Walk the Dog

freestyle freestyle difficulty 2/10
⚑ Report an issue ✎ Propose an edit

Sign in to add this trick to your list.

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

The signature freestyle footwork pattern, straight out of 1960s contest runs: one foot anchors on the board's midpoint as a pivot while the other foot steps onto the nose and sweeps the board through a 180-degree yaw beneath the body, moving the whole unit forward half a board-length with each cycle. The pivot foot bears the weight; the stepping foot swings the free end around it like a compass drawing semicircles. Feet alternate roles each cycle, crossing and uncrossing, so a good walk-the-dog looks like the board is gliding under a walking rider.

Step by step

  1. Roll slowly with one foot flat over the board's center and the other near the tail.
  2. Step the rear foot across to the nose, legs crossing.
  3. Weight the center foot as the pivot and sweep the nose foot through a 180, swinging the free end of the board around.
  4. Uncross as the board completes its half turn - the old nose now trails and the feet have swapped roles.
  5. Re-anchor the new center foot and step the other foot to the new nose.
  6. Chain cycles continuously, each 180 walking the board forward beneath you.

Body mechanics

Front footAlternates between anchor and stepper: as anchor it pivots flat over the deck's midpoint carrying the weight.
Back footAs the stepper it crosses to the nose and draws the semicircle, then becomes the next anchor.
ShouldersFace steadily forward; keeping them quiet while the legs cross is what makes the trick read as gliding.
ArmsRelaxed and low, swinging naturally like a walking gait to counter the leg crossing.
GazeAhead at the direction of travel, checking the board only in peripheral vision.