2008 AST Dew Tour Toyota Challenge: Skateboard Vert Results - Salt Lake City, Utah – Daniel Dhers won the BMX Park event and Andy Macdonald won the skateboard vert event Sunday in the Toyota Challenge.
2008 AST Dew Tour Toyota Challenge: Skateboard Vert Results
Salt Lake City, Utah – Daniel Dhers won the BMX Park event and Andy Macdonald won the skateboard vert event Sunday in the Toyota Challenge.
In BMX park, Dhers remained perfect this year in AST competition, winning the event for his fourth victory of the season
The 23-year old Dhers, from Venezuela, fell at the end of his first run and was fourth at the end of the first round, but rebounded in the second run to finish at 93.33.
Mike Spinner, of Miami, had the lead after his first run, but was bumped into second by Dhers, the last rider to compete in the second heat. Spinner finished with 93.00 points. Garrett Reynolds of Toms River, N.J. was third at 92.00.
"I didn't have the best first run, and then the second round when Spinner started bobbling with his first trick, I said, 'OK, I think that the door is open for me to win,'" Dhers said.
Dher's winning run included a double whip on a big hip, a 360 X up and a table flair to 720.
"I thought, 'The line is working, don't fall now, you're really far ahead," Dhers said. "So, as I kept going everything just started working. I was so happy. It feels awesome. This is my ninth contest that I've won this year out of 11."
In skateboard vert, Macdonald, of Boston, earned his first win on the AST Dew Tour.
"It feels awesome," Macdonald said. "I'm so psyched. For me it's like the Boston Red Sox winning the championship. I broke the curse. It took the Red Sox 86 years to finally win and it took me four on the Dew Tour."
The 35-year-old Macdonald earned a 90.50 on his second run, which included a 720, multiple 540's and difficult switch stance maneuvers. In the third and final round, the competition was unable to best his score.
Canada's Pierre-Luc Gagnon was second at 90.25 and Bob Burnquist, of Brazil, was third at 88.25.
Bucky Lasek finished fifth in the event, but leads the point standings with 325 going into the final event. The race for the Dew Cup is close with Burnquist trailing by five points at 320 and Macdonald in third with 310.
In front of the largest single day crowd in AST Dew Tour history, Chaz Ortiz won his first ever professional skateboard park event and Adam Jones won the freestyle motocross event Saturday in the Toyota Challenge. The day's competitions drew a record 25,996 fans, the highest single day mark in the Tour's four-year history.
In what is considered the largest crowd in skateboard park history, fourteen-year old Ortiz won the event while competing in his rookie season.
Ortiz, from Chicago, went trick for trick with three-time defending Dew Cup champion Ryan Sheckler and they were tied after their first runs. Sheckler, from San Clemente, Calif. surpassed Ortiz with his second run, but it was the 7-minute jam session that decided the win.
Ortiz executed a kickflip frontside boardslide and kickflip out on the rail and earned 93.05. Sheckler was second with a score of 90.00 and Brazil's Rodolfo Ramos was third at 85.90.
"I landed all the tricks I wanted to," Ortiz said. "After my first run I was feeling pretty confidant. I just wanted to get top three and obviously the results were better than I thought. I'm feeling good. I'm super happy. I guess today was my day."
Sheckler gave Ortiz high-fives between his runs and congratulated him on his first win of the AST Dew Tour season.
"We're all friends," Sheckler said. "If you're not friends in skateboarding and you compete against these guys, there's no future in it. It's not a team sport but if you have fun with everyone, it makes it a lot easier. And we do, we all have fun together."
Sheckler now leads the point standings at 338, but Ortiz is close behind with 330 points. Paul Rodriguez trails with 323 points, setting the stage for a close finale in Orlando to decide the Dew Cup winner.
In freestyle motocross, the 24-year-old Jones, of Minden, Nev. secured the lead in his first run with a turntable to no-handed, no-footed can can; a dead body and a stripper flip to earn 94.17 points. Australian Robbie Madison was second at 92.13 and Jeremy Lusk of San Diego followed at 91.50.
"I try to keep my runs unique," Jones said. "I know there are a couple big tricks that everybody is doing out there that you have to have. Apart from just one or two of those, I try to do stuff that other people aren't doing. The ones that people don't see. Even if it doesn't pay off it is still cool to do your own thing. Luckily, this week it paid off."
With this win, Jones leads the Dew Tour standings with 245 points.
"I am pumped to be on top," Jones said. "It has been a while since I felt this good on my bike and have been this confident riding. It is an awesome way to finish the week."
Jamie Bestwick won the BMX vert event and Mike Aitken won the BMX dirt event Friday in the Toyota Challenge.
In BMX vert, Bestwick won a tiebreaker against Chad Kagy to top the BMX Vert competition Friday in the Toyota Challenge.
The 37-year-old Bestwick, from England, earned his third victory of the AST Dew Tour season with 93.00 points, despite competing with an injured back.
