Damn Am Costa Mesa 2009 Chill Time

Posted on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 by Rob

By Rob Meronek

This is Mark, aka Adrien Bulard. When we gave away a trip to Damn Am at the last Free Day here at SPoT, we didn't consider what would happen if someone under 18 won it. So, Adrien here is 14 and won it. Clem stepped up as legal guardian all weekend. Adrien got the full trickle down benefits of Clem's skateboard industry status, including this shopping spree in the Volcom store. He also got a full dose of Schaefer life-advice all weekend

Finally caught up with Big Al. Of course it's not in either of our own home town

Looks like Porpe went straight for the contest shirt pile. Thanks to whoever provided all the free sauce on this first night I was out there

Paul Flores is 100% Mexican, but his girlfriend sure isn't

Now we're at the Contest, and I'm shooting headshots and checking people in all day and finally meeting in person everyone I've been talking to by email for the last few months leading up to the Contest. Manny Santiago, thanks for all the laughs

These are Mike Sinclair's dogs, Chubs and Lebowski. They spent all day hanging out at my "desk" during the Contest

A little bit of course dressing and the Contest is on

That ain't Colin Clark

Is the future of skateboarding as we know it in trouble like "the sky is falling" type people that are always complaining? When I consider most of the people with future careers representing skateboarding, I don't think so. Skateboarding is just fine and always will be

We had a Halloween budget

More of the Halloween budget

I always get Alex Longcamp (black shirt) and Tyson Bowerbank (white shirt) mixed up. Know who that kid in the orange beanie is? Maybe you will soon. After seeing his skating this weekend, Mike Sinclair put him on the flow-gram with Tum Yeto. That's Nick Matthews and his street footage is super good. Hopefully we will also see him in Tampa

Here's what you're up against. Click to enlarge

Caesar Rosado, hope to see you in our hometown in December

Thanks to Volcom for providing free food all weekend

A Santa Cruz chef outfit

Welcome to the OC

Kids here are born with skateboards

Tuck a beer under Ira Ingram's arm right now and he could pass for P-Stone

I imagine this photo will go into a Red Bull Marketing Department PowerPoint presentation on the effectiveness of natural product placement. Billy Marks and Neal Hendrix, thanks for coming to our skateboard shindig

Beer up. Sauce gets delivered to the roof where Steve Stratton and the Volcom crew are watching the Contest

Schaefer and Porpe dressed up on Saturday to encourage crowd participation in the costumes for Sunday

Porpe, Shira, Sarge, and Mean Gene in the chill out tent

Schaefer the Clown joined in on the High Ollie Contest without his skateboard

High Ollie Contest winners and some underwear creep from Shira

I rolled up to the hotel to find this crew keeping it Miami as hell

Yep, it's Miami

I told Jorge he could have my First Class seat home on the plane if he could make a backside disaster on this bank to wall. He got the take a poop and I kept my seat

Your hosts talking to the live webcast viewers. Here's the view they didn't see

Andrew Cannon makes a good Ron Burgundy

Skull Candy gave out all kinds of gear in their booth. Thanks for keeping the kids entertained

Skull Candy's gear for a wheel spin

The DNA Orange Juice tent was squeezing out fresh juice all weekend. I spy a little Flip kid with a Golden Ticket

Oranges get put in that machine and vodka mixer comes out

Take your DNA Orange Juice to your local skate shop for recycling and get 10% off. Not a bad deal

Sean Sheffey, thanks for coming to the Contest

Schaefer and Vern keeping it raw on the mic. Someone needs to make an edit/montage of just the crazy crap they say

The behind the scenes tech of the live webcast

DJ Wade's list of banned songs gets longer and longer at each Contest. Those are Schaefer's redneck shades

UnFilmer Sara and Lacey Baker

The Damn Am top three trophies

Jake Brown, thanks for coming

F350 skateboard

Dylan Perry got some stiching

Thanks to Dean Guitars for again providing two guitars for the winners

Clint Walker was the Zumiez Destroyer Award recipient for the weekend. Well deserved

Nick Merlino - thanks for joining us in the costume antics

Congrats Luan Olivera

The Contest is over, let's party. Schaefer is way taller than Ron Whaley

Norman Woods is coming to Tampa. I don't know if Ybor is ready for the combo of him and DJ Wade

Red Bull provided this double decker bus to take us across town to one of the few places around here that you can get a beer and still hang out with your under 21 friends. Looks like Paul Flores is starting something