900 (skateboarding)

The 900 is a 2½-revolution (900 degrees) aerial spin performed on a skateboard ramp. While airborne, the skateboarder makes two-and-a-half turns about their longitudinal axis, thereby facing down when coming down. It is considered one of skateboarding's most technically demanding tricks.

Pre-Hawk

A number of opinions exist about pre-1999 900s. The most prominent of these is the argument that Danny Way landed the 900 in 1989, and it appears in an early Santa Cruz film.^[1] In 1999 Tony Hawk said:

Well, he was shown in a video almost 10 years ago. He was really close, but he didn't make it. He came the closest by far, but they cut the video before he fell. So it may have misled some people. There are only four people who have been able to spin completely and he's one of them. Tas Pappas and Rob Boyce also have spun it, but they haven't landed it. We've all been trying it and killing ourselves.^[2]

1999 X-Games

In the months before the 1999 X-Games, Tas Pappas had been developing the 900. After being photographed by Grant Brittain of Transworld Skateboarding, sequences of his attempts were available for study. Tas was hoping to debut the trick at the competition in the Best Trick competition. Despite competing in the vert competition, he was not allowed to compete in the Best Trick competition by the organizers.^[3][4][5]

Tony Hawk, one of the most successful vertical pro skateboarders in the world, landed "The 900" at the 1999 X-Games after ten failed attempts. It was past regulation time but, as one announcer said, "We make up the rules as we go along. Let's give him another try." Other skaters protested, but Hawk continued. Hawk twice landed on his board, but it flew out from under him. When he finally completed the trick, his arms windmilled and his hand barely grazed the ramp.^[6] Nonetheless, he rode away. He was awarded 1st place in the "Best Trick" event despite going over the time limit. At a later X-Games, Hawk landed the trick again, this time during regulation time.

In his book, the 900 was the last on the wishlist of tricks Hawk had written a decade earlier. Other tricks on the list included the ollie 540, kickflip 540, and varial 720. In a 1999 interview, Hawk said he does not have "any desire to spin further".^[2] He did, however, successfully land the trick during press interviews for the video game Tony Hawk: Ride and at the "Tony Hawk: RIDE Presents Stand Up for Skate Parks" event.^[7] In 2011 Hawk was still able to land his famous 900 and posted a video of the trick via his Twitter account stating "I'm 43 and I did a 900 today."^[8][9] On June 27, 2016, Hawk successfully landed another 900 at age 48, 17 years to the day from when he completed his first at the X-Games, and indicated that it would likely be his last 900.^[10]

Successful landings

1. Tony Hawk, June 27 1999, X-Games, San Francisco, California (USA)^[11]
2. Giorgio Zattoni, April 2004, Marianna HC, Ravenna (Italy)^[12]
3. Sandro Dias, May 2004, Latin X-Games, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)^[13]
4. Alex Perelson, July 2009, Maloof Money Cup, Costa Mesa, California (USA)^[14][15]
5. Bob Burnquist, first fakie to fakie 900, August 2010 Mega Ramp, (USA)^[16]
6. Mitchie Brusco, July 2011, Nescau MegaRamp Invitational, São Paulo (Brazil)^[17]
7. Elliot Sloan, October 2011, Maloof Money Cup, South Africa^[18]
8. Tom Schaar, October 2011, MegaRamp Woodward West, Tehachapi, California (USA)^[19]
9. Zac Rose, April 2012 at Rye Airfield, NH (USA)^[20]
10. Jonathan Schwan, April 2013, at MegaRamp Woodward West, Tehachapi, California (USA)^[21][22]
11. Clay Kreiner, July 13, 2013, at the Mini MegaRamp Woodward East, Woodward, Pennsylvania (USA)^[23]
12. Tas Pappas, April 24, 2014, Megaramp Victoria Australia^[24]
13. Asher Bradshaw, May 23, 2014, on the vert ramp at Woodward West, Tehachapi, California (USA)^[25]
14. Evan Doherty, at 11 years old, on August 23, 2014, on the Vert ramp at Rocky Mountain Rampage Vert Contest, in Colorado Springs, CO. ^[26]
15. Luigi Cini, on Vert Ramp, Brazil.

The advent of the MegaRamp, invented in 2002, gives much higher vertical height which enabled even more revolutions and on March 26th, 2012, Tom Schaar landed a 1080 on his 5th attempt.^[27]

Other sports

The 900 can also be attempted on a BMX bike, skis, snowboard, inline skates or a scooter. BMX-Rider Mat Hoffman was the first person to successfully land the 900 on film at a competition in Canada in 1989.^[28] At the 2002 X Games, Hoffman took the trick a step further by landing a no-handed 900.^[29] Simon Tabron's signature trick is the 900.^[30] In the 2007 X Games 13 Simon Tabron landed the first back-to-back 900s.^[31]

Because the gear of snowboarders, skiers, and inline skaters is affixed to their feet, the 900 is not considered to be a difficult trick for professionals in those sports and is performed rather often. 1620^[32] and 1800^[33][34] degree spins have been landed on skis, a 1620 has been performed on a snowboard^[35][36] as well as on inline skates,^[37][38] 1080 on BMX,^[39][40] 1080 on scooter.

References

http://xgames.espn.go.com/skateboarding/article/11000932/asher-bradshaw-becomes-youngest-land-900