About Mike McGill - Pro Skateboarder Profile, Biography and History

Mike McGill, born on September 2, 1964, is an American professional skateboarder renowned for his contributions to the sport and most well known as the inventor of the McTwist skateboard trick.

Mike grew up in Florida and made his first trip to California in 1978 alongside fellow Floridian Alan “Ollie” Gelfand (Alan invented the Ollie!). His connection to Powell Peralta began through Gelfand, and Mike was initially flowed some skateboard products by Stacy Peralta.

Mike’s most iconic contribution to skateboarding is the “McTwist”, an inverted 540-degree mute grab aerial. He first performed this groundbreaking trick on a wooden half-pipe in Rättvik, Sweden in 1984 and later at the Del Mar Skate Ranch in a concrete bowl when he returned to the United States.Inspired by Fred Blood’s roller skate 540, Mike pushed the boundaries and landed the McTwist. The trick combines a front flip with a 540-degree rotation.

Rodney Mullen then officially named it the McTwist.

Inspired by the McTwist, teammate Tony Hawk invented the “McHawk”, a 720-degree aerial.
The McTwist also made its way into snowboarding, with Shaun White performing a double McTwist at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Mike McGill entered over 30 competitions during his pro skateboarding career, including:

1st place in the 1981 Kona "Go For It" Skateboard Competition at Jacksonville, Florida.
1st place in the 1982 Christmas Classic Skateboard Competition at Upland Skatepark.
1st place in the 1986 NSA Pro/Am Skateboard Competition at the Skatepark of Houston, Texas.
1st place in the 1987 Raging Waters' Boomer Ramp Jamp Skate Comp in San Jose, Doubles (with Steve Steadham).

Mike was a key member of the legendary skateboarding team known as the “Bones Brigade”. This elite team, sponsored by Powell Peralta, dominated professional skateboarding during the 1980s. Led by Stacey Peralta, the Bones Brigade included skateboarding legends like Lance Mountain, Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Tommy Guerrero, and Steve Caballero.

The Bones Brigade are probably best remembered for featuring in the legendary Powell Peralta skateboard videos of the mid-80s to late 80s, including: "The Bones Brigade Video Show", "Future Primitive", and "The Search for Animal Chin".

Mike McGill was known for excelling at vertical skating, and when street skating began to take over, McGill turned to the business side of skating. He started his own skateboard company, "Chapter Seven" (which is no longer going), and opened his own skate park in Carlsbad.

In 2006 McGill was featured in a commercial for the Discovery Channel as the inventor of the McTwist Skate Trick. McGill has also teamed up with Powell Peralta Skateboards and reissued his signature boards from the 1980s.

Mike McGill continues to skateboard and still attends many skate-related events, along with running his own skateshop in Encinitas, California - McGills Skateshop.

The below is from the McGills Skateshop website:

"Mike McGill is one of the Great legends of skateboarding today. Growing up in New York and then moving to Florida at the age of 10 he started skateboarding in the Tampa Bay area. There were at least 5 concrete skate parks within hours driving distance to his parent’s house. Not able to get to a skate park everyday, Mike McGill built all kinds of ramps and obstacles to satisfy his growing need to skate as well as constantly searching for concrete drainage ditches and backyard swimming pools, which sometimes turned out to be better than most of the Florida skate parks built at that time.

After competing in several contests around Florida, people began to take notice of the 85 lb 14 year old kid. More specific a skater named Alan “Ollie” Gelfand, Inventor of the ollie air (no hands aerial) from Hollywood, Florida and Tim Scroggs one of the top flatland freestylers from Orlando, Florida. They recommended Mike McGill to their coach Stacy Peralta, leader of their team known as the Bones Brigade, residing in Venice California, were some say skateboarding started.

