because this got smaller.’ He points to one arm. ‘And this [my gut] got bigger. I can do some [freestyle] but just when I’m mucking around.’ To prove it, he picks up the MOSS-Foundation-branded popsicle deck that he’s brought with him and starts to perform spacewalks and walk-the-dogs.
He also does his signature 360 spins, what he once claimed in a 2017 interview to be his ‘special (stupid) superpower’. I count 6 rotations. His advice on spins: start on a wheeled chair to understand the physics, then try on a bank with a skateboard, and keep on practising for two years straight. Something like that.
Then it’s my turn at show and tell. I combo a heelside rail entry, rail whip, and rail exit. Wedge makes an admission, ‘My ankles are scared watching you.’ And even though I turn the board onto its side to illustrate how stable it is with the offset wheels and the very tight trucks, he eyes it with much suspicion. While the skate veteran is happy trying spacewalks out on my modern version of a freestyle single kick, there’s no way he’s attempting rail tricks this evening.
Our exchange of tricks and words at the skatepark highlights changes the sport has seen since 1975. The advances in hardware, the creation of new disciplines, the tricks that we now take for granted were yet to be invented in Wedge’s youth.
There’s a tendency for us freestylers to mourn the loss of the so-called glory days of the seventies and eighties, but we forget that skateboarding and freestyle has grown since and continues to evolve. Today’s history lesson brings to mind words once published in a Broken Fingers issue:
…we’re no longer trying to play catch-up with what was done in the 1980s. In my eyes, many freestylers are starting to surpass some of the great legends that we looked up to as young teenagers, starting to improve on and develop beyond the tricks that were left to us.
Tony Gale (2016)
Instead of always looking backwards, we should embrace the innovations made possible with time.
The day finally ends and the lights at the park flick on. Kyoko, Cheryl, Wedge, and I part ways with the promise of another meet-up. Brunswick maybe? Is there transition? Is there flatground? Yes, and yes. Maybe we’ll see each other there.
