'The Loop Of Death'
The Loop, or to give it its full name, 'The Loop Of Death,' is a stunt made famous by skating royalty Tony Hawk. The stunt involves the skater dropping in off a ramp and doing a complete 360° loop... and yes, it's as crazy as it sounds, like something out of a Hotwheels track! This stunt is among the hardest to master or even attempt. It's believed that only around 18 people have ever successfully completed it.
Where It All Began
Tony Hawk first completed the loop in 1998, as documented in 'The End,' a skateboarding film by birdhouse skateboards, directed, produced, and edited by Jamie Mosberg. As to be expected, there is a plethora of mesmerizing tricks throughout the film and the build-up of tension leading up to 'The Loop Of Death' part of the film (3:13) was palpable. Hawk truly set the standard for this trick, a tough act to follow! Evidenced by the modest group of around 18 skaters to ever complete it.
Memorable Attempts
Having witnessed Tony Hawk make skateboarding history with his completion of the loop, I'm sure we can all imagine skaters from around the world pining for an opportunity to give it a go! Well, in 2008, Hawk invited a few friends to try and conquer 'The Loop Of Death' themselves; none of them had ever even attempted it before. Owen Nieder, Salba, Rob Lorifice, Peter King, Josh Borden, and Alex Chalmers all had a few shots at the loop, ambulances and crash pads at the ready; despite some valiant efforts, only Chalmers and Borden conquered the loop that day.
Watch all the attempts in this video by RIDE down below!
Making History
In 2018 three more skaters joined the prestigious crop of those who have conquered the loop, Jeromy Green, Charlie Blair, and the first female skater on the list Lizzie Armanto; after many hours and many attempts, the three new skateboarding history inductees successfully completed the loop outside Tony Hawk's company warehouse at an event celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hawk's first successful attempt.
Jeromy Green was the first to successfully complete the loop prompting cheers from the local crowd, a shot from the confetti cannons, and a round of applause from the man himself, Mr. Tony Hawk. Green posted a clip of his run on his Instagram page, thanking Tony Hawk for the opportunity and signing off the caption with an impactful "And lastly, thank you skateboarding."
Next to complete the run was Charlie Blair; similarly to Green, he received a huge round of applause from the crowd and Hawk himself, who was visibly impressed by the two new additions to his esteemed group. After that, Blair simply posted an image of him at the summit of the loop with the caption, "Stoked to be a part of the club."
Lizzie Armanto was the final skater to successfully conquer the loop that day. While she made many commendable attempts in front of the crowd during the event, it was actually after the event had finished. The crowds had dispersed, and she completed her run. She made history as the first-ever female to complete the loop and set an excellent example to skaters and non-skaters alike that persistence and determination pay off. She encapsulated all the emotion she must've felt in that moment on her Instagram, writing, "still doesn't feel real."
Who Next?
We'll keep an eye out for new attempts at 'The Loop Of Death. Could it be you?
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