X Games Gold – Cole, Dias, Burnside, Lasek, Way, Steamer
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For Immediate Release
WAY TOO MUCH IN SKATEBOARD BIG AIR
BIG AIR PIONEER COMPLETES X GAMES GOLD THREE-PEAT
Los Angeles – It takes a special frame of mind to be a Big Air skateboarder. On Sunday at X Games 12 Danny Way showed again why he has pioneered the event, landing the first-ever — and the second-ever — backflip off the monster ramp and walking away with an unprecedented third-straight gold medal.
The legendary San Diego skateboader held off Australian Jake Brown (silver medal) and fellow skateboarding pioneer Bob Burnquist (bronze medal) in front of crowd of more than 12,000 fans at The Home Depot Center.
On his winning run Way dropped from the 80-foot roll-in to soar over the 70-foot gap and land a rocket air backflip followed by an extended backside air off the quarterpipe. He had already landed the first-ever back flip in competition in an earlier run.
“It was kind of a joke when I did it in Mexico City, but I tried it in practice and was like ‘Whoa, I could probably do this,” said Way of the trick he dubbed an El Camino. “With the little time we had with this ramp this week, it’s amazing what we were able to do out there.”
Jake Brown held the lead early in the competition, landing the first complete run. It was, however, his fourth jump that put him on the medal podium — landing a mute grab backside three over the 70-foot gap, and finishing it with a McTwist off the pipe.
“It’s been a few years getting into this spot and breaking into the top three, so I’m pretty stoked,” said Brown. Asked about how the skaters keep their bearings while soaring and spinning, Brown added, “There’s just something in your head that tells you where you are. I don’t know what that is called – maybe intuition.”
Burnquist, who has also been a driving force in the progression of Big Air, won the bronze with a switch backside 180 no-handed ollie, followed up with a double board flip off the pipe. After landing the double board flip, Burnquist came within inches of rolling off the side of the quarterpipe roll-in ramp.
“I’m happy that it happened the way it did; I was pretty scared I’d go off the side, but it made for some good drama,” said Burnquist.
The trick Burnquist did not land may have been just as significant in the growth of Big Air — trying three times unsuccessfully to land a front flip.
“I just wanted to land one good run and then go for the front flip. Today was good conditions for trying the front flip.”
Skateboard Big Air features athletes skating down a 60- or 80-foot roll-in, choosing to launch over a 50- or 70-foot gap, landing and continuing into a 27 foot quarterpipe. Speeds on the roll-in ramp can reach close to 40 miles per hour. Way developed the sport, which is exclusive to X Games competition. Six skaters qualify for the finals, with each getting five jumps. The highest single score wins. Later today, BMX Freestyle Big Air will make its debut at X Games 12.
Way’s three-peat is the third three-peat completed at X Games 12. On Saturday, Elissa Steamer won her third-straight gold in the Women’s Skateboard Street competition. On Thursday, Corey Bohan completed a gold-medal three-peat in the BMX Freestyle Dirt competition.
WOMEN’S SKATEBOARD STREET
August 5, 2006
STEAMER ROLLS TO THREE-PEAT IN WOMEN’S SKATEBOARD STREET
Baker Becomes Youngest Medalist
LOS ANGELES – Elissa Steamer made more X Games history on Saturday, skating to an unprecedented third-straight X Games Women’s Skateboard Street gold medal. As crowds packed The Home Depot Center, Steamer, silver-medalist Lauren Perkins and bronze medalist Lacey Baker wowed the crowds on their way to the podium.
“I didn’t think I would pull it off,” said Steamer of her historic win. “I kinda blew it on my first run, but I was able to work my way up in the jam session, where I just got real loose. The stairs got me the gold.”
Needing to rally from the slow start, Steamer did just that and put together a strong overall ride that featured a kick flip backside heel slide, a frontside 50/50 and a nolli kick flip. Steamer’s three-peat makes her the only woman to hang the Women’s Skateboard Street gold medal around her neck. The event debuted at the X Games in 2004.
