Well, I hope everybody enjoyed their weekends; I'm happy to report that my good friend's annual "Pro-Tec Pool Party...Party" was, again, a success. Those of you who got a chance to watch the contest are fully aware that it was, indeed, a sight to behold. Those of you who were unable to watch, however, allow me to break down my personal highlights (and lowlights):
The Masters' Division:
The Masters', as always, was a treat to watch. It was really cool this year to see 75% of the original Bones Brigade vert stars (Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Lance Mountain) skating a contest together for the first time in a couple of decades. Tony, who I had assumed was going to be a shoo-in for first, wound up placing fourth behind Chris Miller, Cab, and Lance respectively. In hindsight, this isn't entirely surprising, given Tony was a last-minute entrant. Granted, Tony had his 540s on lock the entire night (as did both Tony Mag and Sluggo, neither of whom made the finals), but his technical use of the bowl was simply not on par with the three guys who bested him. Regardless, Tony seemed to have had a good time, and his runs were entirely entertaining to watch, namely his circa 1985 Rage at the Badlands 360 slide and roll through the square corner. It's genuinely difficult to pinpoint a favourite part of the Masters' contest, though Chris Miller's zero-gravity high speed frontside air transfer into the round bowl will forever be tattooed into my psyche. Notable disappointments include a lack of Hosoi for Tony's big return to the combi, and a distinct lack of Jeff Grosso....
Well, except for this commercial, which incited a good laugh every time it aired between heats.
The Pro Division:
I genuinely feel for the judges on this one. Even in spite of Bucky not being present to throw nollie flip madonnas alongside mceggs and flying vs, the pros put on a show that had everybody out of their seats and up on their feet (author excluded, broken ankle and whatnot). As expected, Pedro Barros mimicked the recent shuttle launch with his straight airs, and tossed more 540 variations than most of the other pros combined. Andy MacDonald, who deserves way more recognition than he has ever received as a professional, mixed in the new and the old, added a heaping helping of consistency, and managed third place behind Pedro and Rune Glifberg respectively, with a particular standout being his repeated attempts at a FREAKING BACKFLIP BACKSIDE BONELESS TRANSFER ACROSS THE PENINSULA!!! God, I wish he'd made that one....
Ben Raybourne was a noticeable absence from this year, though it seemed that Tony Trujillo was put in place last minute to fill that "padless and unplanned" niche, though to be honest, I think Raybourne would have skated a bit better (no offense, Tony).
End of the day, I cannot say enough good things about the Party this year, but you really need to see it for yourself....
For a full archive of the entire 2011 Pro-Tec Pool Party, head to Vans' official site.
For a more abridged summation, check out the edits over at the Thrasher site.
Showing posts with label pro-tec pool party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pro-tec pool party. Show all posts
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Super Bowl Party! Part III
Okay, so first off, two-time Pool Party champ Bucky Lasek is out of the contest on account of a broken ankle, and TONY HAWK IS IN! so that happened.
Have your heads finished exploding?
Awesome.
On to business.
So, aside from the obvious Tony Hawk is finally skating a proper contest again, why does skateboarding need the Pool Party? What makes it different from the throng of contests put on every year?
Sorry, Tony, awesome as the All 80s contests are, they're pretty much a costume party...
1) The Pool Party is one of the only exclusively vertical contests left. The only other one I can think of is the Rumble in Ramona, and let's face it, that's more of a weekend-long ramp party. When you consider all the major contests right now, there are really two kinds: those with both street and vert, with the vert contest playing second fiddle (re: Maloof, Tampa, X-Games...... pretty much all of them), and contests that are only street contests (re: Street League, Manny Mania, Thrasher's occasional "let's throw a carcass-toss for cash at a famous street spot"). Accentuated by the fact that the pool party is held in a multi-faceted bowl, the contest not only helps legitimize vert riding itself, but also helps break the stereotype that a vert contest is relegated to sixteen tricks done back and forth on a basic vert ramp.
There's a reason the old Gameboy Colour port of THPS didn't do well...
