The AND 1 Tour Stop - Inhumanly Possible

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Monday, 31 July 2006

There are some things human beings just aren’t supposed to have the power to do, but Taurian Fontenette has proven that he’s capable of at least one of them. At first glance, one might view the oft-circulated internet video of Fontenette (a.k.a. “Air Up There”) and his 720 Dunk as a forgery. A Powerade commercial of Michael Vick throwing 100-yard passes and knocking receivers out of their shoes with fireball passes makes this dunk, in which Air Up There spins around two full times before dunking, seem computer generated too. Officially: No special effects, no camera tricks. The dunk is the real deal. Air Up There is AND1’s newest full-time tour member, and even though he recently broke his thumb, he has been one of the Mix Tape Tour’s biggest hits this summer. This past weekend in Chicago, the man behind the dunk took some time to discuss the 720 and his experience with the AND1 tour... Before his big chance, Fontenette worked as a security guard at a chemical plant in a town right outside of Houston, Texas. He moved around a lot, playing college-level ball at three different schools before eventually quitting college hoops for good in 2005. “I was a junior in school, but I had to drop out to take care of my daughter,” Fontenette admits. And it wouldn’t be long after dropping out before he would get his shot with AND1, as Air Up There was last year’s contract winner for AND1’s Mix Tape Tour, featured on the ESPN networks. Said Fontenette about the tour: “They’ve been treatin’ me good. The whole thing has been really great… Comin’ up as a kid, I never thought I’d be playing in all these major arenas with such great players. I never thought I’d play on the same court as Vince Carter.” He added, “I’ve been able to fulfill my dream and take care of my daughter.” Guys like Fontenette prove that not all basketball success stories end with, “…and then he made it to the NBA.” Air Up There’s success is only getting up off the ground, and it’s with AND1 and the Mix Tape Tour. Of course, most of that success comes from high-flying, acrobatic dunks like the 720. What’s amazing is Air Up There never even practiced that particular dunk. The internet video shows a 2006 AND1 event in AUT’s home state of Texas, and that was the first time he had even tried the dunk. “You get a idea that just pop into your head while you’re up in the air. You just get up there and think, ‘I can do something with that.’” When asked how he came up with the idea for the 720, he responded with a wry smile, “Just thinkin’ crazy.” He wouldn’t give away any hints for what unbelievable dunks were still to come, but with having recently broken his thumb he’ll have plenty of time to brainstorm. Of course, some people are already talking bigger and better. Will there be a 900-degree dunk? “Nah, that’s too much,” Fontenette laughs, flipping his hand in submission. Maybe so, but there’s little else this guy can’t do. “Humanly possible” or otherwise. Joel Brigham HOOPSWORLD.com No one has commented on this article. Please login or register to post comments. J! Reactions • General Site License Copyright © 2006 S. A. DeCaro

 

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