2009 Pro Tec Pool Party Report - “It’s about fucking time” a much stoked Bucky Lasek exclaimed as recipients of the pro awards were announced and he landed in the no 1 spot. Chris Miller was the favorite to win the Masters event and lived up to his
“It’s about fucking time” a much stoked Bucky Lasek exclaimed as recipients of the pro awards were announced and he landed in the no 1 spot. Chris Miller was the favorite to win the Masters event and lived up to his expectations. The 3rd annual Pro Tec Pool Party went down this past Saturday, May 16th at the Vans Skatepark in Orange County. It is really, hard to explain the whole deal in words. In fact, if you watch it on TV you will not really understand either. It is more of a feeling. Not feeling like the emotions you get when you think about your ex-girlfriend and listen to the Cure; no emo bullshit here. The feeling of more or less 10 straight hours of pure adrenaline created by the world’s best known park skaters, mixed with a hungry crowd, in a now 10 year old pool based on Upland’s legendary pool that is hard to skate alone, let alone with often 1-3 others, as is often the case during the Pool Party. As Snowrev.com’s own Joe Carter said after watching the Pool Party for the first time this year “That’s the gnarliest thing I have ever seen” or at least he said something along those lines. It all starts with practice at 10 am, continues through the heats and on through the final event, the pro finals finishing well after dark – balls to the wall the whole time.
You might think that this event would get boring after being around for 5 years but somehow it remains interesting for a variety of reasons. To watch the likes Bucky Lasek, Rune Glifberg, Chris Miller, Christian Hosoi, Ben Schroeder, Bob Burnquist are alone good reasons it remains exciting. Plus every year some new crop of guys come up that surprise you. This year the Gridlock team busted out with 2 guys and one girl in the finals; Josh Rodriguez, Megan Brown and Michael Brookman. Who is team Gridlock? I don’t know, maybe some gritty people form the Inland Empire that some one from Gridlock was telling me jokingly “everyone hates” Also, Pedro Barros from Brazil came on stronger than a pervert staring at Brazilian ass at Rio De Janeiro. So, like the Superbowl, things remain the same and things change but every year the Superbowl (and the Pool Party) are bad ass. The format for the finals is now 13 minutes of organized runs and 7 minutes of jam session. It seems to work well; the skaters get some runs alone and some runs in the crazy jam sessions. It seemed like pretty much everyone had fun this year.
Chris Miller won flat out for the 5th year in a row. People call him the Master of the Combi Pool but if you have seen him skate anywhere you know he is just like the Jedi Master period. Back blunt through the corner
Former Pool Party champs Mimi Knoop and Cara Beth Burnside were out this year due to injuries but were there to watch. Mimi said it was driving her nuts to watch the action and not partake
Tim Johnson – stale fish
You don’t get much more legend than Christian Hosoi and Chris Miller. Two of the nicest and humble guys ever. Funny how guys like Christian and Chris that don’t talk shit rip so hard
Jake Piasecki is a guy that has recently moved up from pro to masters
Blogging the Bloggers; Doug (marketing guru from Vans and Nicki, (Blogger from Vans)
Christian Hosoi was absolutely on fire this year in his first ever Pool Party as a contestant. Christian was a legend in the 80’s, had some issues in life, went through tough times, got his act together and is now sitting on top of the world again. He is an inspiration to not give up, keep doing what you love, believe in your self and keep going. Christian said as he was accepting second place “I watched as a judge for so many years and always wondered what it would be like to be down bowl in the there and now I know it is an amazing experience” Christian put his smooth style to work on the combi and along with a solid arsenal of tricks and lines to take a strong second
Omar Hassan, Peter Hewitt and Thrasher photog Joe Hammeke
Ladies event winner Julie Kindstrand is an Orange County local and has the combi pool down solid. She had more lines and skated stronger than any of the girls to win
Steve Caballero enjoys the 20th anniversary of his Vans pro model shoe
Lyn-Z - Andrecht in a spot that most modern skateboarders would be afraid to drop into. Lyn-Z makes the saying “skate like a girl” into a compliment
Megan Brown from Las Vegas skated with maybe more heart than anyone and got 3rd place on pure aggression alone. She has some tricks, lines and style. A few more tricks and she could win this event
Lyn-Z Adams had more tricks than any other girl, andrechts, acid drops, and big airs too get second. This photo also gives you and idea what it is like to shoot the Pool Party. Pretty much as hectic as the Pool Party itself. In this photo are experienced Photogs like Grant Brittain and Brian Fick. Most of the photographers are cool and work with you, some, stick their camera in your face and so on. No big deal, like great big geeky camera snake session
