Freestyle Cheat Sheet

The key takeaways for beginners – link the three base tricks, learn your first balance trick and fall safely at ground level.

Equipment

Item	Priority	Tip
Deck	High	Symmetric, 7.25–7.4 inches with two equal-height kicktails – feels identical in both directions.
Trucks	Medium	About one size narrower than the deck, stiffer bushings for a calm stand during balance tricks.
Wheels	Medium	97A–101A, 54–56 mm – hard, so the board slides under control instead of sticking to the ground.

Understanding freestyle

Pure ground practice: No ramp, no rail, no skatepark needed – just a smooth, flat surface like a garage or car park.
The root of street skating: Rodney Mullen won his first world title at 14, then went on to win 34 of 35 contests.
Basics first: Nail pushing, rolling and kickturns before the first real freestyle tricks come into play.

The 3 golden technique rules

Factor 1: Three base mechanics first

Concept: Kickturn, shove-it and pogo are the three base mechanics almost every advanced trick builds on. Tip: Drill the kickturn standing first, then the shove-it (hip motion plus foot push, torso stays stable) and the pogo with gentle, not stomping, pressure.

Factor 2: Transitions beat single tricks

Concept: Not the individual tricks but the transitions between them decide whether a combo looks smooth or choppy. Tip: Drill the transition between two solid tricks in isolation, then order the sequence by rolling state.

Factor 3: Don't bail at the first wobble

Concept: The casper balances the upside-down board on the tail tip – bail immediately and you never train the real balance point. Tip: Back foot on the underside of the tail, front foot hooked under the deck, small corrections instead of giving up.

Trick toolkit

Trick	In short
Kickturn	Lift and turn the front truck – the entry into every direction change while standing.
Shove-it	The board spins 180° under you, torso stays stable – hip motion plus foot push.
Pogo	A hopping truckstand – grab the nose, back foot on the truck, load and release gently.
Railstand (primo)	The board balances on one edge – toeside first, heelside follows with more practice.

Safety at ground level

Pads from day one: Wrist guards cut fracture risk by up to 90%, a helmet cuts concussion risk by around 85%.
Practise falling right: Curl up instead of putting an arm out, land on fleshy parts – drill it in isolation on soft ground.
Build up gradually: New balance positions standing first, then slowly rolling, only then at speed.

Pro tip: Keep a trick log: what works, what doesn't, what had one less wobble today. Freestyle progress is invisible until you write it down.