You see them on the sidelines of every Friday night game or under the blinding lights of a UCA competition. It looks effortless. A flyer stands on one leg, grinning at the crowd, while a single base holds her steady. People call it partner stunting. But honestly? Two person cheer stunts are basically physics experiments disguised as a sport. It is just one person holding another person in the air. There is no room for error. If the base’s foot is an inch off, the whole thing collapses. If the flyer’s core isn’t locked, she’s coming down hard.
It’s intense.
Most people think of cheerleading as a massive group effort with pyramids and baskets, but the two-person dynamic is where the real skill shows up. You don't have a back spot to catch you. You don't have a side base to help balance the weight. It is just you and your partner. This is why it’s often considered the pinnacle of collegiate cheer. Whether you’re watching the legendary squads at the University of Kentucky or just a local high school duo trying to level up, the mechanics remain the same. It’s about trust and raw strength.
The mechanics of the toss: It isn't just about lifting
Most beginners make the mistake of thinking two person cheer stunts are about bench-pressing a human being. It’s not. If you try to muscle a flyer up with just your arms, you’re going to blow out your shoulders by the end of the first week.
It’s all in the legs.
The "toss" is the foundation of almost every elite stunt. You start in a "dip." Both the base and the flyer have to be perfectly synchronized. If the base dips and the flyer doesn't, the timing is dead. If the flyer jumps too early, the base loses all their leverage. Think of it like a spring. You compress, then you explode upward. The base uses their entire lower body to drive the flyer into the air, while the flyer has to "stay tight."
"Staying tight" is cheer-speak for "don't turn into a noodle." If a flyer is loose, she becomes impossible to hold. She has to squeeze every muscle from her toes to her fingertips.
Why the "Cupie" is the ultimate test of balance
One of the most iconic two person cheer stunts is the Cupie, sometimes called a "multi." In this stunt, the base holds both of the flyer's feet in one single hand. The feet are squeezed together.
It looks like a trophy.
💡 You might also like: Cómo entender la tabla de Copa Oro y por qué los puntos no siempre cuentan la historia completa
The difficulty here is insane because the center of gravity is so high. For the base, the trick is to keep the arm locked out. You don't want to be "muscling" it; you want your bones to do the work. If your elbow is bent, you're toast. For the flyer, the Cupie requires a level of ankle stability that most people can't even imagine. You’re essentially standing on a moving platform that is also a human hand.
High-level variations: From the walk-in to the rewind
Once you master the basic toss to hands, things get weird. You start looking at entries like the "walk-in." This is exactly what it sounds like. The flyer walks toward the base, places her hands on their shoulders, and the base grabs her waist or feet to transition directly into a stunt. It’s fluid. It’s fast. It’s also very easy to mess up if the spacing is wrong.
Then there’s the Rewind.
The Rewind is a "pro-level" move. The flyer does a backflip from the ground and is caught by the base in a stunt, usually at the top in a stunt like a heel stretch or a liberty. It’s terrifying to watch the first time you see it live. There is a split second where the flyer is completely unsupported in the air, flipping, hoping that when she comes around, her base's hands will be exactly where they need to be.
The psychological toll of the two-person dynamic
Let’s talk about the mental side of this. In a full stunt group, if someone misses a grip, there are three other people to help save the flyer. In two person cheer stunts, if the base misses, the flyer hits the floor.
Period.
This creates a very specific kind of bond. You see it at the NCA College Nationals in Daytona. Partner stunt pairs spend hundreds of hours together. They know each other's breathing patterns. They know exactly how the other person reacts when they’re tired. If a base is having an "off" day, the flyer feels it immediately.
There's no hiding.
📖 Related: Ohio State Football All White Uniforms: Why the Icy Look Always Sparks a Debate
The flyer's perspective on fear
People think flyers are fearless. They aren't. They just know how to manage the adrenaline. When you’re twelve feet in the air and you feel the base’s hand wobble, your instinct is to look down.
Don't look down.
As soon as a flyer looks down, her shoulders follow. Her weight shifts forward. She falls. A flyer has to have absolute, blind faith that no matter what happens, her base is going to get under her. Even if the stunt is failing, a good base will sacrifice their own body to make sure the flyer doesn't hit the turf. I've seen bases take elbows to the face and knees to the chest just to ensure their flyer lands on her feet.
Common injuries and how to actually avoid them
Because two person cheer stunts involve so much weight on such small joints, injuries are common. But they’re also preventable.
Wrist strains are the big one for bases. If you’re holding a 110-pound human on your palms, your wrists are taking a beating. Many bases use heavy-duty athletic tape or specialized wrist braces to keep the joint from hyperextending.
For flyers, it’s usually ankles and lower back issues. Landing from a high-level stunt puts a lot of force on the joints. If the flyer doesn't "absorb" the landing by bending her knees, that shock goes straight to her spine.
- Strengthen your core: Not just sit-ups. You need rotational strength.
- Work on shoulder mobility: If you can't reach your arms straight up without arching your back, you aren't ready to base.
- Ankle prehab: Use resistance bands. Balance on one leg while brushing your teeth. It sounds stupid, but it works.
The evolution of the sport
Cheer has changed. Back in the day, it was more about the "rah-rah" and the pom-poms. Now, it’s basically acrobatics. The introduction of the STUNT as a varsity sport has pushed the technicality of two person cheer stunts even further. There are now specific "levels" and "counts" that must be followed. It’s clinical.
But the heart of it is still that old-school partner stunting.
👉 See also: Who Won the Golf Tournament This Weekend: Richard T. Lee and the 2026 Season Kickoff
If you go to a gym like Top Gun or GymTyme, you’ll see pairs working on "spinning" entries. Full-ups, where the flyer spins 360 degrees while being tossed into the air, used to be the gold standard. Now, people are doing "one-and-a-half-ups" or "double-ups." The physics of catching a spinning person while keeping your own balance is mind-boggling.
Practical steps for getting started
If you’re reading this and thinking about trying it, don't just grab a friend and start tossing them in the backyard. That is how people end up in the ER.
1. Find a qualified coach. You need someone who understands "spotting." A spotter is a third person who stands by to catch the flyer if things go south. You should never, ever learn a new two-person stunt without a spotter.
2. Master the "prep" first. A prep is when the flyer is held at shoulder level. It’s the training wheels of stunting. If you can't hold a steady prep for 30 seconds, you have no business trying to go to "extension" (arms fully locked out above the head).
3. Focus on the dismount. Most injuries happen on the way down. Learn how to "pop" the flyer off and how she should "cradle" or land. A "cradle" is when the base catches the flyer in their arms. It requires a lot of coordination to ensure the flyer doesn't kneed the base in the groin or elbow them in the throat.
4. Record yourself. Use your phone to film your reps. When you’re in the middle of a stunt, you can’t see what your body is doing. Watching the playback will show you that, hey, your feet are too wide, or your flyer is leaning too far back.
5. Drill the basics until they’re boring. The best partner stunters in the world still practice basic tosses. They do it until the muscle memory is so deep they could do it in their sleep.
Two person cheer stunts are a brutal, beautiful part of the sport. They require the strength of a weightlifter, the balance of a gymnast, and the timing of a dancer. It’s a lot. But when you finally hit that perfect Cupie and the crowd goes wild? There is no better feeling in the world. Just remember: keep your core tight, look at the horizon, and for the love of everything, don't let go of her feet.