Mike Mulhall got 3rd place in the Masters division of the Bondi Bowl a Rama in 2009 and was ripping the combi
Ben Schroeder – egg plant in the Masters. The Masters are a big reason people love the Pool Party and Schroeder is one of the most fun guys to watch. He may land the gnarliest, sketchiest trick or he may slide out, take someone head off with his board and slam so hard the ground shakes. Ben is skateboarding mayhem; the way it should be
Nicky Guerrero is at least one reason Rune Glifberg skates. Nicky is from Denmark and inspired Rune in his younger days. Nicky’s skating on Saturday was enough to inspire the judges to give him 3rd
Fucking Steve Alba won the 1st ever bowl contest at Spring Valley in 1978 or something like that, does push ups on the coping before he skates, will fucking knock you down if you get in his way, yells at other people in the bowl and probably skated like 5 pools the morning of the Pool Party. Watching that guy in a backyard is like watching Picasso paint or something. Salba ollies to truck during his line filled 5th place run
Chris Miller had lines you would not comprehend, tricks of a 25 year old and the style that truly is only of Chris Miller. If Chris had faltered in anyway, Christian Hosoi could have won but Chris did not falter and he did it all with a smile on his face. If you have never seen him skate, you may think I am just kissing his ass, if you do ever see him skate, you will be like “whoa, what the hell”
Guys like Steve Steadham come of the woodwork for the Pool Party
Mark Red Scott donned his finest skate uniform for the Pool Party. Mark, from Dreamland, is responsible for not only a lot of skateparks but for influencing skatepark design and politics. If everyone who touched a skatepark at least partially influenced by Mark gave Mark one dollar, he would be a millionaire
Mike McGill doing his namesake trick, a McTwist, almost 25 years after he debuted the trick to the public at the Del Mar Skateranch
Until 2009. Bucky was arguably the best skater to never win a Pool Party. He always had the tricks and lines but never could quite get there. Unique tricks like a 540 boneless, 540 egg plant, boneless into the corner and much more got him the much deserved win
Benji Galloway skated pretty well even though he had a hurt back. He said he was super stoked just to be able skate in the event with everyone – front board through the corner
Alex Perelson – smack!
The combi, a packed house and a Superbowl style camera
Sky is a younger ripping riding seen here doing a back melon transfer
Josh Borden
Bob Burnquist does a switch lipslide through a corner. Bob is another guy that would be great to see on top of the podium. Bob’s skating is so beyond anyone else’s; if he nailed a few more solid runs he could win it for sure. Whether Bob gets first or tenth he is easily one the most fun and exciting guys to watch; sketchy yet smooth, technical but can be powerful, you never what you can get from Bob
With a lot of the top pool/vert/tranny guys being well over 30 you may ask who will take their place. Maybe no one and vert will die out. Or guys like Brazil’s Pedro Barros, who did 3 540’s one run and skated really well overall, will take over where they leave off – 4th place
Rune Glifberg was on crutches last week! Enough said
During the longest grind contest Josh Nelson was declared the winner with 9 blocks and Jimmy the Greek protested. I guess he felt his grinds were longer. Dave Duncan let Jimmy have a few more tries but he could only get 8 so Josh’s $1,000 prize remained Josh’s
No controversy in the longest boardslide contest, Steve Caballero, 17 blocks and dun
Rune Glifberg, 3rd place
These are the only 2 guys in the world that can do what they do on a skateboard; Danny Way takes time to talk to Bob Burnquist
Omar Hassan transfers on the hip into the shallow zone where things come up so fast if you don’t think 2 tricks ahead, you are bailing
Part of the Gridlock crew – Michael Brookman
In So Cal, you can’t escape pile ups anywhere, Josh Rodriguez, Bucky Lasek and Bob Burnquist negotiate traffic
Sergie Ventura
Women’s podium’ Megan Brown, Julie Kindstrand and Lyn-z Adams Hawkins
Nicky Guerrero, Chris Miller and Christian Hosoi
Rune Glifberg, Bucky Lasek and Omar Hassan
Results:
Pro 1. Bucky Lasek $25,000 2. Omar Hassan $15,000 3. Rune Glifberg $7,500 4. Pedro Barros $3,000 5. Bob Burnquist $2,000 6. Sergie Ventura $1,500 7. Joshua Borden $1,000 8. Joshua Rodriquez $700 9. Michael Brookman $500 10. Nolan Monroe $300
Masters 1. Chis Miller $10,000 2. Christian Hosoi $6,000 3. Nicky Guerrero $3,000 4. Steve Caballero $1,000 5. Steve Alba $500 6. Tony Mag $200 7. Pat Ngoho $200 8. Eric Nash $200 9. Lester Kasai $200 10. Josh Nelson $200
Ladies 1. Julie Kindstrand $4,000 2. Lyn-z Adams Hawkins $2,500 3. Megan Brown $1,000 4. Priscilla Lee $650 5. Allysha Bergado $350 6. Alex Harper $100 7. Elise Dabby $100 8. Lea Taylor $100 9. Elizabeth Armanto $100 10. Erin Wolfkiel $100
