Scooter Lingo - Volume 2

Jeremy Cathcart definitely knows what “sick”, “beast”, and “boost” mean. He’s also pretty familiar with “flow”. :o)

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We had a lot of fun with our tongue-in-cheek, yet informative, Scooter Lingo - Volume 1 article which resulted in quite a few web hits and some positive feedback. This article, volume 2, covers a few more terms that you’ll hear from scooter kids around the skate park. Don’t forget the 3 most important terms from volume 1: legit, dialed, and steezy. :o)

snake
verb

1. To block or steal someone else’s line for an obstacle.

   This is a lesson that all scooter kids need to learn: wait your turn and respect others’ lines. Most often this occurs when younger kids aren’t paying attention to everyone else and they don’t wait for the appropriate opening to take their turn. This can be an issue between scooter riders, but it is also a big concern between scooter kids and bikers and skateboarders.

   Hey man, don’t snake me! Look out so you don’t snake that biker. I was trying to hit that hip but I just got snaked.

flyout
noun

1. A type of trick performed by airing out of a quarterpipe or bowl and landing on the flat deck beyond the coping or ledge.

   Most beginners learn tricks riding flyout because it allows them to get significant air for learning tricks with a safe, flat landing. Some older riders look down on this type of riding because it is easier to land flat than it is to land on the downside of another ramp or quarterpipe.

   Do you want to go ride some flyout with me? I’m going to practice my flyout bri-flips over there. I’ve had enough flyout for today, so let’s go ride some street.

boost
verb

1. To air out of a quarter pipe or bowl with the goal of going as high as possible.

   Some competitions even have “boost off” events, which are the equivalent of high-jump competitions for scooters and often incorporate a measuring device to assess the height of each rider’s air. Boost can also be a noun referring to a specific air.

   Let’s go boost that half-pipe. Did you see Jeremy boost that bowl? My last boost wasn’t nearly as high as yours was.

flow
noun

1. A rider’s style of moving through obstacles and transitions as well as the amount of the possible obstacles used.

   A rider’s style is often judged, whether by friends or at a competition, based on the quality of their flow. If a rider sticks to a small number of obstacles and the lines are broken and disjointed, he may be described as having poor flow. If a rider is clearing obstacles cleaning, carrying momentum, and using a large percentage of the possible obstacles, then he may be described as having great flow.

   I didn’t think Brian had very good flow through that line. I need to work on my flow over that pyramid. Jimmy may have had the backflip, but Mark had much better flow, so it’s hard to say who will win.

tech
verb

1. Short for technical; describes how intricately skilled a rider is or the level of intricate skill required to perform a certain trick.

   Riders will describe the quality of another rider’s skill as tech. They may also refer to an obstacle or a line as being tech in reference to it’s difficulty.

   Josh is definitely tech. Be careful, that rail is really tech. I’m going to need to practice a lot more before I’m that tech.

beast
verb

1. A way to describe something as big and good.

   Riders will describe tricks, parts, parks, and other riders as beast. This usually means that whatever they are talking about is huge, gutsy, or awesome..

   That 900 was beast! I want to get that new Phoenix fork; it’s so beast. That gap is beast!

sketchy/sketch
verb

1. Something that is dangerous or of poor quality; not trustworthy. The opposite of legit in many cases.

   If an obstacle is dangerous, riders may describe it as sketch or sketchy. If something isn’t stable or of good quality, it may be described as sketchy.

   There’s no way I’m grinding that sketchy rail. Don’t sell to that sketchy guy if you expect to get your money. Dropping in on that ramp is sketch when it’s wet.

dope/dank/sick
verb

1. Describing something that is good, positive, and/or awesome.

   Coming from the skate and surf world (and probably half a dozen other cultures), dope, dank, and sick are typical representatives of negative terms used to describe something in a positive way as popularized in the 1980s.

   The new Phoenix Reventon is sick! That bri-flip you’re doing is dope! That is one dank line you’re hitting

dubstep
noun

1. A type of electronic music extremely popular with scooter kids, among others.

   Dubstep music is characterized by heavy bass that is often a “wobble” bass (which sounds like “wow-wow-wow…”) and distorted glitchy sounds. Sometimes classic oldies tracks or other popular music tracks will be remixed over heavy electronic bass lines.

   I want my next edit to have dubstep for the track. Have you heard that new dubstep song from Skrillex? My iPod has nothing but dubstep on it.

finna
verb

1. A slang contraction of “fixing to” as in “planning to”.

   Finna has somehow gone from being a rural expression to a way of speaking in the scooter world. “Fixing to” becomes “fixin’ ta” which becomes “fixin’a” and finally “finna”, if you want to try to understand how “fixing to” was shortened to “finna”.

   I’m finna by some new bars. Are you finna go to ride street tonight? I’m finna give my brother my old deck so he can upgrade from that Razor scooter.

bustin’ cakes
verb

1. Crashing on your butt.

   As explained to me by JP from Inward Scooters, “cakes” is a term coined by Zig Short referring to one’s butt. “Bustin’ cakes”, which is the title of the latest Inward Scooter’s team video, then refers to crashing and landing on your butt.

   I was really tired and I spent the whole day bustin’ cakes. Oh man, my cakes are killin’ me after that fall. Get up off your cakes and let’s go ride!

homie
noun

1. A friend you can trust.

   A shortening of “home boy”, homie refers to a friend that you can trust and has your back.

   Kody Geiger is such a homie. Come on, homie, let me try your new scoot! Be a homie and give me one of those McNuggets.

Well, that’s all I have for right now. I’m not sure if there will be a volume 3 yet, but I’ll start collecting terms if I run across any. I hope you’ve had fun with these articles. Remember, kids, your parents probably have no idea what you’re talking about, so let share this article with them so you can have hip parents who know all the lingo. ;o)