When you talk about big names in the fledgling sport of vert skateboarding, there is none bigger than the “Birdman”. Known, loved, and imitated from the West Coast to the East, Tony Hawk has done more to bring professional skateboarding into the limelight than nearly any other skater.

In many ways, Tony is a sad and tragic figure, having endured the ebbing tides and flows of fortune with the rising and falling popularity of his sport. Totally devoted to vert skating and encouraging a positive environment for youngsters do it in, the Birdman has been a pivotal influence in both the state-of-the-art in technique and a leader in the movement to provide skate parks for everybody.

His popular video series, Tony Hawk’s Secret Skate Park Tour, was not only an original idea for a DVD, but a force for change in the safety and quality of skate parks in various urban areas. Arriving unannounced, the crowd would be as surprised as anyone would be to witness Tony Hawk’s elite team of skateboard gods descend upon often humble skating venues. The review would include an assessment of features, including location, ramp types and safety factors like lighting and arrangement of facilities to allow multiple users without collision.

The Skate Park Tour video was the first of its kind when it was released in 2004, giving skateboard pros a chance to do their thing in their natural habitat…the skate parks that ordinary locals counted on for practicing their way to the top. Neither a promo nor a competition, these relaxed clips can be some of the most enjoyable footage in the world of skateboard video.

Tony is a child of the Southern California wave of riding. Born in Carlsbad, California during the Summer of Love, to a college professor and a small appliance salesman who was also a Navy veteran, the Birdman was always the coolest kid in class, although his autobiography, Occupation: Skateboarder describes him as a moody, frustrated adolescent.

Hand-picked by Stacey Peralta to be an original member of the Bones Brigade in 1979, the Birdman has invented over 80 aerial skateboard tricks including the Madonna, the McHawk, the Stalefish. He is the first known skater to land a 900 degree rotation in the air on a half pipe.

As a member of the Bones Brigade, Tony Hawk has shared concrete with just about every major innovator in the field of vert and street skateboard tricks, skating with Mike McGill, inventor of the McTwist. The Birdman was the second to successfully land the McTwist.

The Birdman’s youngest son, Keegan, who began his skating career at the age of three, is proving to be on his father’s path to skating stardom, already earning wows and awards from the crowd which his father draws.

Tony’s first two marriages could not survive the ravages of the sport, but he is today happily married to Lhotse Merriam, and each of his three sons skateboard, he announced in February of 2008 that he and his wife are expecting their first child together, this kid will probably be skating before he even learns how to walk.

Once upon a time, the humble skateboard evolved as a simple device for low-tech locomotion. Early enthusiasts concerned themselves primarily with retaining an upright position while pursuing at high speeds the transition from point A to point B. Whether racing, simulating surfing, or just getting a jump on pedestrians (or making pedestrians jump!), classical skateboarding was a fairly simple skill requiring little more than balance and the courage to go with gravity along the lay of the land.

The popularity of various forms of skateboarding ebb and tide, but nothing brings in spectator and aspirant alike as the idiosyncratic and creative world of trick stating. Drawing some of the world’s most daring devils and hardcore athletes, specialty trick skaters have brought the world’s eye, once again, to exciting and dangerous extreme sport.

Just like most people have more control over one hand than the other, most skaters have a preferred foot. Regular foot is the traditional skating stance, with the left foot holding most of your weight and positioned in front of the other, while the right foot is used to propel yourself along the ground. It is occasionally necessary, however, to assume the opposite orientation- especially during your skateboard tricks when landing complicated jumps and twists. Standing with your right foot forward is quite descriptively called “goofy-foot” because most skaters do not have quite as much control while in this position.

As skating is becoming more focused on tricks and jumps, and less on sidewalk surfing, many skaters have become ambidextrous with their foot placement. Especially as skaters rush to copy the latest tricks from goofy-footed professional skaters like Tony Hawk, Eric Kosten and Bam Margera.

Many of the more famous tricks are nicknamed for the pro who invented, or popularized it. For example, the Caballerial, named for the first pro skater to successfully execute this skateboard trick in competition, Steve Caballero, is a Fakie Ollie followed by a 360.

The classic old-fashioned Ollie, for that matter, was monikered after for Allen “Ollie” Gelfand. This aerial tail kick jump spawned a whole class of variations including the one footed “Ollie North”, popularized by Tony Hawk, crooked grinds, the late-flip shuvit, as well as just about all of the tail and nose slides and grind tricks.

To execute any aerial requires practice and flawless timing. Position your leading foot near the board’s middle and your rear foot against the tail. Crouch slightly, being sure your knees are flexed. When the moment feels right, kick hard against the tail of your deck, bringing your front shoe ahead and pointing it so it matches the angle of the riding surface. The tighter you flex your knees, the greater your elevation in flight will be.

Keep practicing until you can land it every time; once you’ve perfected your ollie, an entire world of kickflips, heelflips, slides, grinds will be opened up to you. Whether you’re a street or vert skater, you will soon be relying on this move an intrinsic part of your routine.

Learning to perform skateboard tricks takes time and tolerance for pain, as well as well-oiled wheel bearings and reflexes paired with the courage of a lion. The rewards, however, can be as satisfying as landing a triplane on a tiny peninsula.