2) The Pool Party has an inherent lack of (non-skateboarding-centric) corporate sponsorship. Let's be honest, all three or four of you reading this blog, along with myself, skate. That being said, we all know that skaters are weary of big corporate America getting its chocolate chequebooks into our peanut-butter professional endorsement. (Apparently when the owners of an NBA team want to throw money at us, that's okay, but I'll save that for another time). Skaters have learned time and again that if we want something done right, we need to do it ourselves. It's the reason why the Gravity Games failed, and the X-Games are on the way.
Well, not to mention lumping skateboarding in with Rally Racing.... nice, ESPN....
It's the reason why Tampa Pro is considered the most legitimate pro street(and vert) contest in North America. The Pool Party is run by Vans, Pro-Tec, and Rockstar (Okay, I know, an energy drink sponsor, but skaters drink 'em, and your new Almost deck was manufactured using money taken from collar-popping jocks who bought Globe flip-flops, so don't get me started). The lack of corporate sponsors at the Pool Party makes it feel like it's of skaters and for skaters, and for a discipline where the pros are maligned on message boards throughout the interwebs for everything from padding up to being sponsored by beef jerky, something that adds a plash of hardcore back into the fray can't hurt. Vertical riding is awesome, and this contest affords people the opportunity to watch a well-run, organized vertical contest that isn't bogged down with Taco Bell and Verizon Wireless banners, making the whole thing seem like a corporate publicity stunt. The Pool Party is about skateboarding, the way it should be.
Stay tuned for Monday, when I'll wrap up the winners, losers, makes, slams, and Jeff Grosso's epic pool gut.
And hopefully equally epic andrechts.
Have your heads finished exploding?
Awesome.
On to business.
So, aside from the obvious Tony Hawk is finally skating a proper contest again, why does skateboarding need the Pool Party? What makes it different from the throng of contests put on every year?
1) The Pool Party is one of the only exclusively vertical contests left. The only other one I can think of is the Rumble in Ramona, and let's face it, that's more of a weekend-long ramp party. When you consider all the major contests right now, there are really two kinds: those with both street and vert, with the vert contest playing second fiddle (re: Maloof, Tampa, X-Games...... pretty much all of them), and contests that are only street contests (re: Street League, Manny Mania, Thrasher's occasional "let's throw a carcass-toss for cash at a famous street spot"). Accentuated by the fact that the pool party is held in a multi-faceted bowl, the contest not only helps legitimize vert riding itself, but also helps break the stereotype that a vert contest is relegated to sixteen tricks done back and forth on a basic vert ramp.
2) The Pool Party has an inherent lack of (non-skateboarding-centric) corporate sponsorship. Let's be honest, all three or four of you reading this blog, along with myself, skate. That being said, we all know that skaters are weary of big corporate America getting its chocolate chequebooks into our peanut-butter professional endorsement. (Apparently when the owners of an NBA team want to throw money at us, that's okay, but I'll save that for another time). Skaters have learned time and again that if we want something done right, we need to do it ourselves. It's the reason why the Gravity Games failed, and the X-Games are on the way.
It's the reason why Tampa Pro is considered the most legitimate pro street
Stay tuned for Monday, when I'll wrap up the winners, losers, makes, slams, and Jeff Grosso's epic pool gut.
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Super Bowl Party! Part II
Welcome back to part 2 of my 4 part mini-series on this year's Pro-Tec Pool Party. Last post I rambled on about the importance of the Masters' contest, and why it made the Pool Party worth watching, so this post I'm talking about the Pro division.
There's a lot about the riders that make up the pro division of the Pool Party that I think is worth talking a little bit about. It all really starts when you look at the age range of the guys skating the pro division:
Bucky Lasek: 38
Rune Glifberg: 36
Omar Hassan: 38
Pedro Barros: 16
Bob Burnquist: 34
Alex Perelson: 20
Josh Borden: 20
Lincoln Ueda: 37 (as of last Tuesday, Happy Belated!)
