The origins of the first water bottle flip can be traced back to the viral video of Michael Senatore flipping a bottle for a talent show, and then walking off stage. No one can really say why it was so popular, but it inspired much mimicry and evolutions, which in turn prompted people to achieve the ultimate flip. There are some basics that one must know before it is possible to achieve the ultimate flip. Usually, people use a regular 16.9 oz bottle, and in order to achieve the best results, fill it with water ⅓ of the way up. If the water exceeds or falls short of this measurement, the difficulty of flipping is greatly increased. One must take into account how quickly to flip it, which depends on where it lands. Also keep in mind that it might take a while to master a flip, and if you have the patience, you can do almost anything.

Once you have mastered the “regular” flip then you can advance onto more difficult ones. Cistercian students have been trying to achieve the next viral flip. Student Connor Blend went outside next to the amphitheater, and attempted to flip a bottle onto a rail which was 20 feet above him. He attracted other people, and a small crowd of 10-15 students gathered to attempt the task as well. He later gave the reasons for why he flips, and says, “It’s not a choice… it’s an addiction. You see, I don’t flip for the satisfaction of when it lands, but I flip for the expression that people make when they realize that I can do something that they can’t, because I’m the best.”

Junior Michael Jaquez made “the best flip in the upper school” according to student Xavi Anderhub when he flipped a bottle from inside the classroom onto the ledge of the windows above the projector. For the people unfamiliar with the Cistercian classrooms, the windows are roughly 25 feet high and the window sill is around 2-3 inches wide, and he landed the bottle upside down, quite an impressive feat. It took him a week to finally land it, but when he did, he got so much praise from his peers that it was totally worth it.