Windmill, power move, a roll around the upper back, shoulders, and arms, with open legs swung through the air in circles.
History
The windmill evolved from the continuous backspin, a move developed by Crazy Legs around 1978 when he accidentally over rotated a chair freeze from a backspin . Several windmill variations appear in Breakin' and Beat Street .
Variations
Windmill variations are more frequently referred to in the plural (e.g. "airplanes"). Many of these descriptions are informed by an article written by Kujo .
Airplanemill
Also airplane. Windmill with arms straight out to the sides (as if imitating an airplane).
Barrelmill
Also barrel. Windmill with arms rounded in front (as if carrying a barrel).
Bellymill
Also body glide, superman. Windmill where the chest contacts the ground, with arms over the head. The rolling motion can be done around the chest or waist, instead of the shoulders and upper back.
Caveman
Windmill with hops from shoulder to shoulder, instead of rolling. Developed by Caveman .
Double Windmill
Windmill with two rotations in between the back (or hands) contacting the ground.
Continuous Backspin
Also stabbed windmill, stabmill. Windmill with a stab between each rotation, resembling repeated New York backspins. Developed by Crazy Legs .
Eggbeater
Windmill with hands on hips and elbows pointed outward.
Genie
Windmill with arms folded in front of the chest.
Handcuff Windmill
Also handcuff. Windmill with hands interlocked behind the back.
Munchmill
Also baby windmill, babymill, crunchmill. Windmill with knees tucked into chest and legs bent. Often, each rotation is accompanied by both legs kicking up and outward.
Nutcracker
Windmill with hands covering the crotch.
Pencilmill
Windmill with body straight from head to toe, with forearms in front of the chest and parallel to the body. Buck4 did floats into a single pencilmill in 1984 , while members of Enemy Squad and TDB did continuous pencilmills in 1992 .
Strip Windmill
Windmill during which an upper-body garment is removed. Done in 1984 , while a variation in which the garment is thrown was done in 1989 .
Sumomill
Windmill with hands on knees and legs bent. The position resembles the squatting position of a sumo wrestler performing shiko.
Superman Windmill
Also superman, body flare. Windmill with arms over the head, lifting the body off the floor when the chest faces downward.
Tapmill
Also Germanmill, dipmill, webmill. Windmill with foot tapping between rotations, resembling a spinning track.
Tombstone
Also pike windmill. Windmill with legs piked. Developed by Gombi in 1994 . May have been developed independently by Jazzy J as well as Babak .
Wingmill
Windmill-like move with legs tucked into the chest, ankles crossed, hands grabbing opposite feet, and rolling over the knees. Developed by Wing.
Yan's Mill
Windmill with legs bent in a W and hands grabbing the ankles. Developed by Yan .