Skateboard Vert Finals
By the extremeathletes.com staff

Andy takes the Gold!

If you haven't ever seen a Skateboard Vert competition, you are missing one of the most impressive action sports on the planet. I am not quite sure why it is one of the most impressive disciplines. It may be the huge airs the athletes catch out of the ramp. It might be the trick combos or even the balance and agility like a cat that Skateboarders must have to complete a full 60 second run on the ramp. Or the comradery each Skater has for each other as they risk their health to pull off the gnarliest trick. Whatever it is, these guys work their asses off for something as simple as, to please themselves.

When looking over the Finals results, it makes you wonder why we judge these guys because everyone of them is a hero. The Brazilian slue of Sandra Diaz, Lincoln Ueda and Bob Burnquist where joined by an American brigade consisting of Bucky Lasek, Mike Frazier and Andy Macdonald. The remainder of the field came from all over the World: Pierre-Luc Gagnon from France, Rune Glifberg from Denmark, Colin Mckay from Vancouver and Ringstrom Mathias from Stockholm. Perhaps it is this diversified field that enables each athlete to appreciate each other and their life as a Skater.

In the Finals, each athlete had their particular specialty and they had three runs to put it together seeing as the best run would determine their score. Lincoln Ueda was definitely the man with the gravity shoes on. Lincoln would pop out of the pipe so high in every run that the camera guys were completely missing his superman-airs or 540's, as he would go up. Colin Mckay has some crazy tricks as well. He would do crazy kick-flips and 360's with a flip combo. Unbelievable! Andy Macdonald also has similar combos involving 360's and kick-flips. He was consistently landing his tricks and setting up for back-to-back combos that had his peers clapping for him as would ride.

Rune Glifberg would also dazzle the crowd with his airs. As Rune would set up for a spin he would launch out of the pipe to re enter with such speed that he could of flown home non-stop. But instead he would switch to a backside ollie from low on the ramp to land up on the wall. Pierre-Luc would of easily won the board trick contest. Pierre has all kinds of crazy combo caberrello flips. He could go do a heel-flip in every direction to a cookie grind or a tail-whip. Just one great move after another. Bob Burnquist was probably the only athlete unsatisfied with the event. Burnquist had two sold runs, however neither of them was able to defend his 1999 Gravity Gold medal. He was so displeased that as he was awarded the Silver medal on the podium, he promptly turned and tossed it into the frenzied crowd. Who ever caught the medal had no idea it was going to be their souvenir.

Skateboard Vert Final Results

Gravity Games Skateboard Best Trick

After the all three final runs were completed, the athletes and crowd were greeted to a ½ hour of the most amazing tricks ever completed on a skateboard. This was the time were athletes could go out and try to complete that trick that eluded them all weekend long. In the end, Lincoln Ueda's huge superman won the judges over. Lincoln tried the trick over 25 times during the practice and runs, that he was determined to pull it off now. And with less than 5 minutes remaining and probably 10 attempts, he popped out about ten feet over head and stuck his body out flat (superman) to land and collect $4,250. Macdonald earned 2nd place with an amazing performance of 18 and ½, 540 Mc-twist in one run. Burnquist cheered on Lincoln on his way to placing third and Pierre-Luc earned fourth when he pulled off a one-footed 540 with about three minutes remaining.