2007 Wild In The Parks: Stop #9 Results - The 9th stop on the 2007 North American Wild in the Parks tour went off without a hitch Saturday August 25th at Atlanta’s Woodward Skatepark!
2007 Wild In The Parks: Stop #9 Results by Jarnold
The 9th stop on the 2007 North American Wild in the Parks tour went off without a hitch Saturday August 25th at Atlanta’s Woodward Skatepark!
The contest marked the first visit to Atlanta for both Jared King and myself (Jeff Arnold) so we weren’t sure what to expect. We stayed in a cool little area of town called “Little Five Points” which contains plenty of swanky restaurants and adult beverage establishments. While exploring the area we encountered a conflict in the making between a middle-aged man named Phil and a younger, inebriated chap whom we’ll refer to as “perp”. It’s impossible to say what got the ball rolling, but we picked up the action as the perp came out of a restaurant, grabbed Phil’s bike and began to walk away with it. Phil utilized his panther-like reflexes by pouncing out of the restaurant and grabbing the other end of the bike. Not wanting to disturb the good vibes, Granger, Jared and I got comfortable and grabbed a curbside seat for the show. Phil’s buddies came out and the “perp” let go of the bike. If Phil was satisfied by this, he didn’t show it as he threw his fists up and began bobbing a weaving around in cirlces. The perp was larger, more buff and had better range so all bets were against Phil. Of course, this is before we knew Phil was half wolverine! Fists started flying and Phil got in close and landed some serious heavies. It went back and forth for a few minutes, but in the end we all agreed Phil was victorious.
Other then watching street fights, we were also in Atlanta for the 9th stop on the Wild in the Parks tour! The Woodward Skatepark of Atlanta is a huge complex full of every feature imaginable. If you haven’t been, stop by and say hi to the managers Shane Harrison and John Porter for us.
Things kicked off Saturday just before noon with the 14 and Under division up to throw down first. It didn’t take long for the tricks to start flying as kids attacked all three WITP contest zones! A huge set of 4 steps was easily the most daunting feature out there, but even this didn’t faze this group of WITP terrorists. A huge kickflip was nailed on the 4-set just a few minutes in and the bangers spread like a virus! There was about 15 skaters in contention for top honors, but in the end David Hubert claimed 1st, Jace Cooney 2nd, and Shane Lockhard locked down 3rd.
The 15 and Over category was up next and didn’t waste time tearing the place down! Where did this killer instinct come from? Maybe it was Georgia pride, maybe it was the impending WITP Championships (Sept 22). Whatever the source, these guys were here to win! If you blinked you could have missed the switch heelflips, nollie back lips or the switch frontside three down the 4-set! The scores were close, but after all was said and skated, Matt Hopkins took home 1st, Jordan Ireland 2nd and Michael Beuhler 3rd.
The Open Division was up last and were charged with maintaining the anarchy! I honestly can’t remember seeing a more talented group of rippers terrorizing a WITP at the same time! It was absolute insanity from the get-go as hammers were thrown down in all three zones! Warren Devarenes was on fire the entire time and didn’t let up until after the final buzzer had sounded. Michael Manion and Travis Glover didn’t appear to be intimidated and held their own. After scores were counted, Warren grabbed 1st, Travis 2nd and Mickael took 3rd.
A huge thanks to Shane Harrison, John Porter and the whole crew at Atlanta’s Woodward Skatepark. We really appreciate all the stone support! Thanks to the one and only Granger Clark for helping from a to z. Thanks also to Reese Milikin , Fred and Russ for judging and “DJ Channellock” for keeping the vibe alive and providing everyone with audio inspiration. Last but not least, thanks to The Skateboard Mag, Skateboarder Mag, Thrasher, Vans, Bones Wheels, Flip, Birdhouse, Plan B, Powell, Blind and Digital Skateboarding for kicking in prizes!
Results:
14 & Under
1st: David Hubert 2nd: Jace Cooney 3rd: Shane Lockhart 4th: Anthony Dardo 5th: Ryan Burns 6th: Aaronn Hoad 7th: Austin Gordon
15 & Over
1st: Matt Hopkins 2nd: Jordan Ireland 3rd: Michael Beuhler 4th: Giorgio Villone 5th: Grant McCartney 6th: Matt Ireland 7th: Mathias Bara
Open/Pro-Am
1st: Warren Devarens 2nd: Travis Gloen 3rd: Michael Manion 4th: Ben Hatchell 5th: Richard Wooten 6th: Salomon Mosley 7th: Cody Sosbee
