It’s widely considered to be one of skateboarding’s most difficult tricks, and many of those who have tried it have ended up with busted custom skate decks, if not worse, when it doesn’t quite come off.
The ‘Tony Hawk Loop’ named after the world-famous boarder who came up with the trick, involves the skater going down a ramp before doing a gravity-defying 360 degree loop. Now, skateboarder Lizzie Armanto has become the first woman to land the trick.
While it wasn’t all plain-sailing on the first attempts, Lizzie eventually landed the infamous trick, describing its significance: “In this sport, there’s nothing like it,” she said.
It’s not the only accolade Lizzie’s achieved in her skateboarding career. Despite knocking out her front teeth, she’s won X Games medals and has even been immortalised as a video game character in Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater 5. She’s also planning on competing in the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020, something that is a game-changer for skating’s consideration as a sport.
The trick, which Tony Hawk created some 20 years ago, has been resurrected for virtual reality event with NextVR, offering na internet audience the chance to watch boarders attempt the challenge in virtual reality. Only 20 or so skaters have ever landed it, something which Lizzie says is the ‘cherry on top’ being the first woman to do so.
The loop starts out with pads on either side, which are slowly taken away as the skater makes further attempts, until they, hopefully, land the trick.
