Performances at HP Pavilion wow the crowds
By Marc Hopkins Special to the Dispatch
San Jose – Four days of the Dew Action Sports Tour Toyota Challenge concluded Sunday at the HP Pavilion with athletes, including Gilroy native Chad Kagy, launching themselves into the air on skateboards, bicycles and motorcycles upside down, backwards and spinning.
Spectators on Thursday had the opportunity to see Michal Prokop of the Czech Republic take first place in the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup Finals. The competition included more than 100 athletes from 15 nations looking to qualify for the debut of BMX Supercross in the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The second and final round will be held in Frejus, France, October 6-7.
In between the competitive events the audience was treated to performances by what the professional skaters call “grommies,” 7-to 9-year-old skaters who travel with the tour showing off their skills. This sounds cute until you realize that currently third place overall in the Skateboard Park standings is held by 11-year-old Nyjah Huston.
Sixteen-year-old Ryan Sheckler took first place in the Skateboard Park competition on a score of 91.80, including a switch kickflip backside lip in his run and maintaining first place in the overall standings. Greg Lutzka, 21, took second place in the competition, remaining in second place in the overall standings.
In the Freestyle Motocross competition, Nate Adams was first with a score of 93.50 in a performance that included a well-executed backflip Cordova. This win moved Adams into first place in the overall standings.
BMX Park winner Scotty Cranmer scored 93.75 with a no-handed frontflip and a double tailwhip tire tap, moving him into first place in the overall standings. Los Gatos native Ryan Nyquist took second.
Ryan Guettler of Australia landed a double tailwhip into 720 to capture his first victory of the season in the BMX Dirt. Fellow Australian Luke Parslow finished in second, scoring enough points to remain first in the overall standings.
Jamie Beswick of Great Britain, winner of the 2005 BMX Vert Dew Cup, took first place in his specialty event. Kagy in the BMX Vert did not disappoint as he landed an alley-oop 540 to tie for second place, then outscored Simon Tabron in the tie-breaking second run. Kagy maintained second overall in the standings going into the final competition in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 12-15.
The four-day competition came to a conclusion with the Skateboard Vert finals, where last year’s 2005 Dew Cup winner Bucky Lasek earned his first win on the tour with a frontside heelflip gay twist. Brazilians Sandro Dias and Bob Burnquist took second and third.
