How do Olympic skateboarders catch serious airtime? Physicists crunched the numbers

Skateboarders call it "pumping," and it's a skill that both Olympic medalists and aspiring thrashers use to build launch speed from what seems like thin air. But what separates the steeziest pro from the sketchiest beginner is the years' worth of practice it takes to develop the know-how to execute the cleanest pump -- or at least that was the case until now. In a paper published Monday in the journal Physical Review Research, scientists have revealed the secret of achieving serious airtime. A skateboarder rides the bowls at Etnies skatepark in Lake Forest. With a bit of coding, researchers were able to describe the optimal technique for pumping -- a tactic where skateboarders crouch down low momentarily and then push their body upright on inclines.