Skateboarding

Legendary Tricks 2

By Steve Badillo

Tracks Publishing

Copyright © 2010 Doug Werner Steve Badillo
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-884654-35-0

Contents

Acknowledgements,
Origins,
Why Do I Skateboard?,
Early Tricks,
01 Handstand,
02 Daffy,
03 Acid Drop/Bomb Drop,
04 Slappy,
05 Manual,
Duane Peters,
06 Sweeper,
07 Disaster,
08 Layback Grind,
09 The Loop,
Inverts,
10 Eggplant,
11 Frontside Invert,
12 Phillips 66,
Vert Airs,
13 Mute Air,
14 Caballerial,
15 Judo Air,
16 Stalefish,
17 McTwist,
18 Rodeo Flip,
Freestyle,
19 Primoslide,
Grinds,
20 Feeble Grind,
21 Hurricane,
22 Discolip,
23 Suski Grind,
24 Barley Grind,
Street,
25 Natas Spin,
26 Hardflip,
27 Ghetto Bird,
28 Laser Flip,
29 Pole Jam,
Bibliography,
Resources,
Tricks,
Index,
Back Cover Material,

CHAPTER 1

Handstand

Handstand

Some legendary tricks have longevity — the trick was invented long ago, but you still see skateboarders doing it today. The Handstand is one of those skateboarding tricks. Even with the primitive skateboards of the early 1960s, someone, somewhere was bound to go upside down and try to ride the skateboard. What a crazy way to skateboard. Not on your feet, but in a Handstand.

It is not certain when exactly the Handstand was invented. But in 1962, Ty Page saw someone do the trick, and it inspired him to become a pro freestyler. When skateboarding starting growing in popularity in the late 1960s, a skateboard company named Makaha Skateboards invented the kicktail, giving the skateboard more leverage and ultimately creating more tricks.

The captain of the Makaha team was Bruce Logan, and he wanted Ty Page on the team, but he had to prove himself. Bruce said that Ty had to do a Handstand for four city blocks in order to make the team. So Ty found a hill in Hermosa Beach with a slight downhill angle and went for it. The Handstand, according to Ty Page, lasted at least four city blocks.

Ty Page’s favorite place to do the Handstand was on the streets of Paris next to speeding cars with his Free Former teammate, Mark Bowden. Another skateboarder to do incredible Handstands was Steve “Mr. Style” Tanner who did them in the streets going 35 mph (a car behind him tracked the speed). Some of the first skateboarders to do Handstands in contests were Bruce Logan and Torger Johnson during the first wave of freestyle skateboarding in the mid-1960s and early 1970s. (Image 1.1.3)

In the early to mid-1980s, freestyle skateboarding made a comeback. The new wave was led by gifted skateboarders like Rodney Mullen who added variations like the Fingerflip Handstand and Primo Handstand. The Fingerflip Handstand is when from a Handstand, you flip the board with your hands and land back on the board with your feet. The Primo Handstand is when from a Handstand, you flip the board with your hands and land on the rail of the skateboard. Rodney Mullen perfected these and many other freestyle tricks.

When I played Ty Page in the movie, Lords of Dogtown, I had to learn the Handstand for the historic Del Mar Contest scene. I learned the trick, but it was a little sketchy. While rehearsing scenes, Stacey Peralta was watching me do the Handstand. He came up to me and showed me how the real Ty Page would do it. I took Stacey’s advice, and the trick became easier to do and looked a lot better. Thanks, Stacey. (Image 1.1.4 & 1.