Switch 360 Flip Lipslide #5: Walker Ryan

Walker Ryan is definitely on another level when it comes to the switch game. All the switch backside tricks most people are proud of landing bolts every now and then, Walker has on lock. Switch 360 flips are no different. He's landed some heavy ones before so why should there be any problem to flick one into a switch lip? Heck, he's even been known to fling some switch tre 5-0s anyway. But the obvious answer comes with beautiful execution in his awesome Perpetual Motion part (seen at 3:44 in the remix above, but it's really worth watching the whole part). What's great about Walker's entry to the switch tre lip club is that because his switch game is so on point, he casually brings this trick back to switch. Now that you definitely don't see too often.

Next Week: Switch 360 Flip Lipslide

I've slowly been putting the skaters together for a High Five on the best switch 360 flips. But as that was coming along, I noticed that the switch 360 flip lipslide club was a bit more exclusive and concise, perfect for grouping together here. The regular 360 flip lipslide has been done countless times and is even an on-lock kind of trick for a lot of skaters. Some can even take it to smith, to nosegrind, or front noseblunt with no problem, not to mention the number of 360 flip 50-50s I've seen. Now switch things up a bit and the numbers dwindle. There have been some random guys and one time publications (like Mike Crook above) documenting the evasive switch tre lip, but these aren't the ones that you'll remember forever. This week I'm going to go through 5 guys whose versions of the switch 360 flip lipslide have gone down in the books.

Just to give proper props, Jim Greco is also part of the club through his version of the trick thrown in the middle of one of the most epic (I'd say the word epic is appropriate here) parts from the past couple years. Also, Matt Miller and Wade Desarmo both have immaculate switch 360 flips in their own regard and have taken it to noseblunt and 5-0 respectively, but I don't recall either ever taking it to lipslide. If you have proof otherwise, or even of some other noteworthy switch tre lips, do leave a comment.

UPDATE (6/23/2014): Add the exciting Cliche am Max Geronzi to the club with his casual version of the trick on Instagram.

Video of the Week: Bobby Worrest - Luxury and Loudness

Bobby Worrest comes out with a new part that is full of the expected smoothness and grace. Always dropping quality footage, Bobby mesmerizes us with his fluid switch tricks and clever lines. So far, Bobby's been killing it this year and I'd say is in good contention for SOTY at this rate. There's something about his switch back noseblunt that never gets old...

In other skate news:
Tiago Lemos is introduced to Silver Trucks with a technical trip of ripping footage. I've been a fan since he got on BLVD and he's been improving since. The first line and the half cab heel around 1:35 are absolutely wonderful.
Nate Greenwood has an exclusive part for The Skateboard Mag and kills it, as I've come to expect
Civic Affair, the video by Jake Kuzyk, is full of Canadian shredding. Just overall awesome skating.
Boo Johnson is given a compilation part from Supra that if I'm not mistaken is "his first full part" since Future Nature. I call it that because if Supra hadn't put out the numerous tour videos over the past 2-3 years, they could've created a full length video with their stacked team, including buttery awesome parts like Boo's. Just saying.
Strange Notes asks: Who The F*** Is Jeremy Tuffli? He answers with an assault on many transitions including an instant classic new move at Burnside.
Yuri Facchini is featured in Blind's Damn Sundays with some pretty heavy clips. Not sure if whether they're all new or not but the couple of minutes are worth anyone's time.
Addie Fridy's new part on the Berrics: What time, When? is a gentle reminder that he is one smooth dude. Plus having nollie shove feebles on lock doesn't hurt.
Chris Colbourn skates North Hollywood Park for Bones Bearings and is soooooooo good.
Lee Dupont's part from The Cinematographer Project was released by Transworld, shedding new light on Washington Street Park in an edit that really builds the energy of a good session.

Recent No Complys #1: Wes Kremer

Closing off the week and the look at Recent No Complys is Wes Kremer with a trio of clips (but 5 trick variations) from his Real Street part. Traditionally the no comply is a play-around trick that keeps the flow going, so who better to utilize it than the man who's always having fun and flowing around on his board. Never passing up a moment to flash the 'Mafia sign, Wes starts things off with what I'd like to call a nose comply impossible. Just for the heck of it and because it looks so cool. Then, at a legit Chinese street spot, Wes scoops a non-compliant front shove down some stairs (how hard must it be to actually catch that trick?), keeps flowing with the David Gravette signature done as smoothly as ever, and then no comply frontside flips up the long 4 stair. Hold up. No comply frontside flip up? Has that ever been done? I don't even get how you can controllably flip the board when no complying up stairs, much less frontside flip as if it was a kicker. Even if it has been done, it certainly hasn't been caught a good 2 or 3 steps higher than it needed to be. Only Wes. And if that wasn't enough, Wes shows PJ and Moose that he's got the frontside heelflip 360 too by no complying with it down some stairs. Now Louie Barletta's non-flipping version from Bonus Round is still demonstrative of the fun you can have not only with some no complys but with a full part as well, and Albert Nyberg's version to lipslide is still one of the craziest tricks ever, but there's something different when Wes does the trick. Regardless of the technicality or the loads of fun with these tricks, Wes's skating is always pretty special.

Recent No Complys #2: Kevin Tierney

No complys have been done in quite a few ways: spinning 180, big heelflipping, and a decent amount of shove-it variations have also gone down. But leave it to the non-spinning, non-flipping variation of the no comply to completely blow you away. I'm talking about Kevin Tierney's fakie no comply at 0:35 in the Zoo York Australia tour vid that came out just about a month ago. That's right. Fakie no comply. The thought alone feels beyond awkward, so I can't even imagine what it must've felt like to do it over the popular wooden wedge gap in Australia. I could be wrong, but after some brief research I don't know of any other instance where the no comply has been done straight fakie like this. Leave it to Kevin Tierney to dazzle us.

Recent No Complys #3: Vince Duran

I've been becoming a fan of Surprise Skateboards lately and it's because of guys like Vince Duran. When he released this Spring Cleaning only a few weeks ago, I knew it was "throwaway" footage, but for some wild reason, I've watched this quite a few times since then. His last pair of clips are two big reasons why I keep coming back for more (starting at . Vince takes the no comply to new heights with a barrier step hop (sidenote props to Dane Brady for also working his magic with this realm of trickery). Not only does that push help get him up there, but he powers the board up and over a fence! If that's not enough, doing it switch better be. Sure he throws a grab in there but that just adds some flair, the cherry on top to an already astonishing treat. (After already forcing the board up switch, being able to control it on the way down with no grab would be a pretty remarkable feat. Challenge anyone?) The dedication to the passersby is also priceless. Between the finger point and the cascading golden hair, the Austyn Gillette resemblance is undeniable.

Recent No Complys #4: Clint Walker

Clint Walker is one of the gnarliest dudes, bar none. His Modern Art part, that I will forever reference, proves just that.  So it's no surprise that he filled up the whole minute of his recent Real Street part with nothing but bangers, among which he had 3 killer no comply moves. The first at 0:16 is taken frontside off a significant drop into a bank, showing how Clint manages to keep his feet on the grip even though that's probably the weirdest-feeling trick to take down a drop. The second at 0:41 is also taken frontside, but this time to fakie 50-50 down a handrail, something I don't remember ever seeing like that (though Albert Nyberg cannot be forgotten). And finally, at 0:54, Clint demonstrates his ability to pop a no comply straight up and over a wall, perfectly guiding the board with his feet as he glides down.  It's rare to see the no comply taken to such gnarly levels, but who else than Clint to do it.