Many people think its a joke, but freestyle walking is a real sport! Its
wicked cool. While it does involve running and jumping and stuff most of the tricks involve grabs or grinds.
A grab is a jump where the person jumping (hereafter the jumper) grabs part of their body in mid-air (no, not like that). Grabs are typically combined with spins or are done over obstacles. If a person is really good they might even throw in a flip or handspring or some other gymnastic maneuver. For example, a friend of mine often tries to do a 180 kick grab overf picnic tables. He gets hurt alot.
The real challenge in freestyle walking however is grinding. There is a company, called
Soap, that produces special sneakers with plastic plates on the bottom. By running and jumping onto a rail or ledge one can grind for a surprising distance. This is generally considered loads of fun.