Wizard skating is the new name given to a style of freestyle skating popularised by Canadian aggressive skater @LeonBasin and his friends from @Mushroomblading. They came out of the skate park and started using โflat groundโ for tricks, transitions, jumps and flowing sequences of footwork. (For a thorough history of Leonโs journey and the origins of Wizard skating, check out the video link at the end of this Blog)
Leon designed the first wizard frame with a slight rocker (plus variable frame lengths & wheel options), to facilitate the manoeuvrability of the wizard footwork. This new โgenreโ of skating was born and has been taking the recreational, slalom and freestyle inline worlds by storm ever since.
But if you take a closer look at much of the footwork from wizard skating, you might recognise some classic artistic figure skating moves like mohawks, 3 turns of all kinds, crossovers & two footed transitions, combined into flowing sequences.
Wizard skating is an interesting blend of old and new skating influences. The curviness of the transitions and the sweeping one foot glides into transitionsโฆ.. feel like artistic skating. But the confident, edgy (in both senses of the word), powerful (maybe slightly aggressive) style of good wizard skating adds a new element of interest and surprise. Plus of course the random use of urban architecture (walls, benches, ledges) and 2 wheel balances for added โwowโ factor.
How are Wizard skating transitions named & described?
In Wizard skating (according to Leon and his friends), a โGazelleโ is a two footed transition on a curve (from forwards to backwards or backwards to forwards). Distinctions are made between โopen & closedโ gazelles or โfakie & forwardโ gazelles, but it can be confusing to try and picture whatโs happening.
A โLionโ is a one footed transition from forwards to backwards or backwards to forwards on a curve (and correctly done, scribes a โ3โ shape on the ground).
In artistic skating terminology a Gazelle is a two footed transition (from forwards to backwards or backwards to forwards) on a curve, scribing a โ3โ shape with skates slightly staggered in a Scissor position.
A Lion is a โ3 turnโ and it is further described by the standing leg side (left or right) and edge (outside or inside). This creates a very clear image in the mind, for example,
โLeft Forward Outside 3 turnโ.
As a professional coach for 22 years Iโm in the process of making a new online course called โHow to Wizard Skateโ, and Iโm using both terminologies for clarity. The Wizard skating names are fun but the artistic ones make more sense in my brain (but then Iโm an ex-figure skater so that makes sense).
To make this point clear, Iโll share with you a text message I received from Skatefresh student (and recently joined instructor with Skatefresh) @hargreaves.sabine.
How easily are you able to picture her unique wizard transition combo/flow?
โDid such a cool combo last night: left forward outside 3 turn straight into inverted back Mohawk, to right forward inside edge, push to edge change to right forward outside 3 turn straight into back inverted Mohawk other side! Got it flowing after 2 hours!!
This is how figure skaters write up their footwork routines and choreography. So to Sabine this made sense. Itโs so useful to be able to write down what steps youโre doing, in whatever terminology you are most familiar with, so you donโt forget.
Having your practice written down also allows you to work on several small โblocksโ of footwork (a few transitions strung together), and then bolt those together to give you longer, impressive looking wizard flows.
Featuring;
History of Wizard Skating Video by Tom Moyse
Check out Ashaโs Wizard ska,ng on social media;
Asha wears @endlessblading & @nnskates frames with @powerslidebrand Evos.