In her silver-medal performance, Perkins flowed through the competition, sticking a number of tricks including the frontside heel slide, frontside 180, frontside 50/50.
The 14-year-old Baker impressed the crowd and her competitors throughout the afternoon’s event, becoming the youngest Women’s Skateboard Street medalist in X games history (a record previously held by Perkins). The Covina, Calif. native stuck tricks including an ollie frontside board-slide over the rail, a hard flip over the stairs and a varial kick flip off the hip.
SKATEBOARD VERT BEST TRICK
LASEK’S “GAMEPLAN” LEADS TO SKATEBOARD VERT BEST TRICK GOLD
Los Angeles – Bucky Lasek is no stranger to the top spot on the X Games podium, but on Friday night he won his first X Games gold medal for Skateboard Vert Best Trick. Max Dufour took home the silver medal and skating legend Bob Burnquist added another medal to his collection with the bronze.
“I had a gameplan tonight,” said Lasek. “I knew I could land those tricks, and it feels really good to do it. I’m stoked to win gold.”
Lasek (Encinitas, Calif.) won the competition by sticking a front side cab varial heel flip.
The 33-year-old Dufour (Montreal, Can.) won silver on a backside kickflip 360 tail grab to fakey – a trick he first landed just days ago.
“I first stuck it a week and a half ago,” said Dufour. “So I came in to practice it on Wednesday and ended up getting whiplash.”
Burnquist cemented his spot on the medal podium with a front side tail slide 360 out.
Skateboard Vert Best Trick was the final event of the second day of X Games 12. Attendance on Friday was 27,700, bringing total attendance so far to 54,300.
Men’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick Final Standings
Final standings from X Games 12 Men’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick competition at STAPLES Center on August 4, 2005
Name Hometown
1. Bucky Lasek Encinitas, Calif.
2. Max Dufour Montreal, Can.
3. Bob Burnquist Carlsbad, Calif.
4. Jake Brown Sydney, Aus.
5. Danny Mayer Omaha, Neb.
6. Colin McKay Vancouver, Can.
7. Jean Postec Annemasse, Fra.
8. Shaun White Carlsbad, Calif.
August 4, 2006
COLE DOMINATES MEN’S SKATEBOARD STREET, TAKES GOLD
LOS ANGELES – Chris Cole, after bursting on the skateboarding scene last year at X Games 11, returned to Los Angeles and dominated the Men’s Skateboard Street competition Friday at X Games 12. Ryan Sheckler skated away with the silver medal, and Andrew Reynolds took home the bronze.
Cole (Statesville, N.C.) enjoyed virtual anonymity outside of East Coast skating circles until he took home bronze last year in the X Games Skateboard Street competition. Since then he has risen to the top of the skateboarding world, and came into Friday’s finals ranked second after Thursday’s Selection Session. On Friday, he dazzled the crowd of thousands, skating strong throughout the competition and landing a long list of tricks that included a backside three kick-flip over the stair gap and a 360 onto the rail followed by a heel flip off.
“I like being here and watching all the other guys skate,” said Cole. “I have a lot of things happening right now, but winning today feels awesome.”
Sheckler (San Clemente, Calif.), who in 2003 was the youngest athlete to ever win X Games Gold (Skate Park), scored his first Skateboard Street medal after finishing fourth last year. The 16-year-old veteran of three X Games was complimentary of both the course and his fellow skaters after the competition.
“The stairs were brutal, but so much fun. That was my favorite part of the course,” said Sheckler following his run. “And if I was going to follow anybody, I’m glad it was Chris — he’s one of my favorite skaters.”
Reynolds (Winter Haven, Fla.), a skate legend who won silver in the Street competition at X Games 2004, rarely competes but has a knack for performing on the biggest stages. On Friday he showed little rust while taking the bronze, finishing just a quarter-point behind Sheckler.
