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Stunts are defined as building performances displaying a person's skill or dexterity. Stunting in cheerleading has been previously referred to as building pyramids. Stunts range from basic two-legged stunts to one-legged extended stunts and high flying basket tosses. There are numerous variations of each basic stunt. They can be hard, but not for me!

A stunt group usually involves up to four bases holding or tossing another cheerleader in the air. In general, there are a variety of stunts that take up to 4 bases and some that only require one or two!! Pyramids are multiple groups of stunts connected aerially by the flyers. This connection may be made in a variety of ways, from a simple linking of hands to having a multi-level pyramid, with the flyers already in the air acting as primary bases for another flyer or flyers on top of them.

Athletes involved

Bases

Cheerleaders that stay on the ground providing the primary support for the flyer during a stunt. Bases should always look up at the flyer, keep a flat back (good posture), and make sure the flyer never hits the ground. Bases can be male or female. The bases are usually 2 females or 1 male. There is a main base and a secondary base. Depending on what leg the flyer flies on, the main base will be on the side. Bases mainly use support from their legs while performing a stunt.

Flyer

Person that is up in a stunt in the air. This is the person that is commonly the main focus of the stunt. Flyer's muscles are to stay tight throughout the entire stunt. The flyer is usually female, but can be male. Facial expressions are key for gaining crowd support and points at competition for flyers.This person goes up in the air. The flyers are usually small, light and acrobatic.

Back Spot

The person at the back of the stunt, helping the flyer into the stunt. They are responsible for staying in contact, and watching for any hazards throughout the stunt. The spotter has the responsibility of always catching the flyer if she is going to fall. This stunter is always taller than the bases, and always has a tight grip, pulling upwards, around the flyers ankles, holding them in the bases hands.

Front Spot

The person at the front of a stunt that helps lift the flier. Acceptable places for front spots hands to be are on the wrists of the bases, or the ankles or bottom of the foot of the flyer. Not all stunts have front spots. They are mainly for stunts that are new to the flyer, or to help with supporting an unbalanced stunt.

Additional Spotter

This person does not actually touch the stunt unless something goes wrong. The free standing spot can stand behind, in front, or beside the stunt. Arms are up in the air and eyes stay on the stunt at all times even though the stunt is not touched. In the event the flyer goes off path, and is out of reach of it's stunt group, the additional spotter then moves in catching the flyer in these such situations.

Cupie

In single base stunting, the base holds both the flyer's feet with one hand in an extended overhead position or in multi-base stunting, two bases hold flyer's feet together at full extension level. The Cupie is almost identical to the Full Extension except that the flyers feet are together.

Prep

A stunt in which flyer stands with each foot in the hands of a base at shoulder level. The two bases, facing each other, hold the feet of the upright flyer at collar-bone level, about shoulder-width apart. The backspot holds the calves or ankles of the flyer. A front spot is optional and may be used to secure the stunt by the shins of the flyer. An Extension Prep can serve as a stunt in itself, or as the transition point between other, more complicated, stunts. It is also called a Prep and a Half in some regions.

Extension

"Second level" of an "elevator". Flyer stands with each foot in the hands of a base withs arms are in an extended overhead position. The Extension is similar in form to the Extension Prep except that the bases arms are now fully extended upright and locked. The backspot can either hold the ankles of the flyer. This is also called a high in some regions.

Split-lift

Two bases hold the flyer's legs at the knee area. They then slowly walk apart until the flyer is in a mid-air split. Also called a Royal Sit in some regions.

One Legged Stunts

Liberty

One or more bases holds up the flyer by the foot and the flyer balances weight on one that straight leg. The flyer's other leg is bent with the foot positioned at about the knee level of the flyer nestling it alongside the standing leg's knee. The name of this stunt is often shortened to 'Lib'.

Scorpion

This is a liberty variation facing the side. One or more bases holds up the flyer by the foot and the flyer balances weight on one that straight leg. The flyer then grabs the loose foot and bends that leg upward behind the body until the toes are close to the back of the head, a position resembling a scorpion's tail. The foot is secured in place by the opposite hand.

Scale

This is a liberty variation facing the side. One or more bases extend one of the flyer's feet. The flyers other leg is held by the flyers hand to the side and the leg is fully extended. Called a Skate or Skater in some regions.

Torch

The stunt group faces a side (not forward) and the flyer performs a Liberty, with her body turned outward.