Benji Galloway: 33
Nolan Munroe: 18
Ben Raybourn: 18
Zach Miller "Lite": 21
Bruno Passos: 35
Michael Brookman: 18
Sky Siljeg: 16
Bennett Harada: 32
Matt Boyster: 21
Andy MacDonald: 37
Anthony Furlong: 32
Joshua Rodriguez: 20
Now, for me, I can't help but notice the staggering eleven-year jump in ages from the oldest of the young guys (Miller and Boyster) to the youngest of the old guys (Furlong and Harada). While I am perfectly aware of the fact that this gap is indicative of vert skating's so-called "Dead Years", it is genuinely interesting to have watched, in the last few years or so, this sudden surge of young, fresh-faced vert riders burst into the ranks of professional competition; ranks that, since about the mid-nineties, had remained largely unchanged. Speaking as someone who started skateboarding during the utmost height of street skating's popularity, I went through the whole of the 2000s seeing, on the street side of things, a handful of new guys popping up every year or so, and maybe a handful retiring their pro models, or at the very least just kind of fading away from mainstream coverage. There seemed to kind of be this natural flow in mainstream street coverage, as opposed to the kind of generational dynasties that existed through the 70s and 80s, these groups of pros that kind of cornered the market, the mags, and the competition standings for maybe five years or so until the next dynasty cropped up.
The thing is, vertical skating is not easy to delve into wholeheartedly. You can maybe chalk this up to accessibility and intimidation. For one thing, proper vertical ramps and bowls have been, for the last couple of decades, notoriously hard to come by; a trend that has only recently started to change. Second, for anyone who has never skated vert before, it is really, really difficult. Learning even a basic trick can be the equivalent of trying to learn a basic street trick down a set of eight stairs before even trying it on flat ground. There is no middle ground with vert, which is why it isn't surprising that there is a seeming decade full of stories of Tom Grom who, when given the option of 1) missioning at least two hours to the nearest vert ramp to spend a month learning how to do airs, or 2) waxing the curb out front of the local 7-11, the choice was a no-brainer.
I think it was the Slurpees the really tipped the scale, here.
However, then came the 2000s, replete with the X-Games, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise, and the North AmericanDaycare Skatepark boom.
Now, not only were kids being marketed vert and street skating on a more equal footing than ever since around 1992 or so, but with an increased frequency of high-qualitydaycares skateparks being built, many of these kids had much greater access to a forum in which they could be dropped off for the day while dad works and mom shops practice whatever discipline of skateboarding they so desired.
Now, shake well, fast forward five to ten years, and you have this aforementioned sudden explosion of vertical talent; kids who probably got into skateboarding because of the THPS games, and now find themselves hurling 540s alongside many of the guys they probably spent countless ours skating as in front of their TVs. With many of the older guys of the batch pushing up near the qualifying age for the Masters' division, there's really only a scant few years in which we can really observe this phenomenon of two generations of professional skaters in the process of passing the torch from the old guard to the young blood, and there's something really special about that.
And on a related note, I can't wait to see what happens in 2013 when Bucky and Omar start competing in the Masters' contest - Lance's going to have to relearn his 540s...
Stay tuned for part 3 on Friday, when I'll talk about why skateboarding needs the Pro-Tec Pool Party.
There's a lot about the riders that make up the pro division of the Pool Party that I think is worth talking a little bit about. It all really starts when you look at the age range of the guys skating the pro division:
Bucky Lasek: 38
Rune Glifberg: 36
Omar Hassan: 38
Pedro Barros: 16
Bob Burnquist: 34
Alex Perelson: 20
Josh Borden: 20
Lincoln Ueda: 37 (as of last Tuesday, Happy Belated!)
