How to Skateboard: GHETTO BIRD

What this video teaches

Lamont Holt defines the ghetto bird as a hardflip and a backside 180 happening at the same time, so he insists on having both tricks separately before combining them. He sets up in his normal hardflip stance but goes in with the backside 180 already in mind, letting the shoulder above his flicking foot (left for regular, right for goofy) direct the whole rotation while he keeps his posture centered rather than leaning forward or back. He pops with a scoop toward the direction that shoulder is turning, flicks it like a hardflip, and aims to land the board at 90 degrees so a pivot can finish the rotation.

Key tips

• 1Learn the hardflip and the backside 180 separately first; the ghetto bird is both at once and nothing else
• 2The shoulder above your flicking foot (left for regular, goofy the right) directs the rotation, and most of your balance focus goes there
• 3Watch your posture as you crouch: stay centered, not leaning too far forward or back, because that centering is what keeps the balance through the trick
• 4Pop with a scoop toward the direction your shoulder is rotating, then flick the board exactly like a hardflip
• 5Progression drill: ollie to the front truck and pivot the full backside 180 over and over, then aim to land the ghetto bird at 90 degrees and pivot out the rest

Summarized from the video transcript.