Paul Rodriguez wins AST Dew Tour Skateboard Park event and Shaun White Wins Skateboard Vert event in Cleveland
2008 Right Guard Open Results
Paul Rodriguez wins AST Dew Tour Skateboard Park event and Shaun White Wins Skateboard Vert event in Cleveland
Cleveland – Paul
Rodriguez won the skateboard park event, Olympic Gold medalist Shaun
White won the skateboard vert event and Jamie Bestwick won the BMX vert
event Saturday in the Right Guard Open.
In skateboard park it
was a close finish with only .05 points separating the top two
athletes. Rodriguez earned an average score of 90.75 and
fourteen-year-old Chaz Ortiz placed second with 90.70. Brazilian
Rodolfo Ramos, 24, was third with 88.50.
“The jam for me is
usually where I’m a little better because I don’t have to have the
pressure of landing everything first try and I can do more difficult
tricks and have a couple tries to do it, “ Rodriguez said.
The athletes focused on
executing tricks on the rails during the second part of the finals, a
7-minute jam session. The 23-year-old Rodriguez, of Tarzana Calif.,
landed a technical kickflip backside tailslide down the rail. Chaz, of
Chicago, delivered an impressive kickflip frontside salad grind on the
rail.
In only his second professional competition, Chaz said nerves are not a factor when he competes
“I’m on the podium, obviously I can hang with these guys and that’s just unbelievable,” Chaz said.
In skateboard vert,
White took the lead in his second run, showing finesse and amplitude
with a combination of 540’s and 720’s. Many of White’s competitors fell
during their runs while attempting to unseat him.
The 21-year-old White,
from Carlsbad, Calif, earned a score of 92.00. Bucky Lasek, of
Encinitas Calif. finished second with 88.25 and Brazil’s Bob Burnquist
was third with 87.25.
“I missed the first stop
in Baltimore because of an injury,” White said. “I just wanted to come
out and put something down and it happened. I haven’t been skating my
best lately but everything clicked for me today.”
As the last two athletes
to ride in the BMX vert finals, Bestwick and Chad Kagy were tied for
the lead with 94.50. Bestwick, of Great Britain, executed a flawless
run which included a downside tailwhip X up. Kagy, of Gilroy Calif.,
fell while attempting a double whip flair and placed second. Australian
Steven McCann finished third with 93.33.
“I was just keeping the
height and didn’t stop tricking,” Bestwick said. “I tried to capitalize
on their mistakes. That was right to the end tonight. It was a really
awesome final.”
“I wished Chad had landed that double whip flair. There are three stops left and I know everyone’s gunning for me.”
The four-day competition
is the second of five stops of the AST Dew Tour that features
skateboarding, BMX and freestyle motocross. Sunday’s action features
BMX Park finals.
