Chad Tim Tim pulls a 180 nosegrind on a tall ledge at home in Long Beach, Calif.
After Chinese government officials, local media, and local skaters swarmed the park for Saturday’s official grand opening of Woodward Beijing, the day closed out with a three-section Best Trick contest with more than $10,000 up for grabs. With three spots picked out in the plaza—the long three stair and rail, the A-frame and manny, and the handrail and stairs—and 1st through 5th place paying out at every section, everybody took home some cash. David Loy killed the A-Frame and took first there, while Tom Asta and Ryan Sheckler battled it out at the other two sections. Tom got first at the three stair and the handrail while Sheckler went home the overall winner for killing it all around. Watch how it went down.
FINAL RESULTS:
3 Stair Rail
1. Tom Asta, $1,500
2. Ryan Sheckler, $1,000
3. Dane Burman, $750
4. Billy Rohan, $500
5. Aaron “Jaws” Homoki, $250
A-Frame/Manny
1. David Loy, $1,500
2. Aaron “Jaws” Homoki, $1,000
3. Jimmy Carlin, $750
4. Ryan Sheckler, $500
5. Curren Caples, $250
Handrail
1. Tom Asta, $1,500
2. Ryan Sheckler, $1,000
3. Jimmy Carlin, $750
4. Dane Burman, $500
5. Aaron “Jaws” Homoki, $250
Overall Winner
Ryan Sheckler, $3,000 and Epiphone guitar
Filmed by Chris Thiessen
Tags: Aaron Homoki, best trick, Billy Rohan, china, Contest, Curren Caples, Dane Burman, David Loy, grand opening, Jaws, Jimmy Carlin, Ryan Sheckler, Tom Asta, woodward beijing
Finding this one's going to be a bit tougher.
More than two million people are followers of skateboarding icon Tony Hawk on Twitter, and one of the things that he regularly does besides tell the world what he's up to is something that just might drive memorabilia collectors crazy.
He hides his used skateboards, and Tweets their locations for a lucky follower to find, no strings attached.
ToppsTopps is hoping the Tony Hawk trading cards will be popular with the skateboarding crowd.
That'd be like LeBron James handing over his sneakers after the game or Dale Earnhardt Jr. having over the keys to the No. 88 after a race. (Well, if it had keys …)
But the hunt for Hawk's treasures isn't done just via Twitter.
Topps will include as many as a few hundred autographed cards of the self-confessed "professional skateboarder, dad, video game character, husband, CEO, kid chauffeur, global hopscotcher, Huckjammer and public
Skatepark defender" in packs of its 2010 Allen & Ginter baseball cards which will hit stores late next month.
Why Hawk? In a baseball card set?
Allen & Ginter is faithfully styled after the first set of cards to include baseball players from 1887. Those cards, found one per pack of cigarettes to help stiffen the pack and protect the smokes, featured cards of "The World's Champions" -- "base ball" players, pugilists, wrestlers, rifle shooters, pool players, billiards players and oarsmen. (If those sound a bit dated, it's because that's what it says on the backs of the cards …)
And not only will there be autographs from Hawk -- and others from the sports world -- but one of Hawk's used skateboards will be cut up with pieces of the board embedded into cards that collectors can find in packs.
The coolest card of the bunch, though, will be a one-of-a-kind oversized "Cabinet Relic Card" that will placed atop the box of packs in one randomly selected box. That card will include the entire nameplate off Hawk's skateboard.
ToppsHere is Tony Hawk's oversized trading with a nameplate.
Other Cabinet Relics will include the entire nameplate off of a player's game-used uniform (Cliff Lee is much more of a viable candidate than Jarrod Saltalamacchia), and complete uniform numbers (likely from teams with smaller numbers on jersey fronts).
Allen & Ginter, which has been among Topps' most popular sets since it revived the brand in 2006, will include many other athletes and personalities that one wouldn't expect to find in a baseball card set. Among those tentatively planned to appear are Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders, "Deadliest Catch" captain Sig Hansen, pro bowler Kelly Kullick and even a fire eater, Hubertus Wawra.
Oh, and there's even a former "American Idol" winner, too.
They're all "world's champions" in Topps' book, but Hawk just might be the headliner in this year's version of Ginter.
And we can think of a couple million reasons why.
Burr Ridge, Ill. -- Following a gold-medal-winning performance at the Vancouver Olympics in snowboard halfpipe, Shaun White will now be vying for a new title to add to his collection -- Skateboarding World Champion. White's opportunity for his second major accolade of the year will take place at the Dew Tour's Skate Open, International Skateboarding Federation (ISF) Skateboarding World Championships June 25-26 at Boston's legendary TD Garden. Tickets for the first stop of the 2010 Dew Tour are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com starting at just $15.