After making several trips to California, Stacy Peralta told Mike McGill as long as he placed well in contests he would keep flying him out west to join his other teammates to enjoy the smoothest parks in the world. During that time Stacy picked up other riders like Steve Caballero, Rodney Mullen, Tony Hawk and Lance Mountain to join his elite team. They traveled all over the world, through out Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand as well as all over the United States and Canada doing demonstrations and competing in contests. In fact they traveled so much together, it was like McGill's second family.

Mike McGill Invented one of the greatest tricks of all time, while teaching at a Swedish summer camp in 1984, which most people say opened up a whole new dimension in skateboarding. The trick was name by one of his former teammates Rodney Mullen the “MCTWIST”. The Mctwist is a 540-degree aerial grabbing mute style. Today it is a staple in vertical skateboarding competition. Mike McGill has been in several skate videos as well as movies and commercials. Some to name a few, doubled for Bruce Willis in "One day in Venice",Mark Walberg in "Daddy's Home", Jose Brolin in "Thrashin",Christian Slater in "Gleaming the Cube" and most recently Robert Downey Jr. for a secret phone commercial... He actively competes in Masters Competitions, and will occasionally barge in on a session with his long time friends and teammates Tony Hawk,Bucky Lasek,Steve Caballerro and Kevin Staab."

Mike McGill Skateboard Videos:

Powell Peralta: The Bones Brigade Video Show Skateboard Video
"This is the first of the famous Bones Brigade Videos. It was filmed at the beginning of the 1980s skateboard boom and was intended to show new skaters what had been going on in the sport during and after the 1979-1983 dark ages when very few skaters remained loyal to the sport. BBV1 features ramps, pools, parks, streets, ditches, freestyle, downhill, super slo mo, "new moves" and an original soundtrack. Some of the best skate songs are in this video. Skate and Destroy by The Faction, Mr. Mysterioso, Skateboard Blues, Bones Brigade Shuffle, with Johnny Rad! Featuring Lance Mountain, Tony Hawk, Steve Stedham, Per Welinder, Rodney Mullen, Steve Caballero, Mike McGIll, Stacy Peralta, Todd Hastings, Chris Iverson and more".

Powell Peralta: Future Primitive Skateboard Video
"Featuring: Lance Mountain, Tony Hawk, Steve Steadham, Per Welinder, Rodney Mullen, Steve Caballero, Mike McGIll, Stacy Peralta, , Chris Iverson and more".

Powell Peralta: The Search For Animal Chin Skateboard Video
"Join the Bones Brigade as they go on their quest in search of the legendary skateboarding master - Animal Chin. Featuring: Lance Mountain, Tony Hawk, Tommy Guerrero, Per Welinder, Rodney Mullen, Steve Caballero, Mike McGIll, Mike Vallely, Doug Smith, Jesse Martinez, Jim Thiebaud, Bryce Kanights and more".

Mike McGill at his skatepark on SK8 TV, 1990 Skateboard Video
"Segment from Nickelodeon's Sk8 TV from 1990 of Mike McGill skating as his own skatepark."

Animal Chin 30 Years - Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Mike McGill & Lance Mountain Skateboard Video
"It’s been 30 years since the original members of the Bones Brigade—Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Lance Mountain, Mike McGill, Tommy Guerrero—gathered at the Chin Ramp. This piece includes interviews with the team, Chin Ramp builder Tim Payne, and photographer Grant Brittain, alongside several well-known pro skaters who were hugely influenced by the climactic scene in The Search for Animal Chin. Watch your favorite skaters rip the iconic ramp again, inspiring each other not only to recreate some of the timeless moments captured in the video from which it takes its name but to push each other to new heights as they continue the search for Animal Chin."

Mike McGill Podcast | The Nine Club With Chris Roberts - Episode 254 / Nov 21, 2022
"Mike McGill discusses growing up on the east coast & getting into skating, how he got on Powell Peralta, his fist published photo in a magazine, inventing the Mctwist, opening his shop and getting his park built, filming The Search For Animal Chin, being a stunt double for Christian Slater in “Gleaming The Cube”, seeing Alan Gelfand do a ollie for the first time, Vert Alert and much more!"
The Nine Club