Mid-Line Trick #1: Fakie Big Flip 360 - PJ Ladd

PJ Ladd's part in Wonderful Horrible Life has been called one of the greatest parts in skateboarding history, and for good reason. PJ's tricks still stand the test of time today as some of the most flawlessly executed technical tricks ever. And one of the major reasons this parts stands out so strongly for me (besides the frontside heelflip 360 down the stairs) is PJ's crazy lines. PJ is definitely amongst the top line skaters (I'd also include guys like Morgan Smith and Mark Suciu) and this part in particular is a big explanation for that. As seen in Battle at the Berrics the last two years, PJ's flatground game is probably THE BEST in skateboarding and he fills his lines with loads of tricks, "stock" tricks sometimes, in Wonderful Horrible Life. But there are definitely a few good unique mid-line tricks that make PJ's lines extremely memorable, the reason why this part is always discussed and doesn't fade away into the internet.

PJ has a couple just mess around lines like at 0:14 (with his ghetto-bird-like tricks including the switch varial heel back 180 in the middle - granted he messed up the kickflip after but it's definitely worth mentioning) and at 1:16 with his 3 rolling pressure flips that I will not try to name any further. Then, PJ throws in a nollie frontside flip 360 in the middle of two other marathon lines, one at 0:46 and one at 2:11 (that also has a shifty nollie heel which is also uncommon). Usually you see the nollie cab flip at the very end of someone's line as if they were to say, "I finished the main part of my line so let me see if I can whip out this random crazy trick at the end for a couple laughs." Instead of the sketchy, mess-around rollaway of the pull-this-out-of-nowhere fashion, PJ whips out this trick with cleanliness to spare for more tricks afterwards in the line.

Now the main reason why I chose this part from PJ is for his ender. (How often do you see a line as an ender anymore?) One of the sickest lines to ever go down, PJ starts at 4:28 with a fakie ollie up the curb and then winds up for the caballerial big flip (or fakie big flip 360, however you want to call it) done in absolute perfect form. The trick alone involves a lot of spinning and some flipping, enough to get people letters in games of skate fairly consistently. But to see it in the middle of a line is quite remarkable. And just adding to that, PJ half cab noseslides with a nollie 270 heel out after that...and still isn't finished!