A 13-year-old Australian young woman achieved a 720, becoming the inaugural female skateboarder to manage to complete two somersaults in the air competitively, astonishingly in front of the originator of the sport, Tony Hawk.
Arisa Trew soared to victory in Hawk’s Vert Alert in Salt Lake City, and the triumph made her ecstatic. She shared with NBC News her enthusiasm: “I was so thrilled and they shared my joy. Having Hawk congratulate me in person was extraordinary. He expressed his delight by saying ‘good job’ and congratulated me."
Trevor Ward, Trew's coach, was amazed when she completed the trick Tony Hawk accomplished in 1985, being the first female to do so, especially considering her age of 13. Such an incredible feat, that the pioneering skateboarding figure Tony Hawk had done over three decades ago.
Although a 720 is still a challenge, it is not the most challenging trick to execute. It is possible to perform a 900-degree backside spin in the air, a feat achieved by Hawk in 1999, with a 1,080-degree backside or frontside spin in the air representing an impressive three full rotations - a feat accomplished by Tom Schaar when he was just 12 years old in 2012.
Trew is aiming to make it into the skateboarding competition at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
When a female snowboarder pulls off a 720, it speaks to her capability to do the same movements as a male snowboarder. With her eye on a 900, she has the potential to display her outstanding talents at the Paris 2024 Olympics.