Freestyle scootering
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Freestyle scootering (also known as scootering or scooter riding) is an extreme sport that involves using kick scooters to perform freestyle tricks. This is done mainly in skateparks but also in urban environments on obstacles such as stairs, hand rails and curbs. Freestyle scootering gained popularity in the early 2000s after the invention of the foldable aluminium scooter by Micro Mobility Systems in Switzerland in 1999.
Early years
After the first version of the foldable kick scooters hit the market in 1999, they became extremely popular amongst kids worldwide. This invention by Wim Ouboter (founder of Micro Mobility Systems) was licensed to JD Sports who later sold it under the name Razor[1] in the United States and under the JD Bug name in parts of Europe. The invention of the foldable scooter was made with easy transportation in mind, however, some people with roots in skateboarding and BMX quickly started to realize the potential of using scooters to perform tricks in skateparks.
Razor scooters were the first to form a team of scooter riders including some of the best riders from the United States in the early 2000s. This team included riders such as Josh Toy, Jarret Reid and Matt Pate. Videos like Razor Evolution (2000) and the series of RVM (Razor Scooters Video Magazine) videos helped grow the interest in freestyle scootering, as RVM1 was included with the first Razor A-model scooters.
Since the sport's inception in 1999, stunt scooters have significantly evolved. As the sport progressed, businesses and systems were created to support the growth of the scootering community. An example of an early support system is the Scooter Resource (SR) forums founded by Andrew Broussard in 2003[2], which helped grow the scootering community by connecting people interested in scootering. As scootering became more popular, there was a demand for stronger aftermarket parts and for scooter shops to carry those parts.
The first ever scooter competition was held in Montreux, Switzerland in 2005.
World championships
In 2012 the first scootering world championships was organized by the International Scooter Federation (ISF) (formerly ISA)[3], won by Dakota Schuetz. Since then, the world championships have been held annually, with exception of the years 2020 and 2021 due to restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Year | Winner | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Dakota Schuetz (US) | Evolution Extreme, Deeside, UK |
| 2013 | Dakota Schuetz (US) | Scootfest, Stoneleigh, UK |
| 2014 | Dakota Schuetz (US) | Scootfest, Stoneleigh, UK |
| 2015 | Jordan Clark (UK) | Extreme Barcelona, Spain |
| 2016 | Jordan Clark (UK) | Extreme Barcelona, Spain |
| 2017 | Dante Hutchinson (UK) | Extreme Barcelona, Spain |
| 2018 | Jordan Clark (UK) | Extreme Barcelona, Spain |
| 2019 | Jon Marco Gaydos (US) | WRG Barcelona, Spain |
| 2020 | N/A | Copperbox, London, UK (Cancelled) |
| 2021 | N/A | N/A |
Rider of the year (ROTY)
The title Rider of the Year (also known as ROTY) is awarded annually by Trendkill Collective[4]. The award goes to the scooter rider voted the best or most impactful that year based on things such as the video footage produced, performance in contests/street jams and overall presence and impression. It is the members of the freestyle scooter community themselves that vote for their favorite rider based on a list of scooter riders that are hand picked by the staff at Trendkill at the end of every year. The tradition started in 2019 and is the only award of its kind in the freestyle scootering community. So far all the winners of the ROTY award have been from the United States.
| Year | Rider of the Year |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Reece Doezema (US) |
| 2020 | Austin Coates (US) |
| 2021 | Devin Szydlowski (US) |
References
- ^ "All About Micro". Micro Kickboard. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
- ^ Zoned Out Podcast Ep. 7 - Andrew Broussard Full Interview, retrieved 2022-04-30
- ^ https://worldscooterchampionships.com/
- ^ "Trendkill Collective". Retrieved 2022-04-30.
See also
