This is awesome, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and taking the time to film and support the skaters - everyone! It did feel different this year, I think with COVID and everyone coming together to help make things happen. Thanks for the shout-out, I appreciate it! I'm glad I was able to help make things happen this year. To enact change we must "be the change". We can't just talk about it and we certainly shouldn't argue about it. My proudest moment was seeing the women's division and I am so thankful and grateful the skaters came. So much went on behind the scenes to make this happen and it was history in the making! Big shout-out to the Freestyle Coven and ladies there for their help and continued support! I'd like to see freestyle continue to grow and hopefully we won't ever have a "dark times" of freestyle again :)
Awesome to see freestyle flourishing like this, too. I'm primarily a street skater, but was always super into freestyle; unfortunately, it was practically dead when I was a kid, aside from Rodney Mullen doing some freestyle in his video parts. It didn't make sense that something so evolved could die, particularly something with so much more potential for growth; very happy to see it living once again, and watching the progress of this scene is like watching the progress of vert and street all over again. I'd love to see some more freestyle hybrid action in the future; particularly, combining freestyle and vert would be a very interesting to see.
Freestyle skaters are way more open and encouraging. The community is totally different man, just look at the comments for the womens competitions even though you have history being made, 16 year old girls doing kickflip feeble down big rails like Yumeka Oda e.t.c you sitll have a few dumb comments saying "this is lame" "the skill gap is bad" not understanding the progression the last few eyars has been huge and all we need to do is support and encourage more girls to get into it, give more sponsorships and rewards to the top skaters and they'll keep growing exponentially. Yumeka was just 13 a couple years ago saying she wants to compete one day, now she has a 9.4 at sls doing a kickflip front feeble and we have other greats like Momiji and Leal.
Rad, Mike! Great perspective. It was my first WRU and easily the most meaningful skate event I’ve been to in 35 years of skateboarding. Thanks for all you continue to contribute. -Deeds
Well done, Mike! This is a next-level and needed (and appreciated!) narrative. Totally compelling! Couldn't make it over from Vancouver Island this year and I miss it even more now... Thanks for stoking the inspiration!
Both Denham and I sponsored the women's division. Denham did a fundraiser through Terror Firma and I put in my own money towards the prize purse and the Round Up contributed as well. Honestly, skaters shouldn't have to do this on their own. It should be sponsors supporting all divisions and all skaters. Inclusion is important, it's 2023.
Thank you so much for bringing this to RU-vid, so the world can pay more attention to Freestyle Skateboarding. I came across your vids accidentally, and you got me hooked on this new wave of freestyle skateboarders. Now I am a huge fan, and I wish Freestyle to become as popular and full of pure talents as it was in 1986-Mullen-era. I think we really need something fresh and new in a world dominated by Street and Ramp
Oh, this video was so cool! I love that this video highlighted the importance of sports for all genders and ages :) Those ladies showed some real skill out there
