My Favourite Skateboard Tricks

As a teen-ager, there was nothing I enjoyed more than to grab my board, head down to the local skate park, and rip it up for hours.

I wasn't too good, but I appreciated the fine art of skateboarding, and marveled at some of the stunts that others could pull off.

A great skateboard trick can defy gravity, logic, and physical boundaries, in ways that boggle the mind.

I am still left in awe at the creativity of the masters of the board, and made this slideshow in appreciation at some of the best tricks around.

The Full Pipe

The full pipe has only been mastered by a few, and with good reason.

The technical ability and sheer gall required to pull off a full revolution of pipe is astounding.

Failure comes at a high price, which is why this trick should only be left to the best.

The 900

The 900 has arguably only been landed by the legendary Tony Hawk, although others claim to have completed the two-and-a-half revolutions.

The 900 is in my opinion the most a skateboarder will ever turn whilst in the air, so to have achieved it is to etch your name in the annals of skateboarding lore.

The Darkslide

The darkslide, although not the most technically demanding of trick, holds a dear place in my heart.

The skater must pull off half a flip and grind with the board upside down, then right the board in time to land.

I remember watching videos of Rodney Mullen pull this off as if his skateboard were born to be upside down.

It still makes me laugh when I think about attempting this trick myself.

I always failed miserably, and tore up the grip on my deck in the process.

Fakie 180

Any fakie tricks, and switch for that matter, completely dumbfound me.

To execute a decent trick is one thing, but to be able to it going backwards is in my book a completely different league.

The backside 180, although not the hardest fakie trick, is elegant to watch.

It symbolizes the talent of professional skateboarder in surpassing the predictable.

Christ Air

The Christ Air is testament to a skateboarders self-belief, and trust in their abilities to pull off such a move.

There are many grabs that impress me, but nothing gets my adrenaline racing more than when a skater pulls his board away from his feet, and performs the Christ air.