The frontside 180 is performed when a skater goes flying into the air from the top of a half-pipe. On reaching the other side of the ramp, they seem to hover there for a moment and then turn in mid-air before skating back down the ramp.

How is this possible? It all boils down to the law of conservation of angular momentum. The law states that if you’re rotating, you’ll keep on rotating unless a twisting force stops you. In the case of the frontside 180 you need a twisting force (or torque) to help you start rotating.

The skater therefore uses his arms as torque to turn himself around in mid-air to pull off the trick and hear the crowd go wild.

Source: www.kidzworld.com

• What are the basic skateboarding tricks? Consult the Skateboard Tricktionary
• The King of the Skateboard: Visit Tony Hawk’s website
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