Copenhagen Pro 2008 Day Two: Street Qualifiers and Vert
Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008 by
Words by Ryan Clements
Photos and Captions by Rob Meronek
So with just over 30 competitors, we split the dudes into four-man heats. The got one, one-minute intro run and then skated in an eight-minute jam. This change of format from Tampa Pro really makes for a more interesting Contest. We then took the top 12 overall and bumped them into the Finals on Sunday.
You don’t need to see who qualified because you can see that when the Finals are posted, but here are some dudes that didn’t make the cut that I was stoked on:
If you got over the skating at any point, there was some damn good food in the courtyard. The judging staff and I opted for the homemade chili. And since it was easier to get your hands on a beer than a soda, I washed it down with a cold Tuborg…because you can sure bet that the bar was open for business. Right after the Qualifiers we made our way over to the Vert.
Honestly, the Vert was definitely a highlight of the weekend. Not only was the skating stellar, but the layout of Copenhagen Skatepark allows for some amazing viewing from different levels, so there are literally spectators everywhere, from the floor to ceiling. Add in 2000 free beers and you’ve got pretty much the best crowd that anyone could ask for.
We broke the 13 competitors into three heats where they got one, 45-second run and then skated in a free-for-all, 10-minute jam. The top five from that went into a Finals with again a 45-second run, but this time they got a 15-minute jam. It went off! Here’s the breakdown:
Photos and Captions by Rob Meronek
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Street Qualifiers
Since this was a pro-only deal, there wasn’t an abundance of entrants. A lot of these Euro contests that you may have seen or heard about in the past have permitted pretty much anyone to enter, so that’s how they get nearly 100 participants. If you keep it only “legit pro,” then that lowers the number of skaters significantly. But we’re talking quality over quantity here…and that’s exactly what we got.
So with just over 30 competitors, we split the dudes into four-man heats. The got one, one-minute intro run and then skated in an eight-minute jam. This change of format from Tampa Pro really makes for a more interesting Contest. We then took the top 12 overall and bumped them into the Finals on Sunday.
You don’t need to see who qualified because you can see that when the Finals are posted, but here are some dudes that didn’t make the cut that I was stoked on:
- Terry Kennedy – it’s been a few years since I’ve seen Terry in real life, but even though he done growed up into a grown-ass man, he’s still as nice as ever
- Paul Shier – he didn’t land a single trick last year, but Mr. Shier made up for it this time around. Next year he’s judging
- Brad Staba – I just like his style and he’s got a great sense of humor…fun dude to be around
If you got over the skating at any point, there was some damn good food in the courtyard. The judging staff and I opted for the homemade chili. And since it was easier to get your hands on a beer than a soda, I washed it down with a cold Tuborg…because you can sure bet that the bar was open for business. Right after the Qualifiers we made our way over to the Vert.
Vert Contest
Come on, Rob…you’ve got to admit that the Vert Contest was killer. Really. I want you to admit it right now. Stop making fun of vert skating and give these dudes some respect. They killed it and you know it. They even did flip tricks for you.
Honestly, the Vert was definitely a highlight of the weekend. Not only was the skating stellar, but the layout of Copenhagen Skatepark allows for some amazing viewing from different levels, so there are literally spectators everywhere, from the floor to ceiling. Add in 2000 free beers and you’ve got pretty much the best crowd that anyone could ask for.
We broke the 13 competitors into three heats where they got one, 45-second run and then skated in a free-for-all, 10-minute jam. The top five from that went into a Finals with again a 45-second run, but this time they got a 15-minute jam. It went off! Here’s the breakdown:
- 13th – $200 - Juergen Horrwarth – if it was a style-only Contest, Juergen would have taken 1st. But the ripper from Berlin had a tough time staying on his board, so it didn’t work out. Hopefully we’re doing a Contest in Berlin next year…let’s make it happen!
- 12th – $200 - Nathan Beck – from what I recall, this was Renton’s boy from Oz and he had a nice fs invert
- 11th – $200 - Thomas Kring – local ripper who we’ve been friends with for a very long time. Basically because of Thomas we are here in CPH. Thanks, Man
- 10th – $500 – Christiano Mateus – one of the many Brazilian vert rippers that I haven’t seen around in a while
- 9th – $600 – Thomas Madsen – another local from Denmark that REALLY had the crowd pulling for him. I’m sure Thomas has to work a real job and all that, but he’s still got some skills on the vert
- 8th – $700 – Alex Perelson – he doesn’t talk too much, but he made a damn nice showing on his first international trip without his folks. He’s going to Prague from here with host Neal Hendrix. Note: Best trick of the entire Contest was done by Alex…the illest fs flip lien melon ever
- 7th – $800 – Nicky Guerrero – I’m going to say that Nicky is pushing mid-40’s, but who cares when you’re still doing inverts over the channel, sad plants, and 7’ alley-oop airs? I’m a fan
- 6th – $900 – Adam Taylor – Adam is going over 8’ on his airs and he’s still got little-kid-legs. When he beefs up a bit this kid is going to be unstoppable. He’s got class and kept his mouth shut, but I know that he wanted to be in the Finals
- 5th – $1000 – Anthony Furlong – too many cervezas before the Finals put Furly out of commission, so he just hung out on the deck with a Budweiser in hand, heckling his fellow finalists
- 4th – $1500 – Marcelo Kosake – I’ve neven seen this dude before, but apparently he’s from Brazil and let me tell you, he gives it 100% and gets hyped on a loud crowd
- 3rd – $2000 – Neal Hendrix – he said to me on this trip, “You know I love a good excuse to travel.” Neal excels in a jam because he’s so damn consistent and he’s one of the guys out there that truly knows how to have fun with skateboarding
- 2nd – $3000 – Rune Glifberg – as his wife, Queen of the Vikings, watched the Contest from the highest perch in the building, Rune gave it his all, ending with an 11’ fs air to ring the bell, but there was no stopping Renton
- 1st – $500 – Renton Millar – coming all the way from Australia, he wanted to get the most out of this trip…and he sure did. I can’t believe that he can do 360 flips and kickflip 5-0’s so consistently on vert. Add in huge bs ollies and Madonna’s with some nosegrab 540’s and you have a winner
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