First on tap for the TOP SHOP was the Crimson Skateboards demo on Thursday. Markovich and crew ripped it up. Here's Kris doing a Backside D on the vert wall.
James Atkins got into the mix with a buttery smooth Frontside Bluntslide on the homemade picnic table.
I've never ever seen anybody do this in the park - a Frontside Ollie off of the vert wall to the low quarterpipe, about a 5 foot difference in height. Note: I nearly got killed on his first attempt because I was standing on the QP right up on the coping
Steve Fauser was determined to make this boardslide. He ollied off of the quarterpipe onto the platform which has this shitty angle iron on it, slid, then landed on the bank below!
Charlie Thomas is in the club, the O T C club that is - yup he's 30 something and still totally ripping it up. Nice ollie off of the quarterpipe to Nose Manual on the platform and down the bank on the other side.
Now we're getting into the competition - here's the Whodi himself getting warmed up with could possibly be a Backside Flip but I'm not sure.
Just a great kid - Dustin Blauvelt, he like to 270 into everything and then 270 out of everything. Here he is doing one or the other (possibly both) with a Switch Backside Tailslide in the middle - go figure!
The inventor of the TOP SHOP concept - Chad Benson. We try to give him credit every year, but he just doesn't want to hear it. What a great guy! If you missed his 'guest run' - then i feel sorry for you. Just having fun on his favorite obstacle in the park with a Backside Noseblunt Slide.
Poor Ryan Yost didn't even get to ride in the contest this year - because our team just rips! What a bummer - but he took it like a man and he just skated for fun this weekend. This Smith grind looks like alot of fun from the low quarterpipe accross the big one, off of that, then lands on the bank.
Super good and super humble and super nice is Kyle Terbush. Sweet style on this Backside Smith. No wonder Bad Boyz Toyz does so well every year.
An awesome supporter of TOP SHOP is Dave Kaule and his homies from Blank Skate Supply. This is their 2nd year attending and they are only getting better. A proper Switch Backside Lipslide on the round rail.
You know damn well that Markovich is an ATV ripper. Here he is on break from judging - ripping up the Boomerang with a Frontside 5 - 0 down the escalator.
Everybody knows Munzy because you're not in the contest unless you go thru him first. Inbetween managing the skatepark and the snack shack, he's got time to throw up a Backside Kickflip onto the vert wall.
A good friend and long time buddy of mine - Darren Navarette. We grew up skateboarding vert together in the mid - eighties and have some funny stories about each other. Good time, good times...
Here's Mint again, along with Sam McQuire from the skateboard MAG and David Fink our local filmer - thats alot of media attention on this Nollie Flip Lipslide.
It's Terbush again lazily flipping his board over the pyramid, effortlessly catching it and then riding into oblivion. Life is good when you were born to ride a skateboard.
OK - I'm playing favorites again - here's another 3rd Lair rider - Tom Roar. This kid put down an awesome run in the contest to help us roll into victory!! YEA HAW!!!
I think I took this exact same pic of Andy Patterson last year except it was about a foot lower and about 3 feet shorter in length traveled. Well you can tell he's been skating.
Excellent style on this Crooks is Jeff Amendola - a local ripper with a great attitude. He's also a ninja in his off time.
The Hale brothers are from Vermont, but currently live in SF. Here's one half of them - Cody with a Backside TailSlide and he also Bigspun out of it! A couple of great dudes who both have a long skateboard career ahead of them.
Another one of favorite skaters from the neighboring state of Wisconsin is Mario Matabele, I think he's Italian, but i'm not sure. This kids always on point and rail, lovely Backside Smithers.
I hope I got this dudes name right - Sean Sounders; if not, email me: mark@3rdlair.com and i'll fix it. I had to throw this pic up though regardless of getting the name right or not. Look at how perfect this Backside Tailslide is!!
Joe Dirt came up to me and said 'hey mulla I almost got a back flip' and I was thinking to myself - big deal, everybody has a backside flip here. So I said 'that's great Joe congratulations'. Then I went out to the park and realized what we was talking about - A BACK FLIP!! He'll be landing these soon.
Eddie Kochendorfer has some pop. Here he impresses all of the judges going Frontside over the barrier, flipping and 180 all in the same motion.
The agent - Cody Banks on a mission to win the Bones Wheels Best Trick(s) Contest. Just coming up short but still winning a little dough with this line: 360 Flip to this Backside Kickflip Smith.
Jr Mint takes home 500.00 for winning the Best Trick with this second trick of his line - a Switch Backside Tailslide Revert.
