Style or Content?

[Zippy]

Having looked through the pictures that have been posted today and recently I have to say I much prefer freestyle back then to now.

The all seemed to ride with style. The moves were stylish.

Nowadays it's all content and each air is too busy with multiple variations that it's often hard to see what they've done.

Now I'm not trying to take anything away from the new breed because they are undoubtedly skilled beyond belief. It's just that I'd prefer to see a video of Fiola and Wilkerson than I would Mirra or Bestwick.

The bikes and colours were better as well.

Discuss?

[Sanmarcopizza]

That's a fair point. I am not a huge freestyle fan, so speak with no authority. Some of the tricks that are pulled now are insane, and it takes a real master with brass nuts to pull them off, but it doesn't look as smooth as an old school trick performed old school. There was flow and grace, where a lot of the moves now have to be forced or muscled because they are defying physics.

I watched some of the Monkeybusiness (?) DVD's for the 1st time a couple of months ago, with some what I assume is 90's footage. I really enjoyed watching that because there was a nice mix between old style and new tricks.

[DR VINOAH]

for me it was also the way the photo was taken

photographers like bob osbourn, glen e freidman, steve gibberson, john ker, and our very own supameanie

they all managed to capture the energy of the moment,

also the use of fisheye and wide angle lenses ,giving you that close up/far away effect

[slowpoke24]

Nowaday's they have to cram so much into there air time that i think it defo take's some of the class + style out.

Bitd wether it be my age or where it was all new to me,those big air boy's for me were god!!Never looked rushed
and the air time seemed to last forever, the things they done seemed somewhat perfect.

The lad's now are no less stylish than bitd,i just think there is more demand now for cramming in as many combination's as pos
and trying to raise the bar every time they perform.

The bike's nowadays seem very similar to an untrained eye,bitd you could tell a rider just from his bike.

Whether new school or old,all of them are cool and i would luv to have 1% of there ability!! Respect!!Word to ya muvva!!    lol

[P0LL0]

As i've always said, there was a much nicer style BITD, however how can you make a Flipwhip look stylish? big grin capture and pointed toes and all that!!!!! Tricks are soooo technical these days i reckon the best would struggle to make em look anything but technical.

[andy619]

Both.  Personally I prefer style over content.  But as mentioned above the content now is mind-blowing.  With the number of variations pulled in each air style has to be over-shadowed.  If those that are judging are partial to content and variations then that is what the riders will do to win.  BITD, the airs performed today weren't even imagined and it was all about style and altitude.  Credit where credit is due, the difficulty and skill level required of riders now days far surpasses that of even the top riders of the 80's and early 90's, but I'll take a clicked lookback 8' out over a double tail-whip any day.  JMHO
Andy

[Trev]

I think another reason is that bitd airs would look better in mags.  If you stalled a one hander one footer or an invert for example, it would make a great pic.  Whereas now, how do you photograph flairs with variations or 540s / 900s without using sequence photos.
The riding now days is out of this world and respect to those who can, but I'm sure I could never get as good pics now as I did at Holeshot.

[duncan]

How on earth does the average rider practice the new aerial tricks like frontflips or flairs?

Not everyone has pools and trampolines for safe practice, one mistake and you could be out of the game for months/permanently.
Maybe it's only a select few who try the dangerous stuff, I don't know.

I do know from experience that accidents usually happen doing easy things, when you get complacent - perhaps when doing the risky manoeuvres these riders are so focussed that there's little risk of messing up.
Old School skatepark riders remind me of telemark skiers, just graceful flowing runs, whereas the new riders seem in an awful hurry to get someplace... Extremely skilful though.

[theRuler]

there is more style today than there ever was

gone are the novelty bikes, plastic wheels, gay looking uniforms, flatlanders wearing helmets
there is more "flow" than bitd too. not ride to one end do a trick, ride to other end do a trick.
not saying that the riders 20 years ago had no style, but they had the style of the day.
and todays riders have so much more. thats normal in this progressive sport.

[mike pardon]

Style! content!!! then and now!!!..mmmm wouldnt it be great if you had the skill to ride like todays freestyle giants and do all the new stuff in your routine then throw in a rollback 540 like haro used to do or a framestand..You would probably lose but iam sure most of the kids watching would be blown away???

If iam out riding and i do a 360 or a rockwalk the kids go mad, its totally new to them there to busy trying
ice picks. Its the same with skating if you go up and do a 360 slide they are blown away..

Its just times change, we loved eddie and Bob, todays kids love Jamie and Dave..

blah blah balh

[P0LL0]

there is more style today than there ever was

gone are the novelty bikes, plastic wheels, gay looking uniforms, flatlanders wearing helmets
there is more "flow" than bitd too. not ride to one end do a trick, ride to other end do a trick.
not saying that the riders 20 years ago had no style, but they had the style of the day.
and todays riders have so much more. thats normal in this progressive sport.

Nah.......Stick with yer endo's 

[theRuler]

Nah.......Stick with yer endo's 

top banter

[Trev]

last week i saw a 12 year old kid doing 2-3 foot airs.  He didn't know who Fiola or Dominguez were.  He had no idea about the old school flatland tricks.  I showed him a cherry picker and he was blown away.  I think if you did a routine with old flatland tricks, you'd probably finish last but there would be a hell of a lot of people who would never have ever seen tricks like that before in their life.

[theRuler]

i went down to the town park a few months back and there was a bunch of kids doing massive drops and wallrides.
i knew one of them (mate's son) so i got on his bike and did a no handed cowboy

one of the kids said "i would never have thought of trying that in a million years"

some tried to do it but none could. and the unknown freestyling geezer went off into the sunset  . . . .

[P0LL0]

Today at the Windsor Jam i saw a 17-18 year old do a 720  attempt over a four foot spine..............i then saw a 13 year old dab, just, a 720 over a 6 ft jump box and then follow it by a tailwhip jump! 13 years old and genuinely been riding for 1 yes 1 year!!!!! also at the moment one of the best attitudes you have ever come across. I would've said that i was embarassed to enter the same group as this lad in the comp but i would have to say i'm very proud to have competed against a future champion!!! remember 13 years old and 720 jumps, and tailwhip jumps!!!! god lad!!

[tricknuts]

i went down to the town park a few months back and there was a bunch of kids doing massive drops and wallrides.
i knew one of them (mate's son) so i got on his bike and did a no handed cowboy

one of the kids said "i would never have thought of trying that in a million years"

some tried to do it but none could. and the unknown freestyling geezer went off into the sunset  . . . .

......as the kid looked down at his newly buckled front wheel   


I tried a no handed cowboy in the back garden



and here's the no handed bit....     I forgot it's not so easy with front pegs..

[NYSoul]

Some serious style here

[dordymush]

graeme you gotta be doing them cowboys at the next bones.
great old trick that is.

[P0LL0]

Dordy are you saying that Graeme does endo's?

[dordymush]

i've been told that he dables in the odd endo or two  .

[theRuler]

i've been told that he dables in the odd endo or two  .

i do endos that are too hard to be popular

[P0LL0]

i've been told that he dables in the odd endo or two  .

i do endos that are too hard to be popular

Blimey......................Got any pics?? 

[theRuler]

style. and extra points for the parting.

[theRuler]

look what you have started.

here's a cowboy from 1996 on my shiny new rl240 (the one i still ride at bones)

[P0LL0]

Thats some parting!!! i thought is was a cows arse at first