Fahrenheit 540[degrees]: 20 years of the twist

Thrasher Magazine, Sept, 2004

Eric Koston: Bachelor party.

Bob Burnquist: If the 360 varial is the champion, then the 540 could be the King air. If you got the King air, you throw the champion in a combo and you're the demo emperor.

Rune Glifberg: The twist.

LEARN IT ON 'CRETE OR WOOD?

Christian Hosoi: I learned them on concrete, but I think it would be a lot safer to learn them on wood.

Tony Hawk: Wood, no question. You can usually get back up and try it again.

Chris Miller: Wood.

Lance Mountain: At one of the padded stunt schools they have. Send your kids this summer.

John Cardiel: Wood, so you can hear and feel the coping.

Dan Drehobl: I've only tried 'em on wood. Doing 'era on concrete is definitely gnarlier.

Peter Hewitt: Either way you're gonna slam.

Pierre Luc Gagnon: Wood makes it easier on you if you're going to take a couples slams.

Jake Brown: Plastic. Marble would be fun. If they carved a vert ramp outta marble? Mmmm ...

Eric Koston: Definitely wood.

Bob Burnquist: Learn them on wood if you can. And if you don't have to, don't try them on concrete. Do it on concrete.

Rune Glifberg: Wood.

MCTWISTS OR 540S?

Christian Hosoi: The crowd always says McTwist, but we always say 540s.

Tony Hawk: A McTwist is when you grab mute. Everything else is a five--stale five, varial five, frontside five, etc.

Chris Miller: Huh?

Lance Mountain: McTwist.

John Cardiel: 540s.

Dan Drehobl: 540.

Peter Hewitt: Front flip.

Pierre Luc Gagnon: McTwists if you flip it, and fives if you spin it flat.

Bob Burnquist: 540s.

Rune Glifberg: Both.

TOP FIVES:

Tony Hawk: Hosoi, Glifberg, Lasek, Kasai, Gentry (frontside).

Chris Miller: Rune, Hosoi, Georgio, Buster, Sandro Dias.

Lance Mountain: McGill, Christian, Miller, Tony did them any place. I actually really liked mine.

John Cardiel: Gator, Lester, Ruff, Hawk, McGill.

Dan Drehobl: Hosoi, Lance, Hewitt, Max, Jake Brown.

Peter Hewitt: Hosoi, Gator, Grosso, D Way, Jake Brown.

Pierre Luc Gagnon: I never had the chance to see some of those guys skate so I'll just list five skaters I know about. Danny Way, Sandro Dias, Tony Hawk, Hosoi, Tas Pappas.

Eric Koston: Hawk, Gator, Lester, McGill, Ruff.

Bob Burnquist: Danny Way's tailgrab 540 in one of the H-street videos. Hawk's ollie 540, Pierre Luc's heelflip mute 540, Sandro Dias' body jar 540, Chris Gentry's frontside 540.

Rune Glifberg: Danny Way (method), Chris Miller (mute), Colin Mckay (indy), Jake Brown (mute), Bill Weiss (drunk).

ANY GOOD 540 STORIES?

Christian Hosoi: When we were all at Del Mar waiting for McGill to do the first 540, I remember him warming up and we were so anxious to see him do it that we were yelling at him. Then he busted his first one and landed it. Right then I knew that skateboarding's potential just got started.

Tony Hawk: When people heard that Mike learned McTwists in Sweden in 1984, the crew at Del Mar tried to keep it a secret from me--as if I could learn it before he got back to the US a week later. I was blown away when I finally saw it; it was more of a flip than a spin, and a whole new direction in vert skating.