The Jeff Phillips' McTwist

[@mcgnarley99]

Dude, I fucking love these! Grosso would be proud of this. Keeping interest in are history and where we came from! keep it up bobbY! also static remix was better then the original part, THATS A WHOLE FUCKIN FACT!

[@MycoMatty]

This era is way before my time as a skater as I was born in ‘89 but I think it’s the best era of them all. So many characters and personalities. Grosso would definitely be a fan of these!

[@endthedrugwartoday]

I went to an air walk demo in 1988, like a tour they were doing. Jeff was there. He did several massive McTwists if I'm not mistaken. Tony Hawk, Chris Miller, were also in the tour, so, they might remember or know who might have footage.

[@RonnyArmstrong-d8w]

Hey guys, I see this video is 3 years old, but I just ran across it. My name is Ronny, loooong time Dallas skater and I was just a regular, everyday friend and skate buddy of Jeff Phillips. Knew him from Jr High all the way right up to the day he died. So, all that outta the way… I heard Jeff tell this story many times. So, the way I remember it was that Jeff and McGill were at some skate camp in Denmark, Sweden, I dunno, somewhere over “there”. This was right before the McGill debuted the McTwist. And, apparently, they were both trying McTwist and they were both trying to land one first. They had even talked about what they were going to call it depending on who landed it first. Obviously, McGill’s name for it was the McTwist and Jeff had some other name for it, I can’t remember, something like Texas Twister or some shit. Anyway, Jeff said he ran outta time and had to leave the session to go catch his plane and McGill stuck around and eventually landed some. And, then he debuted it at Del Mar and the rest is history. But yeah, he did many McTwists back in that time period. I never really saw them much in just an everyday session, but that’s not unusual for him. He could pull tricks out of his bag with ease. I always tell people, he didn’t really “learn” tricks, he just kinda decided to start doing them, whatever they were. He was just as unbelievably rad on a random Tuesday afternoon as he was in the biggest of big contests. He was just a super rad dude. Super kind and generous, funny, intelligent, just a cool guy and I miss him dearly. We all miss him. He was the heartbeat of Dallas skateboarding. Dallas hasn’t been the same since. But, I love the fact that skateboarding keeps him in such high regard. Most skaters can’t even comprehend a Phillips 66. That trick is WAY more advanced and scary than a McTwist IMO. But, I can’t do either of them. 😂 #Anyway, thanks for this video. It was fun. Oh yeah, one more thing, I can confirm the loose lizards story around the house. Yes, he did have those. And Japanese animation models. He had a ton of those he would build. That’s where the Ultraman graphics came from. Anyway, thanks again for the video. #jeffphillipslives

[@shortminute]

Thanks for sharing your stories. I was in my teens in the 80s and didn’t get the vert skater thing. I was into street skating. Now that I’m older and can fully appreciate Jeff Philips. He’s a style master. He’s the water of skateboarding. You’re fortunate to have known him and seen him skate. Cheers from Calgary Alberta Canada.

[@extraniceness]

Rest easy to Mark Waters who Bobby is speaking to in this interview. He passed away from COVID only less than a year after this interview 💔 LEGEND for all his amazing contributions to skateboarding!

[@RoyAH.]

Wow, very thoughtful update, thank you so much. BTW the gofundme raised 130K for his family!

[@keithhampton9700]

That helmet graffic was inspired by Captain Harlock. Jeff was a big Anime fan. We would go hang at his house and watch Vampire Hunter D and Gundam vids while smoking a S ton of weed. He had a very scary tree house in the woods near his house that would scare the shit out of most people.Just ask Fred Smith. Great Bro and Friend. R.I.P!!

[@skateboarder-yr9qg]

I saw Jeff Phillips do the McTwist at a skate demo with Mike McGill. At Water World Houston, Tx

[@mackash]

Jeff was THE best skater ever. He is the Kelly Slater of skating. No one will ever top it.

[@allenguimond4634]

Jeff liked Captain Harlock and that is where the helmet skull came from.

