Offset wheels are the standard for freestyle. This ensures that the axle and nut remain protected during rail tricks, as well as allowing the maximum amount of room for your foot on truck stands. Ideally, you want your wheels lined up perfectly with your rails, so the board sits level on its’ side for rail flips.

Freestyle boards are generally under eight inches wide (industry standard being approximately 7.4 inches), with a shorter wheelbase than your standard street setup. They come in a variety of shapes as well, each offering advantages and disadvantages.

To simplify, most traditional freestyle decks were single kicks with a squared tail (like this), which evolved into boards with both a kick nose and a squared tail (like this). Finally, you have the most recent innovation, the twin kick. They feature a fully symmetrical design, with a matching nose and tail. An important feature these all share is a relatively straight rail (edge), tapered to facilitate rail flips.

Skids are technically optional, but there’s a reason almost every freestyle skater uses them. They make your board last way longer and save you a lot of money in the long run. They prevent razor tail and provide extra structural stability for things like pogos when installed correctly.