Heel Stretch

Variation of a liberty. It is a stunt in which the base/bases holds one foot of the flyer while she holds the other foot in an elevated stretch position with her same hand.

Bow and Arrow

Variation of a liberty. This is a stunt very similar to the heel stretch. Base/bases hold one of the flyers feet and she holds the other. Flyer hold left foot with right hand or vice versa. The flyer grabs her instep and holds leg very close to her face. Then taking the unused arm and crossing in front and pointing. This stunt requires a lot of flyer flexibility and timing coordination.

Arabesque

Variation of a liberty facing the side. It is a stunt in which the base/bases holds one foot of the flyer while she extends the other leg behind her, making a 90 degree angle with her standing leg, extending her leg as close to horizontal as possible while keeping her torso vertical as well. Flyer must not drop her chest, to prevent falling.

Needle

Variation of liberty facing the side. The main difference in a regular scale and a needle is the flyers position in the air. Where in a normal scale the chest is either parallel or higher then the hip on the supporting leg, a needle scale the chest is down beside the main support leg. Also, the leg that was supported by hands in a regular scale is now "free" and is pointing to near as north or "12 oclock" as flexibility allows the flyer to obtain. The flyer also maintains balance by holding onto the bases hands and her own ankle. Sometimes called a spike. It is called a scale in gymnastics.

Chinstrap

Variation of scorpion. The flyer tucks her leg in between her chest and chin and holds it there while her hands are hitting a high V. Also called a chinchin in some regions.

Transitions and dismounts

Basket toss

A basket toss is an advanced stunt in which the bases propel the flyer upwards (10-30+ feet) from the loading position. It is a toss by a maximum of two bases a back spot and sometimes a front spot, of a top straight up in the air so the flyer can perform a trick (toe touch, ball-out, twist, tuck, kick double, pike, etc.) and then land back in a cradle position.

Cradle

Dismount from a stunt in which the base/bases toss the flyer straight up from a stationary stunt then catch the flyer in a seated pike position.

Dismount

A way to return the flyer to the floor or complete a stunt.

Squish

Two bases will each hold a different foot of a flyer at their waist level. The flyer is squatted down so the flyer is not taller than the bases. This is how the flyer loads in to the stunt, before jumping and pushing off the bases shoulders, and the bases drive their arms upwards and extend the flyer. Also called a Sponge in some regions.

Reload

When a stunt is extended in the air, and then goes back down into a load-in position placing both feet in the bases hands, if previously in a one-footed stunt, and being pushed back upwards into another stunt. Also known as a retake in some regions.

Full-down

The flyer is in a one or two-legged stunt (prep level or extension), and when it is time to cradle, just twist over your left shoulder. It's as simple as that!!!!

Half-up

The bases cross arms on the bottom. As flyer steps in she steps in crossed at the knees as the bases extend to extension prep or extension they uncross arms. Making it look like the flyer is twisting in the air.

Show and go

Two bases will each hold a different foot of a flyer and bring it up to a full extension. The flyer only stays up for two counts and returns back into a squish position. Also known as 'fake-outs' or 'flashes'.

Tick-Tock

When a flyer switches the foot being stood on in mid air after being popped by bases.

Full Twist Cradle

Variation on a pop cradle. It is a dismount from a stunt in which the base/bases toss the flyer straight up from a stationary stunt, the flyer does a 360 degree turn in the air, and then the bases catch her in a cradle position. Called a Single Down, Single, or Full Down in some Regions.

Reload

A transition that connects two stunts when a flyer cradles out of the first stunt, and the bases dip and pop the flyer back into a load position. A similar stunt is a barrel role. Sometimes called a 'cradle pop'.

Spider-man stunt: You do a show-n-go then one base keeps the fliers foot in a prep level and the other base supports the fliers leg that goes in a full knee lock and bounces then they go back up to a prep and twists down!

360 up

A variation on the double take in which the flyer does a full turn in the air in between stunts while staying in contact with the bases. Also called a Full up is some regions.

2 ½ High Stunts

2 ½ people high is defined as 2.5 body-lengths, not the number of people stacked. An example of 2.5 high is one person held at extended level, and another held at waist level. The various 2 ½ high stunts include but are not limited to: leap frog

• The A-Frame
• Swedish Fall
• 2-2-1
• 2-1-1
• Table Top
• Wolf Wall
• High Split
• High Chair (also high hands, lib, cupie, etc.)

References

• Cheerleading