Benji Galloway: 33
Nolan Munroe: 18
Ben Raybourn: 18
Zach Miller "Lite": 21
Bruno Passos: 35
Michael Brookman: 18
Sky Siljeg: 16
Bennett Harada: 32
Matt Boyster: 21
Andy MacDonald: 37
Anthony Furlong: 32
Joshua Rodriguez: 20
Now, for me, I can't help but notice the staggering eleven-year jump in ages from the oldest of the young guys (Miller and Boyster) to the youngest of the old guys (Furlong and Harada). While I am perfectly aware of the fact that this gap is indicative of vert skating's so-called "Dead Years", it is genuinely interesting to have watched, in the last few years or so, this sudden surge of young, fresh-faced vert riders burst into the ranks of professional competition; ranks that, since about the mid-nineties, had remained largely unchanged. Speaking as someone who started skateboarding during the utmost height of street skating's popularity, I went through the whole of the 2000s seeing, on the street side of things, a handful of new guys popping up every year or so, and maybe a handful retiring their pro models, or at the very least just kind of fading away from mainstream coverage. There seemed to kind of be this natural flow in mainstream street coverage, as opposed to the kind of generational dynasties that existed through the 70s and 80s, these groups of pros that kind of cornered the market, the mags, and the competition standings for maybe five years or so until the next dynasty cropped up.
The thing is, vertical skating is not easy to delve into wholeheartedly. You can maybe chalk this up to accessibility and intimidation. For one thing, proper vertical ramps and bowls have been, for the last couple of decades, notoriously hard to come by; a trend that has only recently started to change. Second, for anyone who has never skated vert before, it is really, really difficult. Learning even a basic trick can be the equivalent of trying to learn a basic street trick down a set of eight stairs before even trying it on flat ground. There is no middle ground with vert, which is why it isn't surprising that there is a seeming decade full of stories of Tom Grom who, when given the option of 1) missioning at least two hours to the nearest vert ramp to spend a month learning how to do airs, or 2) waxing the curb out front of the local 7-11, the choice was a no-brainer.
However, then came the 2000s, replete with the X-Games, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise, and the North American
Now, not only were kids being marketed vert and street skating on a more equal footing than ever since around 1992 or so, but with an increased frequency of high-quality
Now, shake well, fast forward five to ten years, and you have this aforementioned sudden explosion of vertical talent; kids who probably got into skateboarding because of the THPS games, and now find themselves hurling 540s alongside many of the guys they probably spent countless ours skating as in front of their TVs. With many of the older guys of the batch pushing up near the qualifying age for the Masters' division, there's really only a scant few years in which we can really observe this phenomenon of two generations of professional skaters in the process of passing the torch from the old guard to the young blood, and there's something really special about that.
And on a related note, I can't wait to see what happens in 2013 when Bucky and Omar start competing in the Masters' contest - Lance's going to have to relearn his 540s...
Stay tuned for part 3 on Friday, when I'll talk about why skateboarding needs the Pro-Tec Pool Party.
Friday, 13 May 2011
Super Bowl Party!
There is an event, an annual sporting event, that my close friends and I try to mark off on our calendars. Every year, you know how it goes, the boys get together with some burgers on the barbecue, some frosty refreshing beverages, and the excitement of seeing our favourite athletes clash for top-dog status, slugging it out in the big one, the only one: The super bowl.
Y'know...the Combi Bowl, in Orange, CA... It's a super bowl, well built, I'd kill to skate it one day.
Alright, so horrendous puns aside, I and my good friends are all genuinely excited for this year's Pro-Tec Pool Party, held of course at the Orange, CA Vans Skatepark's Combi Bowl. We are planning to have our second annual "Super Bowl" party in which we plan on grilling some burgers, cracking a cold one or two, and watching some of our favourite athletes skate their hearts out.
Seriously, I think Duane Peters is one hospital visit away from having his heart actually outside his chest.
In all seriousness, though, I think the Pool Party is worth being excited about, for a number of reasons, reasons that I will all-to-happily share with you, because really, why would I be writing this otherwise, right?
1. The Masters' Division:
Alright, so I'll be the first to admit that my personal enjoyment of the Masters' contest stems largely from my own inner skate history nerd getting a chance to watch guys like Lance Mountain, Steves Cab and Steadham, Lester Kasai, Duane Peters, Chris Miller, et al skate the Vans Combi the way I wish I could have watched them skate Upland a few years before I was born. There is, however, just as much value in it to me as to those of you who haven't spent rainy days reading online back-issues of Thrasher trying to figure out the names of every hot handplant from 1982.
