A lot of this is nothing that any freestyler today would call “freestyle”. I think there is one kickflip, and maybe a shove-it in here, some toe spins. Lots of sliding and 360s.

This was a big contest that included banked slalom as well as bowl riding in a massive vertical bowl.

When I see this video, it makes me feel like I am living a few decades to late. Actually, I was around back then. I was 15, and not in the right place.  By this time, I was pretty good, and to some extent, this is how I skated. Weird for  landlocked Texas geek to ride this way. I think I still kind of skate like this.

Anyway, with regard to the term “bank freestyle”, maybe these days “bank riding” might be more appropriate. I don’t know. Anyway, this is cool. There is very little footage of Peralta skating banks, or any of these guys for that matter.  In my mind this is “true” bank skating, if such a thing exists.

My friend Gumby commented on the Youtube page to help identify the skaters.

1978 California Free Former Professional Bank & Bowl contest. Nov. 24-26, 1978 – Runway skatepark, Carson CA. Covered in Skateboarder magazine, March 1979 and CBS Sports Spectacular. Video in order – Stacy Peralta, Mike Weed, Dennis Martinez, Ty Page. Results – 1st Weed, 2nd Peralta, 3rd Page. Awesome!

A couple of things that were notable to me. At 1:07, Mike Weed does fakie 360 into a kickflip to fakie into a fakie 360. Really, really smooth stuff. Then at 2:36, Ty Page does slide to fakie, fakie 720, pirouette into a 540, then toe spin into 540, all amazingly fluid.

Anyway, check it out.