Tobias Mayer aka Twobeerz is the most famous scooter rider in Austria and also quite well known in the world. He is only 17 years old and rides for Addict Scootering, Scooter Kickboard, Eagle Wheels and recently got into Vex Shoes. It is obvious that Addict fits him far better than any other brand and I'm happy for him that he joined Vex.
I am posting three videos this time because his videos are always a bit too short.
He left AO, which was a good decision, and only a few weeks later, he posted this video. The first fail would cause you to have a cold sweat, he could have fallen! This is my favorite video of Tobias, I love seeing him shredding the peasley deck which fits him like a glove. His downrails skills are very absolutely breathtaking, especially the last trick. You must agree that the intro is a perfect description of him and it made me laugh so much!
Tobias' video for Addict:
It's quite true that he couldn't have found a better sponsor, the products fit him perfectly and the entire crew seems boosted by this new mate. This video was filmed during the trip to Philadelphia. I would have expected something longer and with more bangers in it but everytime i watch it, I realise how hard the tricks are and how demanding the spots are. The last two tricks were so sick, which everyone must agree. This was filmed with a VX and I bet Tobias chose the songtrack himself!
And to finish the video for Vex:
Tobias has progressed a lot since his last video, he entered in the rotor whip game and killed the curb with his FS fifty-fifty to 360 out pegless. The effect of the VX is good, which reminds of the old skate videos, but the filming was very shaky. I didn't expect the heelwhip to manual to fingerwhip and the last trick was startling!
I can't write a blog about street sports without talking about Chad Kerley at least once. This BMX rider is a street killer, no matter how the spot looks like.
Chad Kerley is 20 years old and lives in San Diego (CA). He is sponsored by Nike, Gopro, Dan's 360, Markit and Cinema BMX.
Icepick
His most popular video on youtube is his HUNT part from April 2012. Filmed in only 12 days, it is from far one of the best street BMX edits on the web. The filming is excellent, not shaky, good luminosity... really nothing to say and the tricks are so clean and done with style!
His manual lines are endless and the uprails he hits are tremendous. The first part of the video is really sick especially the halfcab bar to manual to icepick on a rail. The second part is even more amazing. All the tricks are bangers, the combos are awesome, the gaps are massive and the last trick is incredible.
He won several competitions such as the X-Games in the street part.
Are you fed up with all the kids at the skatepark? or tired of always going to your local park?
Urban Life will talk about extreme freestyle sports which are practised in the street.
The seven most popular freestyle sports which you can practice in the street are snowboarding, skiing, skateboarding, freestyle scootering, bmx riding, inline skating and freestyle running.
If you are a freestyle scooter rider, or skateboarder, or bmx rider, then you are on the right page!
Rémi Bouchard - One foot grab in Winterthur
Ali Boulala - Massive ollie
Garrett Reynolds - Uprail icepick
A bit of History...
The oldest discipline of the above three is skateboarding which appeared in 1960s. And then, in 1975 appeared bmx riding, a totally new freestyle sport. Freestyle scootering appeared much later, after 2000 but the scootering scene grew up incredibly fast.
In every freestyle discipline, there are two different ways to practice it. Either in a skatepark, where it is much easier to ride and do tricks, because the ramps are built for that, or in the street, which is the opposite.
Street riding is a lifestyle. Since the beginning of all these three sports, riders have always been looking for spots to ride in the cities. Today, some spots have become so famous that riders from all over the world come to ride. For example the spot of Bercy in Paris, which unfortunatly doesn't exist anymore.
"Blocs de Bercy" in Paris
What's so exciting riding in a skatepark?
After a few sessions, you will get bored with the ramps and you won't be thrilled anymore, unless your creativity has no limit...
That's why many cutting edge riders are constantly in the search of new spots in the street. You've got to be patient and you might discover rad spots.
People who have no idea of the sport would think that park riding is more impressive than street riding because making big airs and crazy combos of tricks is very impressive to see. Of course no beginner would manage to perform a massive 540 grab on a quarter! But when you are a real freestyle freak, there is more than that.
Street riding is more about technical tricks on a curb or rail which must be less impressive to see but requires a high level of agility.
massive air at Woodward
Matt McKeen - Fs Lipslide
Now we see more street sections in skateparks which are a reproduction of urban spots you could find in the street. However, since it has been designed to be a part of skatepark, it is easier to ride than a real set of stairs in the street.
For example, in this picture we see a set of 8 steps with a handrail in a skatepark. This is exactly the same as a random set of stairs in the street but for having seen this ramp in live, I can say that the stairs are really not steep at all and the handrail has been deliberately designed for skaters. Nevertheless it is good to practice on this kind of ramps.
This set of stairs in the street has exactly the same number of steps and an identical handrail as well but I can say that it has got nothing to do with the previous one in terms of riding difficulty.
To finish, here are thre famous videos from professionals and sponsored riders filmed in the street only. You will recognise spots from a video to another.
Maxime Legrand is a french scooter rider sponsored by different companies. This video is about two years old but still one of the best scootering videos.
Garrett Reynolds is one of the craziest bmx rider in the world. This is one of the most impressive bmx videos.
You can't compare Rodney Mullen to someone esle. He is one of the first skaters and one of the best in the world. His flatskills will prove how far he can go with a tiny board.
The development of freestyle street riding into a genuine sport is happening right now. Today it's one of the most popular urban sports.
