30 Skateboard Tricks in 30 Days? 8 Year Old Lulu Takes Us Through How She Did It!
Lulu ~ Photo Mindy Johnson
When we read on Instagram that Lulu (@thejohnsonettes) was planning on doing 30 tricks in 30 days we sat up and took notice. As the days progressed, we could see that Lulu was pretty serious about this challenge that she gave herself and was constantly stepping it up. These weren’t just tricks she already knew how to do, she challenged herself to learn new tricks each day as well!
Lulu ~ Photos Mindy Johnson
We sat down last week with Lulu via zoom to ask how the idea came about, what she learned along the way, her advice for other skater girls, and more.
GN4LW: How old are you Lulu?
Lulu: I’m eight!
GN4LW; How long have you been skateboarding?
Lulu: A year and three months.
Lulu ~ Photo Mindy Johnson
GN4LW: What gave you the idea to do this challenge?
Lulu: We had a really long winter and my dad thought it might be a good idea to help me get my wiggles out. (Lulu lives in Minnesota)
GN4LW: Do you have indoor skateparks there?
Lulu: Yes, and 3rd Lair is my favorite! I like to go crazy in the bowl.
GN4LW: What is your favorite skatepark to skate in the summer?
Lulu: I like Shoreview Skatepark because it has transition skating.
GN4LW: What do you like best about skateboarding?
Lulu: I like that you can be free to do whatever you want and there are no rules!
GN4LW: (We couldn’t agree more!)
GN4LW: Out of the thirty tricks you did - do you have a favorite?
Lulu: Yes, my handplant. I was doing it at Shoreview on about a 4.5 ft quarter pipe
GN4LW: What do you think was the hardest trick for you to get down in those thirty days?
Lulu: I’d have to say my kick-flip flyout, it took me like three hours to get that trick
GN4LW: That’s what skateboarding teaches you right? To keep trying.
Lulu: Yeah!
Lulu ~ Photo Mindy Johnson
GN4LW: Was this a family affair because someone had to drive you, film you, etc?
Lulu: Yes, my mom filmed me, my sisters were the cheerleaders and my dad helped too.
GN4LW: Did you make a list of thirty tricks ahead of time and plan this out day to day?
Lulu: No, it was more like I’d get to the skatepark and depending on my mood I’d pick a trick to try.
GN4LW: Was it frustrating some days?
Lulu: Yeah… and then I’d switch what trick I was doing.
GN4LW: What have you been doing since the challenge ended?
Lulu: Well, yesterday I went to the skatepark and started doing a bunch of the 30 tricks in one run, including a new trick I just learned yesterday!
GN4LW: So, now you are linking tricks - which is great!
Lulu: I went from a FS 50-50 to a Smith grind.
Lulu ~ Photos Mindy Johnson
GN4LW: How did you decide what tricks you wanted to learn or try in the thirty days?
Lulu: My mom would look at Instagram and save videos of tricks she thought I might like and then show them to me after school.
GN4LW: Is there anything you want girls to know about this experience?
Lulu: If you fall don’t give up, just keep going because you only fail when you give up and don’t try again. And the only two things you can control are your attitude and your effort.
GN4LW: Pretty wise advice!
Congrats Lulu - we can’t wait to see what you do next!
Lulu~ Photo Mindy Johnson
Here is a list of the THIRTY TRICKS Lulu did in THIRTY days
1- FS smith
2- BS disaster
3- FS disaster
4- drop in on 13 vert
5- 5-0 grind
6- front shuvit
7- 180 fly out
8- BS & FS 180s on flat ground
9- handstand down a ramp
10- 270 feeble to fakie
11- feeble grind
12- late grab BS airs on vert
13- fly out with melon grab (over cone)
14- FS ollie
15- boneless fingerflip
16- rock to fakie in the 9ft end of the bowl
17- invert handplant
18- fakie Ollie with weddle grab
19- fakie Ollie with weddle grab on vert
20: FS alley oop 5050
21: backside air melon grab over the hip
22: no look kickflip
23: BS 180 off a box
24: pop shuvit off a box
25: a frame KICKFLIP
26: tail stall revert
27: Casper stall/flip
28: body varial fly out
29: kickflip flyout
30: kickflip down 2 stair