Kagy, from Gilroy, Calif., ended up second based on a lower second-run score. England's Simon Tabron was third at 92.17.
Kagy took the lead in his first run with 93.00 points in a performance that included a Superman seat grab and a 540 tailwhip. His fellow competitors were unable to best his score for the remainder of the first heat.
Kagy retained the lead throughout the second heat, until Bestwick, the last competitor, performed. Bestwick tied Kagy in his run, which included an alley oop downside tailwhip and multiple 540s. Their remaining scores in the two-run finals decided the tiebreaker. Bestwick's 92.00 bested Kagy's 89.17.
"I did what I could do tonight," Bestwick said. "Chad rode fantastic and Simon rode the best I've ever seen him move. My legs are feeling fine, but my back hurts. It feels horrible that my body is starting to fail me."
Bestwick will take a 30-point lead into the finals in Orlando, Fla.
"I was glad to come out and lay it down at the Toyota Challenge and I did what I could today," Bestwick said. "The goal is to go to Orlando and take this thing."
In BMX dirt, style prevailed over technical tricks when Aitken won the competition.
Aitken said he rode his bike as a testament to BMX trail riding style of the past, rather than the technical, cutting-edge, progressive style executed by today's top riders. "It's rare to see me upside down," Aitken said.
The 25-year-old Aitken, of Salt Lake City, finished at 92.08 points. Australia's Corey Bohan finished second at 91.92 and fellow Australian Cameron White was third at 91.92, but with a lower scoring earlier run than Bohan.
Aitken's winning run included a variety of stylish 360 tricks.
"To win it doing the things that I'm into and the things that I love makes it that much more special," Aitken said.
"I went in there and I did what I normally do. I tried to keep the nerves down. I honestly didn't think I had a chance. I'm just shocked and happy to be up here."
The four-day competition, the fourth of five stops on the Dew Tour that features skateboarding, BMX and freestyle motocross, drew 63,481 fans. This is the highest attended event in the four-year history of the Dew Tour. The tour will conclude in October in Orlando, Fla.
AST Dew Tour Toyota Challenge Skateboard Vert Results:
1. Andy Macdonald, Boston, 90.50.
2. Pierre-Luc Gagnon, Canada, 90.25.
3. Bob Burnquist, Brazil, 88.25.
4. Adam Taylor, Cocoa Beach, Fla., 87.75.
5. Bucky Lasek, Baltimore, 87.00.
6. Sandro Dias, Brazil, 82.75.
7. Marcelo Bastos, Brazil, 77.00.
8. Neal Hendrix, Lewisville, N.C., 75.50.
9. Buster Halterman, Wellsville, Penn., 68.75.
10. Alex Perelson, San Diego, 51.50.
AST Dew Tour Current Standings
Skateboard Park Points
1. Ryan Sheckler, 338.
2. Chaz Ortiz, 330.
3. Paul Rodriguez, 323.
4. Greg Lutzka, 285.
5. Austen Seaholm, 240.
6. Rodolfo Ramos, 217.
7. Carlos De Andrade, 206.
8. Danilo Do Rosario, 162.
9. Fabrizio Santos, 161.
10. Chad Bartie, 152.
Skateboard Vert Points
1. Bucky Lasek, 325.
2. Bob Burnquist, 320.
3. Andy Macdonald, 310.
4. Pierre-Luc Gagnon, 308.
5. Adam Taylor, 257.
6. Sandro Dias, 216.
7. Renton Millar, 202.
8. Buster Halterman, 186.
9. Josh Stafford, 165.
10. Neal Hendrix, 158.
About AST
The Action Sports Tour (AST) is the recently created umbrella brand and organization of the world's most prestigious action sports events. Currently the AST consists of two national tours, one international event and an amateur series: AST Dew Tour (debuted in 2005), AST Winter Dew Tour (debuting in 2008), AST China (debuting in 2008), and Free Flow Tour (debuted in 2005). The AST properties are home to over 280,000 spectators each year and broadcast in 100 countries and 280 million homes worldwide. The AST Dew Tour consists of five major, multi-sport events spanning across the country, with a cumulative points system, a $2.5 million competitive purse – the largest in action sports – and an additional $1 million bonus pool. Each event features skateboarding (park and vert), BMX (park, vert, and dirt) and freestyle motocross. At season's end, the overall point's leaders in the six disciplines are crowned year-end champions and awarded the prestigious Dew Cup. Key lifestyle elements at each Tour event include the Festival village, specialty competitions, and live cutting edge music. The AST Dew Tour partners include Mountain Dew (tour title sponsor); and Panasonic, Right Guard Xtreme, Wendy's, Toyota and PlayStation® (event title sponsors). Associate partners include Ball Park, Mongoose®, Nike 6.0, NowWhat.com and Verizon Wireless. More information can be found at ast.com.
About NBC Universal
NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates the No. 1 television network, the fastest-growing Spanish-language network, a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.
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