@Ivanlifee: A 6-year-old Freestyle Scootering Champ in the Making
Freestyle scootering continues to be popular and makes waves across the young generation, and @ivanlifee is no exception! This young, rising talent started scooter riding at the tender age of four, and has been pulling off epic stunts ever since. With his latest triumph of landing a double tail whip at the skatepark, we’re sure to see this amazing scooter rider shred more stunts as he advances!
We interviewed Ivan and his dad to learn about how they got started out in freestyle scootering— read on to find out how Ivan’s story started and how it’s going!
What's on your checklist when choosing the best stunt scooter for you?
First is build quality– you need to rely on a stunt scooter when doing tricks. Weight of the stunt scooter is also important, especially for young kids as weight makes a big difference when they start learning tricks. Scooter look is also a factor, as it has to look good to keep riding on it. Lastly, maintenance is important– less maintenance is always better and cost-effective.
Also, for 99% of buyers, SIZE will be a VERY IMPORTANT factor when buying a scooter. Unfortunately, all small-sized stunt scooters are made for beginners but not for experienced riders.
What is Ivan’s favourite stunt scooter trick?
Ivan loves the Tail Whip. It’s the first real scooter trick he did when he was 4 years old. At 5 years old, Ivan landed his Double Tail Whip, and it’s our best trick so far! Though Ivan said that he loves pretty much all tricks, he still wants to do 4 whips.
How was Ivan’s experience with the GS 900 DELUXE? What’s the best thing he likes about the GS 900 DELUXE stunt scooter?
When Ivan saw the GS 900 DELUXE for the first time on the Globber website, he said, “Wow, I love it! I want it!” He likes the colour combinations, the wheels, and the fact that it also rides well & fast. It has a very good build quality and system set-up. Also, after using it for some time, the stunt scooter still rides very quiet, which means it’s great quality.
What made Ivan choose freestyle scootering over other sports?
Ivan was 1 year and 7 months old when he got his first scooter, which was then a 3-wheel scooter. He first started riding at home, and then slowly outside. After he got some confidence, we went to our local skatepark where we watched older riders scooting. After seeing the riders, Ivan wanted a 2-wheel scooter instead of a 3-wheel scooter, and that’s when he got his first green basic stunt scooter.
The rest is history – Ivan could stay in the skatepark for 6-8 hours and enjoy riding, progressing, making friends and having fun. Freestyle scootering was Ivan's first sport that he tried and loved right away.
How did freestyle scootering impact Ivan’s life ever since he started it?
When Ivan started riding in skateparks, he was the youngest rider in the park. It took time to learn the park rules (e.g.how rider flow goes), but Ivan was able to follow the park riders’ rules and it helped that 99% of our local riders knew Ivan and ALWAYS let him ride first.
He learned new tricks and made new friends easily! On the parents’ side, it was our job to go to the skatepark EVERY DAY (if it is warm and dry) - BUT it’s the best work ever because it makes my kid so HAPPY! As Ivan's dad, after I saw some progression in his riding, I started posting videos on Instagram where we were opened to a HUGE world of SCOOTERING, with so many friendly riders worldwide who help and support each other even from other countries.
In 2020, Ivan went to Dubai to meet 4-time Scooter World Champion Dakota Schuetz and famous scooter influencer Claudius Vertessi. It was so nice to see that in every park we went to, some scooter riders were already familiar with Ivan from Instagram videos.
Some parents are quite sceptical for their kids to try freestyle scootering because of safety. Coming from a pro rider such as yourself, what do you want to tell them in this regard?
Thank you for the "pro rider" - Ivan is still working on that title trying to learn more tricks and do competition! Regarding SAFETY, yes, there is a chance to fall and hurt like in any other sport, but if you wear a scooter helmet with knee and elbow pads you will be SAFE. Safety was the most important factor when Ivan started riding outside of our home.
Ivan learned how to balance and control first at home, then gradually moved on to streets and different surfaces at much higher speeds! And only after then did he get to ride in the skatepark. Skateparks are always busy if the weather is nice and the surface is dry. At skateparks, you first need to learn how and where it is safe to ride! Park riders' flow directions are the key to not being crushed by somebody by accident. After Ivan learned park flow, we found a small quiet place (small bowl) in the park and just started from there.
What advice would you give to other kids who want to try freestyle scootering?
Sooner or later you will probably start riding a scooter, so why wait? Go get your stunt scooter and safety gear today and enjoy the world of scootering!
Catch Ivan shred the skatepark with his epic stunt scooter tricks at @ivanlifee on Instagram, and get started on your freestyle scootering journey by checking out our GS series stunt scooters! Our GS series range has stunt scooters for beginner, intermediate and advanced riders from age 6+ to adults!
