Sports & Gaming

Playback: The Kickflip McTwist

Tony Hawk

Lesson time 02:32 min

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Tony’s first successful kickflip McTwist.

Students give MasterClass an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars

Topics include: Playback: The Kickflip McTwist

Preview

[MUSIC PLAYING] TEACHER: I had the idea to combine two tricks, a McTwist and a kickflip. Little did I know how truly difficult that would be and how many elements had to come into place to do that. The idea is that you're flipping the board on the snap. And the snap is the most crucial part of the McTwist. So to be doing something else during that time seemed almost impossible. And so on the snap, I'm flicking my board into a spin and hoping that I've sent it in the same trajectory as my body and as my hand. And then I'm doing the spin sort of second nature, and I'm just reaching out with my hand hoping that the board reaches my hand. When I finally did start catching my board and getting it back to my feet, I realized that I didn't have the actual spin enough to land forward. And it took it took a couple years of trying that trick over and over and over. And then one night, there was this really fun session. There Were very few vert skaters back then. This is probably 1994, '95. We all just ended up converging at the skate park in Tampa, because it was one of the last vert ramps in the world. And we had this session, and I remember it vividly. Mike Frazier did the very first kickflip Indy 360. He did that during our session, and that is sort of a building block to what I was trying. He did this NBD, it's never been done. And then I came behind him probably about a half hour later and landed the first kickflip McTwist. But it was kind of this milestone night for vert skating when vert skating was the least appreciated form of skating in the world. And there were only a handful of us that care. But that footage lives on and that night lives on kind of in infamy. I mean, I've seen people talking about it in recent months on Instagram. I can't believe I was there that night and all this stuff happened. And so it was pretty magical, and I've done it a couple of times since, but it never felt as special as that one night. [MUSIC PLAYING]

About the Instructor

A pro at 14 and the first to land a 900 at the X Games, Tony Hawk is one of the most influential skateboarders of all time. Now he’s helping you take your skateboarding to the next level. Joined by pros Lizzie Armanto and Riley Hawk, Tony teaches you beginner, intermediate, and advanced tricks in street, park, and vert. Learn how to push yourself, get up when you fall, and find your own style. Start reaching new heights.

Featured MasterClass Instructor

Tony Hawk

Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk teaches you how to take your skateboarding to the next level, whether you’re a beginner or a pro.

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