Freestyle walking
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Freestyle Walking is an artistic means of self-expression and creative interaction with one's environment. Many of the great practitioners of this art form (or sport, as some consider) became great by Freestyle Walking to find more full involvement with their otherwise routine surroundings. Freestyle Walkers use leaps and air moves, clever footwork, dance or any non-traditional walking movement to fulfill their art.
Today, many practitioners view it as the act of rollerblading or skateboarding without the skates or board. Some participants use Soap shoes with grind plates (sections show sole, made of hard plastic) that allow the freestyle walker to grind or slide easily along surfaces such as curbs, ledges and bars. With the increase in popularity of Soap shoes during the mid-late-1990s, many newbies of Freestyle Walking mistakenly began to refer to the act of grinding using Soap shoes as Freestyle Walking.
Some basic examples of freestyle walking moves include:
- Stalls
- Slides
- Swings
- Hangings
- Flips
- Spins
- Vaults
Extreme Walking and Trail Rushing are related art forms or sports, similar in motivation but including additional elements. Extreme Walking normally involves any element of danger, whereas the related art of Trail Rushing is essentially Freestyle Walking on a trail. Both of these (as well as Soaping) are considered to be subsections of the larger concept of Freestyle Walking.
Some consider a correlation between the Urban Sport of "Parkour" and Freestyle Walking, however there are considerable differences. Although there are seemingly similar physical movements, there is a considerable motivational difference which exists between the two sports. Parkour focuses on efficiency of movement and speed; Freestyle walking focuses on more of a spontaneous/glorious movement style.
The equiptment needed for freestyle walking is nothing but an urban to sub-urban landscape and a person wanting to express themselves. To help with some of the more difficult moves, such as wall rides, a shoe may be made to give more grip while getting rid of some of the exess weight. Take a pair of old running shoes and remove the top so nothing but the sole remains. Make a top for your shoe out of your favorite heavy duty tape and put sand-paper on the bottom. The product is light-weight, very grippy shoes for freestyle walking. This method was created in La Canada, California by Alex Sercel, Clay Finch, and Edward Kronfli.
