all about flips?

[Locky]

I noticed lately people are learning to flip a lot lot quicker than say a year ago. It's good to see but it gets me wondering: is bocking all about flips?

I'll admit I first saw the video which is full of rex flipping and thought hell yeah but having gotten into bocking I realise (for me) it isnt, hardly at all. Personally I find the self achievement - including learning flips - far better than pleasing a group of chavs who think we are monkey slaves doing stuff on demand.
I also enjoy varying different tricks and jumps. The smallest simple idea can often lead to several hours of mad fun.

I'm also a bit miffed that a certain brand of people tend to learn to flip and then all they care about is performing for a crowd...to the point where they will want to bock where a crowd is. Dont get me wrong, crowd means publicity but quite often when bocking with the welshies we will seek a place 'out of the way'.

So yes or no...in your opinion is it all about flips?

[Athoul]

I'm a complete no, although i'm learning flips as a new trick i actually prefer jumping over, onto and vaulting stuff to just jumping up and down in one place doing one trick after another.

I could spends ages on a good set of steps or blocks and always find something harder to challenge me once i've done it one way.

[XarnuSonci]

definitely not all about flips, I've done them in a gym, and given access to a gym again i would love to perfect them, but inventing new tricks/combos, hitting new lines, and jumping on/over new things is what I focus on.  I wouldn't tried a little harder to get a gym if i really wanted to flip that bad.  As for the crowd thing, bocking for a crowd is all well and go, if they enjoy it and aren't yelling "do a back flip" i can get energy off that.  I don't thing that'll change even if i can do flips later, people like that are just annoying.  But my favorite bocking spot is def the fountain in Boston, which has an amazing variety of stuff to jump on, and almost no one bothers us.

There's also another aspect, I like to do things that not many others do, hence why I bock, but inside that, lots of people can flip, but I prefer coming up with crazy tricks that nobody else does, not yet at least.  But when I'm pushing myself to perfect a 540 split kick, its not cause i want to be like guys on youtube flipping down the street, its cause I don't think anybody else has even tried it.

Also I'd guess the reason people are flipping faster is cause they have access to the facilities faster.  A year ago, we all had to go find gyms, now that there are established clubs all over the place, people have gyms to go to as soon as they have bocks.  And if anyone who's been here a while says they wouldn't have tried to flip a month after getting their bocks if they had a gym then, I think they'd be lying.

[ricc]

IMHO bocking is so much more than being able to flip.

In terms of time actually on bocks, im a relative noob due to my illness. and so, for someone like me bocking is more about the sociable aspect of things. being out there with a like minded group of friends having a laugh and challenging yourself. in addition to which helping other to challenge themselves. whether thats learning to do basic things like spring grabs, jumping onto and off of different objects or harder things like flipping etc.

i guess that some of the younger members of the community may be interested in the bigger moves like flips etc, as its the sort of thing people do see on you tube etc and think, ''damn i want to do that''.

but theres so much more, just think how much fun it is when your just out, walking along with ure friends, jumping off random things you find along the way, maybe you find a cool spot where you can all try something new to yourself. variety. its the best thing ever and what makes that even better is the fact that the community itself has a very wide selection of skill sets.

dont get me wrong, i would love to be able to flip, but right now, ill settle for executing some tricks to the best of my ability. and then maybe, just maybe, ill think myself ready for such things.

[Sprog]

I want to learn to land my flips on hard ground as I see it as an achievement, not so I can then run off and do a flip whenever someone asks me to. Plus bocking is a lot more of a social thing to me, it doesn't matter who is "better" or "the best", it's about having fun and having a laugh with mates. As soon as it gets competetive I'll drop out of anything happening at meets simply because I see it as pointless and a little silly.

Ok so you can do a backflip, but you've only been doing it 6 months, whilst someone else has been going 2 years and can't flip. That doesn't necessarily make you better, as they probably have a much better jumping technique and can do other moves you can't, they simply lack the confidence to get past that fear barrier of the flip. Personally I see flips as a little boring, it's just one move and that's it, you can chain a lot more complex moves together without flipping. The only people I really enjoy sitting back and watching flip are Mattias, Micke and Jono.

