Style vs Hardcore

[Adi]

Style or hardcore, that is the question.

I'm starting to get tired of hardcore freestyle.  People are trying to pull off a bunch of "impossible" combos but half of them look like shit.  Let's face it... there is too much of a focus on hardcore.  Style is being pushed to the side and freestyle football is getting uglier if you ask me.

I think freestylers need to tone it down a bit.  Focus on style and perfection.  Make freestyle look sexy instead of looking like you are spazzing out.

Seriously, it's becoming an issue.  This even applies to top freestylers... sometimes you pull of hardcore combos with style, but most of the time it doesn't look all that great.  Yes, it's an achievement to do a crazy combo, but you still need style and composure.  I'd rather see nice style and execution, than unclean combos. 

There aren't many stylish videos anymore.  Most videos out there are just attempts at hard combos... style is put on the backburner.  Really ruins the enjoyment of videos.  Hardcore videos get boring if they are longer than 30 seconds.  On the other hand, great style can be watched for 3-5 minutes.  Just look at the video Abbas released last year.  So stylish, sexy, and unique... freestylers should take a lesson from that.

[redsforlife]

This is kind of the wrong use of style. Hardcore would be a style. The complaint you are having with hardcore videos is the execution of the tricks. It's very difficult very many freestylers to have good execution when they are doing very hard tricks.

Now, getting away from the use of the word style. I 100% agree with your point. The current freestyle scene seems to be majority fans of hardcore and hardcore only. This stuff is great and all, but it's not everything. I like seeing different and new exciting things. One more revolution isn't that exciting, because it's not that creative. I wanna see things that not many people have thought of before. Abbas's showreel video last year is a great example. He went out with the task of performing tricks that haven't been done before.

I think the key is managing to mix the two. You can push the limits and be creative too. You just need to think outside the box some time. Think of a new way to do something. This competition on who can get the best combos is great, but it's boring when that's all you see. Show me something new.

[Adi]

This is kind of the wrong use of style. Hardcore would be a style. The complaint you are having with hardcore videos is the execution of the tricks. It's very difficult very many freestylers to have good execution when they are doing very hard tricks.

Yeah, I guess I worded it incorrectly.  I was referring to the focus on style rather than continued development of hardcore tricks.  For example, I think freestylers should work on mastering combos and adding style to them instead of doing a hardcore combo decently, then moving on to another more difficult combos.  

I think people like to brag about the combos they have landed instead of mastering a combo and adding their own style to it.  My point is that people should focus on style and put their own exclamation mark on each combo instead of barely doing it right, then moving on to an even more difficult combo.  It makes for sloppy, average, repetitive, and boring freestyle.

I like seeing different and new exciting things. One more revolution isn't that exciting, because it's not that creative. I wanna see things that not many people have thought of before.

Spot on.

[redsforlife]

90% of freestylers use the word "style" wrong every time they use it. It's something you almost have to become used to in the community.

My opinion is that as a freestyler, you should try to create your own style, not just try to match or beat others combos. Some freestylers have done a great job at this. Michryc is a great example of a freestylers that is primarily lowers that does this. He really has his own style of tricks and combos. The problem is he is the minority that does this. Most of the freestylers focus only on the competing on landing combos.

[Kako]

Hardcore 100%

[Adi]

My opinion is that as a freestyler, you should try to create your own style, not just try to match or beat others combos. Some freestylers have done a great job at this. Michryc is a great example of a freestylers that is primarily lowers that does this. He really has his own style of tricks and combos. The problem is he is the minority that does this. Most of the freestylers focus only on the competing on landing combos.

Exactly.  Michryc knows what's up.  He does the difficult stuff but he focuses on style more.  Everything he does is sexy.

I'm really wondering how much people appreciate Michryc's style.  I know people like his stuff, but do they like it as much as Ethan's hardcore videos?  Ethan is great, but I would always chose a Michryc video over his... no offense intended.  I think I'm the minority however with this opinion.  I think most prefer Ethan's videos over Michryc's.

Am I wrong with that assumption?