"Winning my second gold medal at the Olympics was unbelievable, and I'm excited to get back to skateboarding," White said. "After taking a year off, the Dew Tour's Skate Open is the perfect place for me to kick-off my summer of skating."
Highlighting the athlete roster for the Dew Tour's Skate Open, two-time Olympic gold medalist White immediately switched his focus to skateboarding for the remainder of the 2010 season after claiming his second consecutive gold medal in the men's snowboard halfpipe competition at the Vancouver Games. Almost as accomplished on the vert ramp as he is in the halfpipe -- capturing the 2007 Dew Cup with three straight event titles before taking home an X Games gold medal that same summer -- White will be competing at the Dew Tour's Skate Open -- his first skateboarding contest since his recent Olympic snowboarding victory, and his first time competing for the title of Skate Vert World Champion.
In addition to White, top skate athletes from around the world will be competing at the Skate Open in both skate park and vert, including defending Dew Cup champion and Skate Vert World Champion, Bucky Lasek. Boston-local Andy Macdonald, up-and-comer Alex Perelson and vert legend Bob Burnquist will also be among those competing at TD Garden against White in a fierce battle for both the Skate Open win and the title of ISF Skateboarding World Champion in the vert discipline.
The defending Skate Park World Champion and three-time Dew Cup champion, Ryan Sheckler will look to repeat his World Champion status again in 2010. However, he will have to contend with the likes of Paul Rodriguez, Chaz Ortiz and Greg Lutzka.
A sneak peek at the skate park course for this year's Skate Open, ISF Skateboarding World Championships is available by visiting www.allisports.com.
Tickets to see White, Sheckler, Rodriguez and more than 150 of the world's best skate park and vert athletes at TD Garden, June 25-26, are now on sale at Ticketmaster, Ticketmaster.com and select Ticketmaster retail outlets or by phone at (800) 745-3000. For Saturday's finals, Action Zone tickets cost $100 a day for adults and children and provide access to priority reserved seating for all finals contests on Saturday, in addition to official Dew Tour merchandise, a behind-the-scenes tour, athlete autograph session, merchandise discount coupon, Fast Pass access into all venues and interactive areas, and cold Mountain Dew. Reserved seating tickets will be $35 for children and adults and guarantees seating for all finals competitions. Grounds Pass tickets cost $15 for adults and children.
Friday's event tickets are on sale for $15 for all ages. The ticket will include admission to all preliminary round competitions held at TD Garden.
In addition to world-class competitions, the two-day event will also include a free music concert -- taking place at City Hall Plaza on Friday, June 25 - and an interactive Festival Village featuring Mountain Dew and FUEL TV's Green Label Experience, the Nike iD program where fans can customize their own pair of shoes, the NERF Dart Tag World Championships and free product giveaways, demos of the latest Sony and PlayStation games and electronics and athlete autograph signings.
For more information, visit www.allisports.com. The Skate Open schedule of events is as follows:
Friday, June 25 -- Gates open at 3pm
3:00pm Festival Village opens
3:45pm-5:00pm Women's SKB vert prelims
5:15pm-6:45pm Men's SKB park prelims, Group 1
7:15pm-8:45pm Men's SKB park prelims, Group 2
9:00pm-10:30pm Concert at City Hall Plaza
Saturday, June 26 - Gates open at noon
Noon Festival Village opens
4:00pm-4:45pm Women's SKB vert finals
5:00pm-6:00pm Men's SKB vert finals
7:00pm-8:00pm Women's SKB park finals
8:30pm-9:30pm Men's SKB park finals
**Schedule is subject to change**
The 2009 ISF Skateboarding World Championship titles were awarded to Ryan Sheckler (skate park, men), Vanessa Torres (skate park, women), Bucky Lasek (skate vert, men) and Lyn-z Adams Hawkins (skate vert, women).
The complete 2010 Dew Tour schedule is as follows:
Event Date Location
Skate Open, June 25-26 Boston, Mass. - TD Garden
ISF Skateboarding World Championships
Nike 6.0 BMX Open July 23-24 Chicago, Ill. - Soldier Field South Festival Lot
Wendy's Invitational Aug. 12-15 Portland, Ore. - Rose Quarter
Toyota Challenge Sept. 16-19 Salt Lake City, Utah - EnergySolutions Arena
Dew Tour Championships Oct. 14-17 Las Vegas, Nev. - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Entering its sixth year, the top athletes in the world will take part in the 2010 Dew Tour, all competing for the highly coveted Dew Cup that will be awarded at season's end to champions in each of the five disciplines, culminating at the Dew Tour Championships at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The 2009 Dew Cup champions include Chris Cole (skateboard park), Bucky Lasek (skate vert), Garrett Reynolds (BMX park), Jamie Bestwick (BMX vert) and Ryan Nyquist (BMX dirt).