August 3, 2006
DIAS SNARES FIRST SKATEBOARD VERT GOLD
LOS ANGELES – On Thursday at The STAPLES Center, Sandro Dias’ first run was good enough for Gold, as the Brazilian took home the X Games title in the men’s skateboard vert showdown. Bob Burnquist nabbed silver and Bucky Lasek took home the bronze. Andy Macdonald missed the podium, just 0.25 points behind Lasek.
The victory was the first X Games Skateboard Vert Gold for Dias, who won the bronze at X Games 11 and has won Vert titles multiple times at Latin X Games and Asian X Games competitions.
“I thought my score was too high,” quipped Dias, when asked if he was surprised his first run was enough for the victory. “But I love the judges.”
That winning run included a Backside 540 McTwist to Tail, a Nar Jar 540, Heel flip to front side slider and Oli To Fakie.
Burnquist and Lasek both had strong runs with opportunities to take the gold, but in the end came up short. Burnquist on his final two runs fell on a switch kick flip after a frontside air to backside air.
“I feel very good about that run, because I connected every single obstacle on the ramp and it flowed all the way through,” said Burnquist. “The switch kick-flip that I couldn’t land – I’ll definitely loose sleep over that because I usually can land it. I think that if I had landed that, I might have got the gold.”
Lasek put together a run that included a Frontside Air 540, Oli Flip Fakie and Stalefish.
“My body felt good for as battered as it was,” Lasek said. “I was feeling it on my third run but I was seeing about eight walls ahead of myself and fell on something easy.”
August 3, 2006
BURNSIDE AGAIN RULES THE WOMEN’S VERT RAMP
LOS ANGELES –Cara-Beth Burnside put on another signature show Thursday afternoon at X Games 12, on her way to a second straight gold medal in the Women’s Skateboard Vert competition at X Games 12.
Fresh off her ESPY nomination for Best Female Action Sports Athlete, Burnside (Encinitas, Calif.) showed the crowd why she deserved that honor. Feeling a good vibe with the big crowd and loving the ramp, Burnside punctuated her medal-winning run with several Judo Airs, a Pop Tart Disaster and a Feeble To Fakie.
Mimi Knoops (Encinitas, Calif.), a multiple X Games medal-winner herself, took home the silver medal after three straight X Games Skateboard Vert Bronze medals (2003 – 2005). Knoops has a chance to take home another medal on Saturday in the Women’s Skateboard Street final.
Karen Jones (Sao Paulo, Brazil), the bronze medalist said, “It was a great vibe to skate with today’s group of women. This is the biggest competition for women’s skateboard, and I am proud to take home bronze to Brazil.”
Rally Car – Day One
On Wednesday, in Gorman, Calif. (approx. 60 miles northeast of Los Angeles) X Games ushered in its first-ever Rally Car Racing competition. A field of 15 teams competed in stages one through eight, with the ninth and final stage – the “Super Special” – held Saturday at The Home Depot Center.
After eight stages, Colin McRae (Lanark, Scotland) and co-driver Nicky Grist lead Travis Pastrana (Annapolis, Md.) and co-driver Christian Edstrom by just 0.5 seconds overall.
Taped coverage of stages one through eight will be televised Saturday leading into coverage of the final “Super Special” stage. Coverage begins at 3 p.m. on ABC.
About X Games 12
The X Games is the definitive annual action sports competition featuring more than 150 of the world’s best athletes competing in: BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, Surfing and new to this year’s lineup, Rally Car Racing. ESPN and ABC will provide 14 hours of original LIVE X Games 12 programming from August 3-6. ESPN will also present four late-night highlight programs starting August 4, resulting in a total of 18 hours of original programming for X Games 12. SportsCenter, ESPN’s flagship news program, will report LIVE from X Games 12, with the 11 p.m. ET SportsCenter featuring daily event coverage.
X games 12 venues include STAPLES Center, The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.), Puerto Escondido, Mexico for Surfing and Gorman, Calif. for parts of the Rally Car competition. X Games will remain in Los Angeles through 2009.