Headstand

invert freestyle difficulty 6/10

roll 0° yaw 0° pitch 0° body 0°

Shown for a regular-footed rider. Teal ring + arrow = the rider's facing direction; teal band = the tail; a dot is where a hand holds the board - bright yellow for the front hand, amber for the back one, which is the whole difference between a mute and an indy. Board and rider rotate independently - each follows its own component. Drag to orbit.

How it works

An inverted balance with the crown of the head planted on the deck and the hands gripping the rails or deck beside it, forming the classic gymnastic tripod - a staple of 1960s-70s freestyle routines that modern skaters like Andy Anderson have revived. The tripod's wide base makes static balance easier than a handstand, but the rolling board punishes it: with the neck loaded, corrections must come from hand pressure alone, since the head cannot shift. Usually performed stationary or at a slow, dead-straight roll.

Step by step

Kneel beside the stationary or slow-rolling board and place the crown of the head on the deck's centerline.
Set both hands on the rails (or deck) behind the head to complete a wide tripod.
Walk the feet in and stack the hips over the tripod's centroid.
Lift the legs together to vertical, moving slowly so the rolling base is never shock-loaded.
Hold the line with hand pressure - the hands, not the neck, make every correction.
Lower the legs with control, unweight the head, and step off or back onto the deck.

Body mechanics

Front foot	Rises with the back foot to a joined vertical line; pointing the toes keeps the mass column tight.
Back foot	Mirrors the front foot; lowering one leg at a time is the controlled exit.
Shoulders	Engaged and pressing down through the hands so the arms, not the cervical spine, carry most of the load.
Arms	Tripod struts: they bear weight and make all pitch, roll and steering corrections on the rolling deck.
Gaze	Fixed on a point on the ground just beyond the board - the head cannot move, so the eyes do the spotting.