Hosted by the Northern Cape Tourism Authority, the formal announcement featured a speech by the Premier of South Africa and live video chat and Q&A with Joe Maloof, who joined via Skype from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
"For the first time in the history of the event, the Maloof Money Cup will go beyond the shores of America to the African continent and more specifically right here in Kimberley, South Africa," said H. Hazel Jenkins, the Premier of the Northern Cape Province in South Africa. "The skatepark and vert ramp the Maloofs are building for this contest and donating to our community is a significant contribution that will encourage the development of our youth, by providing them with a healthy, affordable recreational activity. Having a world class street course and vert ramp in Kimberley will also put South Africa on the map as a premier destination for skateboarders from around the world."
The world's best professional skateboarders will come together in Kimberley, South Africa, September 30 through October 2, 2011, for the Maloof Money Cup world skateboarding championships. Featuring pro street and pro vert competitions, and televised internationally, MMC South Africa will be viewed by a worldwide audience.
"From the day we started this contest, it was our vision to expand internationally, said MMC Creator Joe Maloof. "This June, South Africa will host the FIFA World Cup, the most viewed sporting event in the world. Coming on the heels of this major event, South Africa was an ideal location to host the first-ever Maloof Money Cup world skateboarding championships. We look forward to continuing to expand as we speak with countries from around the globe who are looking to bring a world class skateboarding competition to their communities."
Deathwish
Destructo
Arnette
"I'm really psyched to ride for Arnette," Duffy says. "I've always been a fan of the brand, and together with the rest of the ripping team we're going to continue building Arnette into the most high-energy, pure rock sunglasses brand out there!"
Originally from Marin County, CA, and now living in the San Diego area, Duffy has been whole-heartedly dedicated to his craft since he first stepped on a skateboard in the early '80s. Known for his progressive style and deep bag of tricks, he is widely recognized as a central figure in the birth of modern day skateboarding. Early on in his career, it was his inventiveness and uncanny ability to take ordinary street tricks to handrails that marked a definitive turning point in the evolution of street skating. One of skateboarding's all-time heroes, Duffy's profound impact and influence can still be felt to this day.
In his new role at Arnette, Duffy will serve double-duty as both pro rider and, most importantly, Skate Team Captain. His long-standing industry ties and burning passion for skateboarding, coupled with his balls-out attitude and innovative approach will not only enable him to significantly grow Arnette's skate program, but also help take the entire brand to the next level.
"We're very excited to welcome Duffy to Arnette as our Skate Team Captain," says Joe Freitag, Arnette Global Brand Manager. "He's a pioneer, brings a ton of knowledge and experience to the table, and will play a key role in building up the team and getting us more involved in the skateboarding scene. Plus, it doesn't hurt that he absolutely rips!"
In addition to Arnette, Duffy also rides for Plan B, LOST Clothing, Venture Trucks, SPoT Party Team and Paradox Griptape.
Arnette's current skateboarding team roster includes Pat Duffy, Willy Santos, Danny Supa, Luis Tolentino and Jimmy Cao.
Rob Gonzalez just dropped a stellar part in the new LRG video, "Give Me My Money Chico." Together Danny Montoya, Gonzalez is in the process of growing Listen skateboards and may just have a new, widespread, distribution deal for the brand shortly after this interview drops. With a deep bag of tricks, solid spot selection and style for days, Gonzalez is always on point. We checked in to see what he's been up to lately.
Ben KarpinskiRob nollies into a noseslide and hangs on for the long way down.It's going good, we got some big plans for 2010 and have been talking to Syndrome Distribution about re-launching the brand. There've been a few legal obstacles in transferring everything over, so it has taken a little longer than expected, but it's looking like Listen will have a new home at Syndrome.
Who's on the squad?
The final squad will be announced when we officially re-launch in the coming weeks.
For a while, you and the LBC were doing Listen out of Danny Montoya's house, right?
Yeah, we have a workspace in the back house at the Toya compound. It's basically the art and marketing department/warehouse. It just allowed us to weather the credit crunch and slump in our economy the last couple of years. We operated on smaller, more manageable scale and only sold to a few key accounts. It kept us afloat.
That's a real skate company.
We dedicated our lives to skateboarding, and that's all we know. Gotta keep doing what we love.
What's the plans for 2010 and Listen?
A new video, some new team riders, and a lot of skateboarding and fun.
Will Vern Laird be coming back to make your next video?
Vern is family, I will always film with him, but Vern's got big plans, he's blowin' up on the Team Manager circuit. He's in demand.
