Fahrenheit 540[degrees]: 20 years of the twist

Thrasher Magazine, Sept, 2004

Take a look into the past to understand the future. And read between the lines--for the true secrets are understood, not implied.--Jake Phelps

FIRST PERSON YOU SAW DO A 540?

Christian Hosoi: Mike McGill at Del Mar skatepark.

Tony Hawk: Frontside--Billy Ruff's "Unit" (Miller flip revert), Del Mar, 1982. Backside--Mike McGill, Del Mar, 1984.

Chris Miller: McGill at Del Mar. When I first saw it, it was confusing; it took a few to even figure out what he did.

Lance Mountain: Mike McGill the day he learned it.

John Cardiel: Christian Hosoi.

Dan Drehobl: Probably Lance or Tony in Public Domain. In person, I think Andy Mac at Ratz. I'm not sure 'cause I used to smoke too much weed.

Peter Hewitt: Tony Hawk.

Pierre Luc Gagnon: Bill Weiss. He was living in Toronto and used to come to MTL with Justin Bokma to skate our park. That was insane, the 540 was one of the first tricks he did on our vert ramp. He could do better 540s than he could do backside airs.

Jake Brown: Probably Tony in Animal Chin, or my mum when I started drinking.

Eric Koston: When I first saw Animal Chin, so, everyone who yanked one in that video.

Bob Burnquist: Sergio Negao at the Ultra skatepark in Brazil. It was a frontside 540.

Rune Glifberg: Maybe Hawk?

WHEN WAS YOUR FIRST 540?

Christian Hosoi: A couple months later at Del Mar skatepark, skating with Neil Blender. We drove down in his Volvo and slept in the parking lot, hardcore style.

Tony Hawk: Later that same year (1984).

Chris Miller: The first ones I tried were at a skate camp in St Louis in maybe 1986. The first one I made was in '89 at a demo in Portugal with Tony Hawk. I had been spinning them pretty much perfectly since St Louis and just couldn't put it down. In the demo Tony did one of those runs where he does like every variation of a 540 possible back to back, and then later did another run with 14 in a row or something ridiculous. After that I just realized that I was a wuss for not making it yet. I spun a couple and then made it after five or six tries. After making it once I didn't bail again for the next 28 tries. I was more consistent on 540s than backside airs.

Lance Mountain: A month or so after McGill.

John Cardiel: The playground, 1993.

Dan Drehobl: I've never pulled one.

Peter Hewitt: Linda Vista, 1989.

Pierre Luc Gagnon: I learned it in '96 on my local skatepark vert ramp. I learned it mute grab first. After I got that wired I pulled it indy grab. I really wanted to make that indy grab one 'cause I was looking up to Colin McKay a lot and used to love the way he was doing that trick.

Jake Brown: I tried to take my life 180 but it went 540 3.7 days ago.

Eric Koston: At Lake Owen skate camp in the summer of '91. They would have demos once a week for the campers and I put it down during one of them; it was tailgrab.

Bob Burnquist: Around 1989 at the Ultra skatepark, a mute 540.

Rune Glifberg: 1992.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO MAKE IT?

Christian Hosoi: Tried everyday 'til I made it, two months or so.

Tony Hawk: I tried for a couple months right after I first saw it done and finally landed it--on the bottom, squatting all the way.