Skateboarding can be tough, no doubt about it. But freestyle skateboarding stands out with two major perks that make it more accessible and easier to stick with than other styles like street skating.
First off, it's all about flat ground. That means you don't need a skatepark or fancy obstacles; all you need is a skateboard and some flat space to roll around on. As freestyler Connor Burke puts it, "the skateboard itself becomes the obstacle."
Freestylers are known for skating wherever they can find flat ground—tennis courts, basketball courts, parking lots, driveways—you name it. In a world covered in concrete and asphalt, the options for freestyle skating are endless.
The second big advantage is that freestyle skating isn't built around mastering the ollie. Some freestylers never even bother learning it—it's totally optional. This is a game-changer for beginners who might get discouraged struggling with the ollie. Instead, freestyle offers a pathway where you can start nailing tricks right from the get-go.
With freestyle, there's a wide array of flatground tricks to dive into, from footwork and rail tricks to truck tricks and finger flips. It's about exploring what works for you and having fun with it.
Check out this video to see for yourself: it showcases five representative freestyle tricks you can tackle before even touching the ollie—though the list of possibilities in freestyle is practically endless.