A bertslide, Bertlemann slide, or bert, is a skateboarding trick where the skateboarder puts one hand on the ground and rotates the board while it is still on the ground, effectively sliding on the wheels of the skateboard.[1] The trick was named after the surfer Larry Bertlemann, who first performed the trick on a surfboard, then later incorporated it into his skateboarding.[2] The original version of the trick was a 180-degree turn. The Z-Boys, an influential group of mid-1970s skateboarders, adapted the move by extending the slide to 360 or even 540 degrees.[2]
A bertslide can be performed on both flat ground or banks, and is considered fundamental for learning board control.[1] Powell Peralta professional Lance Mountain introduced flatground bertslides into his routine at the first auditorium-size streetstyle contest, the 1987 Savannah Slamma, held in the Martin Luther King Arena in Savannah, Georgia.[3]
When performing a bert, the skateboarder crouches down while doing a frontside carve, plants their front hand on the ground and extends their back foot and torso making the back wheels slide out. After the slide, the skateboard has made a 180-degree sweeping turn and the skateboarder pushes back up and continues in the starting direction. When performed in a transition, it is possible to convert a Bertlemann slide into a grind by timing the slide so that during the apex of the sweep the back truck hits the coping.
Ollie-ons and overs and 50/50 grinds. Berts and inverts and reverts. Lance was busy with his shopping list.
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