To date, only 18 skateboarders have ridden Tony Hawk’s infamous 360-degree loop. On Sunday, Lizzie Armanto became part of that group, making her the only woman to successfully skate the loop.
The ramp, which looks like the loop from a Hot Wheels car track, sends riders upside down while their skateboard wheels keep in contact with the wood.
“[It] still doesn’t feel real,” Armanto wrote on Instagram.
Congratulations to @Lizziearmanto on becoming the first woman to complete the infamous loop yesterday. She pulled it just after our @nextvr event ended. It was an inspiring display of fierce determination and skill, and we at @birdhouse are incredibly proud. pic.twitter.com/8ekbUrxkOr
— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) August 27, 2018
This isn’t the first time Armanto has made history either. The 25-year-old from Ventura County, Calif. became the first woman in 24 years (and the third woman ever) to land on the cover of Thrasher magazine.
Armanto won her first X Games gold medal in 2013 and took home a silver medal in 2016.
The loop was set up outside of Hawk’s company warehouse as part of an hour-long contest to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hawk first completing the feat.
NextVR, a live-streaming company that enables at-home subscribers to experience the joys and thrills of life while wearing virtual reality headsets, gave viewers the ultimate “ride” by streaming the contest.
“The ability to let people experience the loop in virtual reality changes everything,” Hawk said in a statement. “Only about 15 people have ever completed the loop, so the chance to have a VR camera place you in the loop is incredible.”
Skateboarders Jeromy Green and Charlie Blair were the only two competitors to successfully ride the loop in the allotted hour. Armanto, however, completed her ride after cameras were turned off and the roaring crowd went home.
How’s that for determination?
Also among competitors was Felipe Nunes, a Brazilian skateboarder who lost his legs at 6 years old in a train accident.
Here’s a look at his scary attempt:
When not on the loop, Nunes uses his arms to push his skateboard along and flip it while he’s in the air. And, he hasn’t met a rail he doesn’t like.
Congrats to all skaters who even attempted the death-defying loop, only someone like Tony Hawk could dream up.
