Remember that time Kelly Slater did 180/540/720/900? Yeah, us too. Surfers seem to have an issue with math sometimes, but snowboarders and skateboarders have it pretty dialed. Well, Mikey Wright, brother of Owen and Tyler, just did something that’s got the trick-callers all riled up again: a McTwist (or something).
Mikey’s not like Owen or Tyler. Yeah, the blood’s the same, but it’s rare to see him pull on a jersey and let a peanut gallery score his waves. That’s a good thing, too–competition surfing, as it stands right now, doesn’t favor the bold, and the bold are the ones trying things like McTwists.
According to filmer Todd Richards (and a whole lot more) Mikey’s spinning what-ever-you-want-to-call-it is indeed a McTwist.
For comparison, let’s have a look at Tony Hawk’s version:
and Dylan Bidez’s:
Similar, yeah? Of course, the many in the surf world lashed out, calling bullshit. But two snowboarders, in particular, tried to staunch the flow of nay-sayers: Todd Richards, a man who knows what a McTwist is, and Pierre Wikberg, a guy who’s been around snowboarding for… well, ever. Here are Todd’s reasons, via Instagram:
Top 5 reasons why I say Mikey’s trick is a McTwist
1. Because it is
2. Because it is
3. Because it is
4. Because it is
5. Because it is
But Wikberg went a little further and explained why, exactly, it is. “Let’s get on the same page and call the tricks surfers are emulating for what they are,” he wrote. “It’s not that difficult. And no, the wave isn’t a launch ramp. The wave is a moving quarterpipe and tricks are called thereafter. Say there was a photographer, filmer, team manager and a dozen other surfers on the beach when Mikey landed this they would all likely call it a different name. Why… yeah that’s something I’ve debated for years, maybe decades. Let the reporting and trick naming begin. Please no fake news.”