[@garymorris4931]

I heard a story I don't know if it is true, but it was said that Philips landed a mctwist first try and did not do to many after wards.

[@skateboarder-yr9qg]

I saw him do the McTwist at a skate demo. Waterworld Houston, TX

[@KenMMark]

my first board was a 1988 Sims Phillips mini. I didn't know him, but the board was beautiful and I was little, so I bought it. Later I learned what a great vert skater he was - solid. While I had quit skating, Phillips' passing hurt me in 1993. I was shocked. It was like losing a friend. This rare footage is so cool to see. He must've been one of the first to 540, but you never see him do 540s in later contests.

[@kevvymetal666]

RIP Mark

[@fullertron]

Fascinating skate history.

[@disprogreavette8545]

These are great.

[@marcusprince3999]

I wanted to write a comment, being it a Phillips video; but I'm just speachless. This is such a rad channel, just subbed! :-D

[@amoebacakes]

keep doing videos. I love them. Your 'out there' is my favorite.

[@jpdive8664]

I was at that clown ramp contest and it was the greatest day in Texas skateboarding history.

[@curtanderson4145]

There is a video of Jeff doing the Mctwist In Dallas..

[@purplereigninblood]

Rest easy Jeff.

[@extraniceness]

Rest easy to the legend Mark Waters who Bobby is speaking to in this interview. He passed away from COVID only less than a year after this interview 💔

[@nathanbellamy3308]

It's funny people looking back and think it was all about the bones brigade. But it was about phillips, kasai, blender. These are legends.

[@disprogreavette8545]

I'd add Chris Miller to that list. Kasai and Phillips were sick and I spent more time copying Blenders graphics than I did homework. Cheers

[@theramplocal]

Phillips is a legend, so sick

[@onefromnone1634]

RIP Jeff Phillips❤

[@darksaga80]

Met a lot of these guys, but the quietest, coolest, most sincere guy was Nash. He showed up to a private warehouse we skated in Minneapolis. Him, Lance, Gator, Grosso and some other pros were in town for a demo the next day and showed up out of the blue to skate our spot that night. Nash sat there and talked us for almost the whole time they were there. He said he was really tired and wasn't jazzed to skate like Gator, Lance and the other guys were. Lance was really cool. I remember him having a new "experimental" board at the time and he let everybody ride it and tell him what they thought about the shape and concave. Again, just a really nice guy. I also remember Gator just ripping so hard, dude was just going for it on every run. It was a great night when you got meet some of your hero's in their prime.

[@dtaylor5206]

Even some of those who were there had no idea what they were truly witnessing!

[@arthurlindsey1502]

I remember seeing footage of Phillips doing a 540 on the "Clown Ramp" maybe?... I started writing this while watching video... great job, guys.

[@sameold]

arthur lindsey 🕵️‍♂️👍🏼

[@MrSweetwing]

Correct

[@bullit4x]

I have super 8 of Phillips @ Del Mar doing Mctwists

[@marcelboogaard3809]

Please see if you could upload it to KZbin. Would love to see it.

[@tds909]

Awesome video's man!

[@TonyBarnes-n8b]

This is my first time seeing Jeff do a McTwist. I'd see him do frontside 540 or the Rodeo. This is a great fact. 🎉

[@billdavis6900]

I'm 51 years old and skated all through the 80's and up to around 94. I never knew he did them either until now. He won the Eastern Assault contest in 86 at Mt. Trashmore in VA Beach and never did one in that contest and still beat Hawk, Gator, McGill, Hosoi, & Lance Mountain & they all did them.

[@backsmithfakie]

so rad

[@paulsmith616]

There is footage of him doing a mctwist on the clown ramp.

[@rwirtz77]

Jeff was the best of all the old school vert guys. Such a different style and so tech. Tony was tech but didn't skate as good in my opinion. At least as far as who would you rather watch. Jeff was the skaters fav skater. Like Hosoi is rad but it's so obvious he is sick, Jeff was almost radder and sicker in a way though.

