From McTwist to halfpipe, the skater lingo you need to know

Looking to catch some air this summer, but under the impression that a McTwist is a dessert option from McDonald’s?

Learn these terms to prevent a crash landing when talking to fellow skateboarders, whether you’re meeting up in your driveway, Riverside Skatepark in Cedar Rapids or Des Moines’ Lauridsen Skate Park — a new 88,000-square-foot park that hosted some of the world’s top boarders last month.

Air (noun)

Short for aerial; riding with four wheels off the ground.

“That was some sick air you caught on that run, dude!”

McTwist (noun)

A 540-degree turn on a ramp. Named after Mike McGill, the American skateboarder who first completed the trick.

“Do you think you’re brave enough to try the McTwist?”

Nose (noun)

The front of the skateboard.

"To be safe, you always want to be facing toward the nose of your skateboard while riding.”

Tail (noun)

The back of the skateboard.

“Not to be confused with the tail of a four-legged friend, the tail of a skateboard still is in the rear.”

Fakie (adverb)

Skating backward.

Used in a sentence: “Once you get this trick down, try doing it fakie.”

Goofyfoot (adjective)

Riding a skateboard with the right foot forward and pushing with the left foot.

“My left foot is my dominant foot, so I ride with a goofy stance.”

Half-pipe (noun)

A U-shaped ramp, with a flat section in the middle.

"Let’s go skate the half-pipe today dude!”

Comments: (319) 398-8386; sierra.hoeger@thegazette.com