If you thought scooters were just for getting to school quicker, or to have some downhill thrills, think again. A trip to a local skatepark to test out a new scooter introduced me to the jaw dropping jumps, somersaults and skills of scooter freestyle.
When I was a kid, scooters were for getting about quicker. There was a really great hill where I lived that provided hours of downhill fun on rollerskates, skateboards, go karts and scooters. You occasionally had the challenge of swerving around the odd startled pedestrian.
As pavements changed from concrete paving slabs to rough tarmac, the fun disappeared. The wheels just didn’t like the rough surface.
Following the disaster of metal fatigue breaking the beloved scooter, it was time to buy a nice shiny new scooter. This time I was determined to buy a scooter that would last and give a better ride. After the usual online research for the best scooter deals, I discovered there was a distinct price break. If you pay more than £30, you have moved out of the kiddie scooter range for playing in the street and moved into the longer lasting quality and durability of freestyle scooters. 25cm wheels, to deal with those annoying little stones on the pavement, decent bearings for a smooth ride, and solid construction. For a bit more cash you can get suspension! Now that is a cushy ride.
Scooter Freestyle at the Skatepark
The need for suspension became apparent when I saw what some of the guys were doing at the skatepark.
Getting into freestyle is just a case of playing around and getting a feel of what you can do. Then it is just practice, practice, practice. A bit of protection always helps, as concrete is really good at stripping skin off when you don’t get it quite right.
Video of the world’s best pro scooter riders
- The half pipe
- Slalom
- Wheelies
- Bunny hops
- Jumps
- Flips and somersaults
- Grinding and grindrails
Scooter Spares and Replacement Parts
Another thing I found out while looking for a new scooter was that you can now get spare parts for scooters. You can get scooter handlebars, wheels, collar clamps, grips, grip tape, pegs, brakes, decks, forks, compression kits, headsets and bearings. Skatehut seems to be the best place to buy scooters and spare parts.