I'd rather spend the day just jumping up and down on the steps in Cardiff Bay than doing backflips in the oval basin

[joe23002]

i guess that some of the younger members of the community may be interested in the bigger moves like flips etc, as its the sort of thing people do see on you tube etc and think, ''damn i want to do that''.

lol, i find this funny. Thats half the reason i bought them but, then i actually had a go on them and thought, "damn i wich i could just do a two footed bounce without falling over". As i progressed the wish became things like doing a move and so on.

I would love and i mean love to be able to do a flip but i, personally, would now settle with being able to do a simple split kick, lol. The sport is much harder than people think and for this reason it is definitely not all about flipping.

Joe

and yes i did over use the bold and italic feature of the website

[English Poweriser]

I will, but only if it happens to be little kids at the park or something, but even then, I can't flip, so, I just jump as high as I can for them. xD Most of them seem satisfied with that, but one smart little cookie said "But that's just jumping".

Generally, I'll stay seated pretending I'm fixing something on the bock, or trying to figure out why a little part in it feels loose, or what that part is. (Seriously, I have no idea...I think it's the hoof though). I may jump a little if someone comes up and talks, asking me about them, if I'm able to do anything, but if they are chavs, I'll just ignore them...if they happen to be nice chavs (or, around that age) I'll just say no, I've hurt my knee (which I did last time. I was hopping a little, and I didn't land it properly, bending my leg back a little, making it hurt. A lot.)

But no, I love running and bouncing around with them, sure, if I could flip, I would occasionally. But nah, I'm more of the shy bocker...which is almost a contradiction considering the amount of attention they get. : D

[Big Bad Bounce Boy]

flips arnt everything sure they look cool and there fun to learn but going back to basics is always good i can flip i only do it for shows and shizzle now still fun tho

[zipp]

I too voted NO.

Mastering the art of bocking, is far more complex than just flips.

The back flip is now prevalent in most extreme sports, and bocking is no different. It is always impressive to watch someone backflip, weather they be on a motoX, BMX, trampoline or bocks. It is definitely a crowd pleaser.

The jumping tricks where leg movement is involved, are difficult to master, as the weight of the bocks has to be considered and counterbalanced. This is not as easy as spectaters may think.

Running requires a good technique too, and i for one, have yet to find it.

But we keep going out, and we try to push our own limits, to reach our goals and then set new ones. If a flip is on your list, then go for it.
Ultimately, as mentioned above, i think we do it because it is a fun activity, and we have a niche group of mates that can relate to that.

[Claire]

well said Locky,  And Xs  thats wat steve keeps saying, i can just hear him now, ITS ABOUT STYLE AND PERFORMANCE NOT JUST A FLIP,lol.

[Becky]

I want to learn to flip, but i think i get more of a sense of achievement from learning other stuff!

I find the fact that people can jump up flights of stairs far more impressive than flips, cos I cant do it, and it scares me heaps more than flips do.

To non-flippers all flips look the same, where as jumping down and up stairs, doing trick jumps and jumping over objects all look different and can be made more difficult by changing the objects!

Yes flips are impressive, but the way I see it so is everything else we do on bocks!

Most people shout 'do a flip' cos they dont think people can actually do them, and most are just impressed by you jumping up and down!

I want to learn to flip as I love doing them on a trampoline and because I want to be able to do them, but I still think im gonna do more grabs and splits even if I ever learn to flip, cos they make better photos

[Redeemed]

Well, to be honest flips has always fascinated me.
Not just on bocks but also on bare ground with my own two feet, on trampolines and whatnot.
But it's obviously not the reason I started bocking, right now I'm just enjoying the fact that I get more control and balance on them, and the fact that I get more and more height.

[stevie]

What Claire said about my feelings on the subject is right, but,

yes in a performance people are wowed by flips, but it is just as important to have style and be able to look like your in control and perform stunts and tricks, and like Becky said tricks look great in a photo,

thats for a performance, for fun do what you like, but  you could do a triple front flip(as if) and they would still say so what els can you do,

one of the reasons people progress with flips now is because ther are so many to watch doing them, and watching, and training with people that can, is a good way of learning.

[FurryNipples]

I voted yes just to be different, but really it isn't. The only time flips really matter is when stupid people are watching and don't understand anything.

[coachgeo]

its just natural.  If rotation can be created..... some want to flip.



I got a list of 101 tramp things you can do w/out a flip. Some is loads harder than a flip.  but still..... just gotta flip.

No biggy...some flip, some dont.  Just respect and be happy for other folks pride in their accomplishments what eva they are.