For one thing, a lot of the maneuvers being performed by the Masters' competitors are becoming something of a lost art. Anyone who watches Jeff Grosso take a run will see anything from a boosted boneless one to tail, to a statuesque sadplant, to a slide and roll that covers more coping blocks than most people will frontside grind in one year!
The fact of the matter, however, is that these tricks don't win modern vertical competitions, and while seeing someone like Ben Raybourn show up and do his own thing his own way, the majority of the young bucks in the pro division compete like they need to if they want to place (no sleight to any of them, everyone has to eat). Point is, watching the older guys pulling the older tricks is important to remind everybody that while, yes, 540s are an incredible feat, there's nothing wrong with styling out a sweeper every now and again.
Secondly, there's no shame in admitting that a group of forty-plus year-old men are more talented and fearless on a skateboard than yourself. If anything, it's actually pretty amazing, inspiring even. Truly, it helps legitimize the fact that the activity we all hold so dear is not merely a young man's game; that there's no more shame in hitting the local park after work as there is the local rink, diamond, or alley. It is so easy to forget that skateboarding is still so young, and that while it will always maintain that inherent rebelliousness of its younger participants, skateboarding will continue to mature, along with those who skateboard, and while hanging up on a backside air could prove more dangerous than getting hit with a pitch in your local beer league, seeing a bunch of middle-aged, devoted husbands and fathers get together and skate really warms the heart.
It seems to me that this post is getting altogether too long. Stay tuned for the next two posts leading up to the Pool Party, and the recap of all the action following thereafter.
Y'know...the Combi Bowl, in Orange, CA... It's a super bowl, well built, I'd kill to skate it one day.
Alright, so horrendous puns aside, I and my good friends are all genuinely excited for this year's Pro-Tec Pool Party, held of course at the Orange, CA Vans Skatepark's Combi Bowl. We are planning to have our second annual "Super Bowl" party in which we plan on grilling some burgers, cracking a cold one or two, and watching some of our favourite athletes skate their hearts out.
In all seriousness, though, I think the Pool Party is worth being excited about, for a number of reasons, reasons that I will all-to-happily share with you, because really, why would I be writing this otherwise, right?
1. The Masters' Division:
Alright, so I'll be the first to admit that my personal enjoyment of the Masters' contest stems largely from my own inner skate history nerd getting a chance to watch guys like Lance Mountain, Steves Cab and Steadham, Lester Kasai, Duane Peters, Chris Miller, et al skate the Vans Combi the way I wish I could have watched them skate Upland a few years before I was born. There is, however, just as much value in it to me as to those of you who haven't spent rainy days reading online back-issues of Thrasher trying to figure out the names of every hot handplant from 1982.
For one thing, a lot of the maneuvers being performed by the Masters' competitors are becoming something of a lost art. Anyone who watches Jeff Grosso take a run will see anything from a boosted boneless one to tail, to a statuesque sadplant, to a slide and roll that covers more coping blocks than most people will frontside grind in one year!
The fact of the matter, however, is that these tricks don't win modern vertical competitions, and while seeing someone like Ben Raybourn show up and do his own thing his own way, the majority of the young bucks in the pro division compete like they need to if they want to place (no sleight to any of them, everyone has to eat). Point is, watching the older guys pulling the older tricks is important to remind everybody that while, yes, 540s are an incredible feat, there's nothing wrong with styling out a sweeper every now and again.
Secondly, there's no shame in admitting that a group of forty-plus year-old men are more talented and fearless on a skateboard than yourself. If anything, it's actually pretty amazing, inspiring even. Truly, it helps legitimize the fact that the activity we all hold so dear is not merely a young man's game; that there's no more shame in hitting the local park after work as there is the local rink, diamond, or alley. It is so easy to forget that skateboarding is still so young, and that while it will always maintain that inherent rebelliousness of its younger participants, skateboarding will continue to mature, along with those who skateboard, and while hanging up on a backside air could prove more dangerous than getting hit with a pitch in your local beer league, seeing a bunch of middle-aged, devoted husbands and fathers get together and skate really warms the heart.
It seems to me that this post is getting altogether too long. Stay tuned for the next two posts leading up to the Pool Party, and the recap of all the action following thereafter.
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