[@landit2588]

Great! Thanks for posting this👊🏻

[@lekkerje23]

There’s footage of him blasting a McTwist on the clown ramp right here on KZbin. It’s definitely before anyone else did them besides Mike McGill. Oh lol…. There it is. Right at the end…..Rumor has it that he heard about Mike’s landing one in Sweden so he learned it right away. Like before he even got back from there. I know it looked way better than Mike’s too.

[@fintanoclery2698]

Bobby, since you're a fan of Phillips and a skateboard historian you should check out the 1986 Canadian movie called Radical Moves. It's about a teen hitchhiking to Expo 86 in Vancouver BC to attempt to enter the skate competition. While hitching there he's picked up by Phillips driving a 70s VW bus. The plot and acting are pretty flimsy but the footage from the vert and freestyle competition is top notch with all the 80s greats are in it. It's on KZbin. Great channel by the way.

[@fintanoclery2698]

Here's a link to the movie kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooOlg5pvZ6qIfac I must be getting old, I left an almost identical comment on of your other videos about a year ago. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug,

[@paulsmith616]

In that video miller does frontside nose grind grabbing his rail like a fside nosebone air way before nosegrinds on tranny were happening

[@disprogreavette8545]

@@paulsmith616 Miller was the bees knees.

[@jessewolter7990]

He did em .

[@kennyharrison2211]

Just watched a video of him doing one.

[@michaelcardoso7987]

Bobby Puleo, you are the perfect person for this, you impressed me with your knowledge of all the Sims riders. You should keep these going because our history is important. I loved how you went to Lance's old house and how excited you were. Keep them coming and do some old school interviews with Bert LaMar, Duane Peters, Eric Nash, David Andrecht, etc.

[@rwirtz77]

I'm not surprized, Jeff was so rad.

[@Trent777howsit]

Jeff does a McTwist on "The Clown Ramp"(1984) vid on KZbin.

[@Rand_al_Thor372]

Jeff could land 720s too. Saw him do 540s all the time at the Clown/Blue Ramp at Bachmann Lake Skatetimes

[@DAWIII]

calling Bullshit on that!

[@Rand_al_Thor372]

@@DAWIII display your ignorance all you want. I. Was. There.

[@keithhampton9700]

@@DAWIII I was there too. Go Fucking Troll some other Dead Legend! Punk Bitch!!

[@marcelboogaard3809]

@@Rand_al_Thor372 I’m not jealous 😤

[@Rand_al_Thor372]

@@marcelboogaard3809 i don't know if a day has gone by where I wasn't grateful for the adolescence I had watching those guys (Jeff, Wilkes, Craig, Gibson hell even the Godoys.) It got surreal when i was in Jeffs house seeing his Japanese model collection while he showed me how to grow weed indoors back in 1989. Magical times.

[@cheeseballs9579]

Phillips and McGill learned the mctwist in Sweden together. I forget the reason but Jeff had to come home early and McGill went and landed it at the next event and Jeff stuck to the Phillips 66 after that and let McGill have that trick probably haha

[@keithhampton9700]

Jeff originally called it the Flip 6. Other people called it the Phillips 66.

[@poppaollie]

That helmet brings up some many images of JP

[@Rand_al_Thor372]

Its the skull off Captain Harlocks spaceship The Arcadia.

[@paulsmith616]

Did lester do it second?

[@disprogreavette8545]

Not sure if he was second and I might be mis remembering the year but there was an indoor skate comp in Toronto in like 87 called Skate Wave and Lester was blasting roof high airs (and multiple mctiwists) that 35 years later I'm still in awe of.

[@KenMMark]

I read that Lester didn't didn't learn it til age 41. Miller didn't do them until the 90s I think. Phillips must've been among the first, since this is from 1984, but I didn't see him do 540s in later contests. I guess it was a risky trick for contests, esp. if you are competing with an injury. Also, you have to waste a wall or two to set it up usually. Phillips made every wall count in a 45 s run. It was art.

