I can’t remember what pro I saw doing the two-handed frontside air – probably in Skateboarder sometime in the late 70s. I started doing them back then for some variety. Later I started doing a hand-switch grab almost by accident when I was skating a big vert ramp a lot. It helped me land higher airs if I grabbed with the second hand. I think it helps keep you in it, if your leading arm flaps toward your back you tend to rotate away from the wall. I’ve been doing them for almost thirty years now.
Here’s how to do the two-handed or switch hand grab frontside-aerial.
It is essential to be able to do a frontside aerial if you are going to learn this trick. It would probably help to have a Slob air too. Get used to raising your front hand as you do your frontside airs.
Approach for a frontside aerial. As you take off, have your lead hand up grab tuck-knee style and grab with your front hand as well as your back hand. Don’t hang on too long. You can release either hand first or both at the same time.
I don’t know if this looks good or not, it feels good. I bet it would look bad done stink bug style. Nowadays I usually switch hands midway through rather than grabbing with both hands simultaneously.
Pier Park ca. 2007. Ten-foot tranny + 1.5-foot of vert and some flat.
Larry Desanno’s ramp ca. 1978. Eight-foot tranny + two-foot of vert and no flat. Photo by Tom Huckabee
You make it looks so easy. Must be those 30 years of perfection. Thanks for taking the time and effort as well as being the first in the “What You Got?” series.
t’was a SIMS rider named Doug DeMontmorency… or something like that, who made the “two-hander” kinda famous. The “MC” version is sick… like a “tuck/slob”… no doubt higher and farther than the 70’s original.