Ben KarpinskiRob utilizes his nollie pop again, this time to nollie shove-it over a sizable bump to bar.
That would be epic. Whatever Nisbet puts together is solid. He's a true artist.
Is it true that you will do anything for $1.00?
Maybe when I was like 12 years old and ghetto. I was poor and the older homies used to torture me and make me do all kinds of crazy stuff when I was younger. I was smart though. I'd make them pay me. They'd tell me stuff like "Go grab that chick's a**" or "Drink this whole bottle of hot sauce" and I would do it and come up on loot. The amount of money depended on how gnarly of a stunt it would be. Anthony Oglesby used to make me do craze sh**t.
Was it the 508 video where you ate a rotten banana?
Ha ha! The homies found an old a** rotten banana in the gutter and filmed me eat it for like three bucks. I took my three bucks and went straight to Taco Bell. I was hyped. That was back in the days, though. Back when I was a broke little kid, hanging in the streets. Dirty lil' skate rat days, when five dollars would last you a week: 99-cent Value Menu style.
Can we find that footage online?
Probably not. That was on VHS. That stuff's like a dinosaur. There's probably like 300 VHS tapes in the whole world nowadays. Even in ghetto places like Mexico and Nicaragua fools are all up on Blue Ray and DVD's and s**t.
Was eating that gross banana really worth it for just $3.00?
Hell yeah! I was hyped. I was grubbing 59 cent Taco Bell burritos for days. I was ballin'!
Josh BrooksA hirsuit Rob Gonzalez was all smiles last summer at the 2009 Maloof Money Cup.
Damn, that's a hard one because there have been so many different eras and skaters that have come out of Long Beach over the years. Eddie Reategui, Ron Chatman, Steve and Marco Saiz were the crew holding it down in the mid to late '80's. They were all pretty big time pros back then. I would fan out on those dudes all the time. The main '90's Long Beach crews were the 508 crew and the Sellouts crew. A lot of good skateboarders came out of those crews. Dudes like Jason Rothmeyer, Cesar Singh, Ryan Bartsma, Danny Montoya, Brian Paz R.I.P.
How many Pro's do you think live in Long Beach right now?
There are a bunch of pro's here now. It's like a free for all. It's cool; everybody who lives here is really mellow and respectful. No kooks. You'll get chased out of Cherry Park quick if you act up. It doesn't matter who you are or who you ride for.
Who was the first pro you ever met in Long Beach?
Eddie Reategui. He was pro for Alva at the time and that was like a hardcore tough guy skate company. Those dudes were bad a**. I saw him at Lakewood Mall in JC Pennys. I fanned out on him and asked for an autograph. He was hella cool.
When was the last time you saw Eddie Reategui?
Damn, not for a while. I think I saw him somewhere random like Outback Steak House.
Give me a good Long Beach Larry story.
There are so many good Long Beach Larry stories. We used to call him Typewriter Larry, because he used to talk super short and fast and would stutter sometimes. When he was talking to you, it sounded like someone was typing on a typewriter. His mom was a super dope artist and his whole family was really talented and eccentric. One day he came out skating in these sheer, floral, woman's pajama pants. Everyone was bugging out on him, but he was just ripping. He filmed a dope line at the Belmont ledges in woman's pants. No big deal.
Ben KarpinskiRob blasts a kickflip over a rail with a drop well over head-high to contend with.
Nah, that fool ran away. He's lurking the streets somewhere. It's funny too, because that 411 video came out like 10 years ago and people still ask me about him all the time.
Have you ever had any other pets?
No pets. Speedy running away broke my heart. I will never own another reptile or pet. Speedy ruined me for other pets.
Who was the guy you slapped with your board griptape side to the face?
There've been a few incidents in my high school days. I don't really want to speak on it, but we just had crazy graffiti beef back in the day. High school was rough. Everyday was a battle: skaters vs. jocks, graffiti crew vs. graffiti crew. It was tough. Thank god it's over and I'm a grown a** man who doesn't have to fight or watch his back every day.
How did the LRG video turn out?
Good! Everyone worked really hard on it and it's a good feeling to see the final product come out the way it did. We had a great time filming the video and I think it shows in the final edit. The LRG homies are like my family. Good peeps.
I hear there are some new additions to the LRG team.
Yeah they just put on Tom Asta, Billy Marks and Tommy Sandoval. I'm hyped. I think everyone shares a common opinion about what they think LRG's image is, that it's a hip-hop and Rasta company or something. With the addition of these dudes, it just makes the whole thing a well-rounded, solid skate team. It's everything. It's skateboarding.
Words of wisdom from Rob G?
You gotta blow it to know it.
After making the most of his mind with a rap career, Jereme is returning to skateboarding.
