SOUL BOWL 2007 Coverage
Photo Galleries
Let me start this off by saying I screwed up and missed the girls division on Friday. While Julie Kindstrand, Lynz Adams, Mimi Knoop, Holly Lyons, and many others were tearing up the soul bowl I was sitting in a doctor’s office waiting room bored out of my mind. Here are the results for those who were like me and missed the girl’s division.
1st Mimi Knoop
2nd Lyn-Z Adams
3rd Julie Kindstrand
4th Holly Lyons
5th Karen Jonz
6th Annie Sullivan
7th Jodie MacDonald
8th Leah Taylor
9th Allysha Bergado
10th Amy Caron
11th Susie Strege
I’d have to say Saturday I slightly redeemed myself for missing Friday. I woke up at 4:30 jumped in the car with skateshooters Jay and Eddie to pick up Ray. After we picked up Ray we arrived at the Huntington Beach Soul Bowl. We got there at 7:30 and the parking lot was already filled up. The only way we got a spot was by using Ray’s handicap placard. Once we parked I carried two cameras, a video camera, and a skateboard across the beach to the soul bowl. We took care of media check in and walked up the huge flight of stairs to the bowl. I have to give it up for Ray who walked up and down at least 50 stairs and all the way across the beach carrying his own camera, and didn’t complain once broken leg and all. He’s definitely a trooper, who showed his love for skating and photography by showing up having a great time and shooting amazing photos regardless of his leg. We were one of the first to arrive and being so close to the ocean the bowl was soaked in morning dew. Eddie and I wasted no time and jumped down in the bowl and tried our best to dry up the bowl using some rags we found. After we got the bowl dry no skaters had showed up so we decided we couldn’t pass up such a great opportunity and took a few runs of our own. As the morning progressed more and more skaters, photographers, staff, filmers, and fans lined the bowl and practice was underway. The Masters were separated into three qualifying heats and the top seven skaters made it into the finals. There were some big name no-shows, including Ben Schroeder who apparently broke down on the way there and was stuck on the ‘Ben Ten’ freeway. No one knew exactly why DP wasn’t there, but the internet bulletin boards claim a sprain wrist was to blame. Despite the absentees there was no shortage in skateboard talent and the bar was set very high for this year’s soul bowl masters competition. Pat Ngoho was in true form with stylish, fluid lines, smooth rock and roll’s, and bionic backside airs. Steadham was no more than a blur the entire time utilizing the corners to pump mega speed and blast incredible backside airs, bonelesses, and lengthy boardslides. T-mag was his usual self making lofty airs look easy. Salba proved he can rip a ramp just as good as he can a backyard pool with slob airs over the ladder, nosegrinds, and lein airs, and lein to tails. Dave Reul threw himself into the mix and deserves an honorable mention for wearing his Skatanic Rednecks jacket despite the sweltering heat. Lester Kasai ripped as always blasting huge frontside airs, and tweaked inverts. It was a tough contest to call and there was some grumbling about the results, but I don’t think it would be a skateboard contest without some complaining over the results. In the end T-mag took it, followed very close by Steve Caballero, and Steve Steadham rounded out the top three. Here are the rest of the results.
1st Tony Magnusson
2nd Steve Caballero
3rd Steve Steadham
4th Steve Alba
5th Henry Gutierrez
6th Lester Kasai
7th Pat Ngoho
8th Dave Reul
9th Lonny Hiramoto
10th Eddie Reategui
11th Mike Smith
12th Jon Jon Bryant
13th Chris Cook
14th Mike Rogers
Sunday I woke up at 5:20 on the dot allowing myself a little more sleep, but still not enough. I hopped in the car with Eddie and Jay again and headed to the soul bowl. Ray opted to duck out Sunday because of his leg, but nobody blamed him and if you need further proof check the x-rays he posted up on the forums. We arrived bright and early again grabbed a bite to eat across the street, payed way too much for parking, lugged the camera gear and boards to the bowl, repeated the dry and skate routine, picked up over a hundred empty water bottles, and prepared to witness the pro event. The pros began to pile in, and the snake session known as practice began. The pro’s followed the same format as the Master’s with three qualifying heats, and a top eight final. There was a large span in the age of the skaters from young guns Nolan Johnson, Tyler Mumma, and Adam Taylor to veterans Omar Hassan, and Brian Patch. Nolan Johnson was a standout skater in the event who annihilated the ramp regardless of a seriously injured elbow. Nolan sported a bloody ace wrap and sock all day long and when he eventually took it off you could see a huge gash in his elbow which gave you a view of what the inside of his elbow looks like. When I asked him if he wanted a new bandage he replied no, and his brother said that he was too punk for clean bandages. Despite the elbow he pulled numerous back to back tricks including judos, lein airs, and even a front and backside boneless off the extension. Omar Hassan ripped the bowl with long lipslides through the corners, and gigantic heelflip indy. Benji Galloway skated hard all day long as well. Cookiehead Jenkins threw down insane backside airs and fingerflip to tails, while French Jean Postec pulled some amazing tech lines. Sergie Ventura was a crowd favorite blasting some of the highest airs of the day. The pro division was another close call and the judging was very close again. After the contest ended there was a best trick jam where Omar got third I believe and I forget first and second, but I’m sure they’ll get posted soon enough. Here are the results for the pro contest.
1st. Omar Hassan
2nd. Benji Galloway
3rd. Bruno Passos
4th. Brian Patch
5th. Sergie Ventura
6th. Adam Taylor
7th. Matt Moffet
8th. Josh Borden
9th. Jean Postec
10th. Mizael Simao
11th. Nolan Johnson
12th. Chris Gentry