[@billdavis6900]

@@KenMMark I've seen several interviews with different people including Mike McGill & McGill said that Lester was the second person to land them. Just saying. Personally, I don't know for sure.

[@KenMMark]

@@billdavis6900 interesting. Don't know where I read that about Lester at 41. But I did just see an interview last week where Tony said Lester was 2nd. Too bad he didn't compete with 540s. Those were kind of essential by mid 80s to place high.

[@billdavis6900]

@@KenMMark Absolutely it was, That’s what made it such a big deal that Phillips won the VA Beach contest and won the 86 NSA finals because he didn’t do them in contests. As far as the Lester doing it second thing, I’m just going by what McGill said in the Nine Club interview. I’ve never seen footage of him doing them.

[@MarginWalker]

Everyone in the comment section telling them to view the video of Jeff at the Clown ramp, that's on the end of this video..

[@adrianday7378]

Dope.

[@jeanettesteffe6281]

Blue ramp footage of him doing a mc twist

[@RavishWarriors310]

Twist twist twist twist

[@clockwork113]

3:11 #thenew911

[@houstonray4892]

This is even harder to watch now.

[@kristopherkrueger4617]

Tony Hawk claims Lester did them early on as well, but never in a contest that I've seen.

[@hunterdavis3003]

Oh shit!?!?!?!?!?

[@davidristic3800]

Here you go at 2:34 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZOrf4ihrNF0q9k Also surprised to see him mongo pushing in the pool at the beginning

[@davidristic3800]

Here's the same clip again, at 2:04 in the vid...from 1984 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWqnfJeont6XbLM

[@marcelboogaard3809]

I heard Kevin Staab saying they nearly all did it at pool contests because it was easier to roll in.

[@superjtrdr]

I saw Jeff Skate 3 times 86-88 and never saw him do that trick but he obviously has in his career completed a 540. So the better question is why stop doing it?

[@primitivejoe553]

I think because it became compulsory almost to win a contest (Grosso said, "spin to win"). Then he bucked the trend and won Trashmore without doing em, allegedly on acid, and maybe never did em again?

[@lekkerje23]

He was kinda negative. If everyone wanted to see a McTwist, it must be too trendy. Proving that you can win without it was another thing of his. I skated with him a lot and never saw him do one. He seemed to dislike anything new as well. Small wheels were hated. Any of the newer shit coming out in the early 90’s was hated as well. He would have negative comments all the time. If your wheels were bigger you wouldn’t have to push. I remember that one. We were doing tricks that you couldn’t do with big wheels. He did teach me how to repel down a tree though. Like high as fuck too. I miss the guy and I loved that skatepark. I still have dreams about skating it. RIP Jeff Phillips and John Comer.

[@superjtrdr]

@@lekkerje23 When I mentioned Tony Hawk he referred to his skating as ballerina style so yea he was kind of negative. My roommate and I took him to eat Mexican food while he was visiting. We had a lengthy conversation about skating

[@mackash]

@@superjtrdr Hawk doesn't even come close to Jeff. He is a ballerina. Actually, he looks more like a daddy-long-legs trying to skate. Ballerinas have style. Most kickflip street skaters today and all through the 90s-00s modeled their pigeonholed skating around Mullen and Hawk. Circus acts. Mullen and Hawk were the worst of skaters and were only really ever a gimmick. Its only just recently that the 90s-00s pigeonholed era that Hawk and Mullen created has finally been sidelined for real skating. It only took 30 years. 30 years of boring spinny gimmicks and the same tricks over and over again. Thanks to Hawk and Mullen. If Gonz didn't rule the 90s and show us how to do it, it would've been nothing of much value to look back on. All i remember was small wheels and baggy pants doing silly kickflips everywhere. Thats something all these kickflip spinny boys need to have a think about. 30 yrs of kickflips and spinnies is a bit much. How boring. If Grosso didnt wake everyone up to what real skating is, they'd still be stuck in it.

[@TIGERGUTS]

311

[@shanebramlette2766]

Check the clown ramp footage...