[redsforlife]

Michryc is of the level that I think everyone enjoys his stuff. He is hardcore, but he has his own style as well. I would agree with you about that. Most people within the freestyle community would go nuts over a Ethan, Skora, or Akim lowers combos video much more than anything by Michryc.

Szymo is another freestyler I really like for his ability to be hardcore and creative in everything he does. He has both hardcore and creative tricks for lowers, sits, uppers, and he even does some grounds.

Now, my memory from Prague is that more people were just interested into whatever hard combo someone like Skora, FX, Rocco, etc. could do. Obviously, Szymo can compete with all of them in combos, but it's not his preference. Oli asked him and Skora if they had  a preference after their final battle. Skora said lowers which got loud cheers. Szymo said I focus on all aspects of freestyle to more or less no reaction.

I'm afraid this is just how the majority of the community is at the moment. You can compare it to popular music as well. Most of the stuff that is popular is just the bland overdone stuff. Most of the songs on pop radio sound the same. The creative and different style of modern music for the most part stay underground. Why it's this way, I'll never truly understand.

[Adi]

It's a shame though... more guys should work on improving their style and how their combos or general freestyle looks, rather than trying to push on to the next hardcore combo before even knowing the combo before properly.  I know the elite freestylers have both most of the time (style and ability to do hardcore moves), but the mid-level or good freestylers are focusing too much on hardcore instead of the execution and style/look of their freestyle.

[redsforlife]

Some do, but not all. There are guys considered top freestylers that are really one dimensional. That 1 dimension is typically spectacular, so I can't really criticize them. Overall though, I don't rate them as much as all around freestylers.

One other note. I'm PATW and LTATW now    I  wanna freeze my level to New Shit. Much cooler trick move, and I can actually do it.

[jabarinho]

i already said my view on this in a previous thread, but i will say it again. I prefer to see something really impressive, limits being pushed etc, rather than something entertaining. I like vids with great style, flow, smoothness etc but not as much as a hardcore vid.

Of course, i don't want to see ugly nt combos where the guy is stretching 10 feet in the air for every trick. But guys like Akim, Ethan, MP etc who push the limits and do most tricks clean and smooth are very nice to watch. But while pushing these limits not every trick will look smooth, which is understandable.

I think most freestylers started fsing to do something cool/impressive, not really to be stylish. But there are some freestylers who want to entertain and put style as priority.

[redsforlife]

Here's another point. The limits can be pushed in areas other than lowers as well. Most freestylers don't try it, but there are some. Sits and uppers can be hardcore as well. I think grounds possibly can be too, but maybe a bit harder. Need more people training them.

[Miran Pirner]

90% of freestylers use the word "style" wrong every time they use it. It's something you almost have to become used to in the community.

Style can have several meanings, depending on the context, so even though I'd definitely agree that it gets over(ab)used and misused quite a bit, I wouldn't agree that 90% don't use it correctly.

On topic: I agree that style, as well as trick execution is being somewhat neglected nowadays, in favor of faster improvement, harder tricks, etc.. Most of the guys that are getting positive comments about their style nowadays would've gotten their fair share of "work on your style" comments on SG back in 2006 or 2007 or would've even been laughed about because of it.

Jason put it well in his last post, it basically comes down to the fact that this kind of stuff is mainstream and therefor gets the most attention within the community itself. Also, there are very few people who are actually critical, the vast majority just lick ass and praise someone, disregarding any potential negatives, like bad trick execution, bad style, etc..

The positive thing about all of it is that guys who are different, like MichRyc, stand out more and thus, get more appreciation.

@jabarinho: WTF does this topic have to do with entertainment? The topic is not about show vs. technicality, but rather about a shitload of guys doing exactly what you mentioned, pulling off incredibly hard tricks, just for the sake of the difficulty, with barely any style, flow, variety or originality.

http://www.youtube.com/user/forzaitaliayoyo/videos

This is exactly the kind of stuff we're talking about. "SKMATW" attempt, but can't even put together a decent combo, lol.