source:Yahoo! OMG
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Life with Ryan, Ryan Sheckler at Katsuya
Saturday, August 7, 2010
X-Games Champ Ryan Sheckler Gets the Last Laugh
It's been a good week for Ryan Sheckler. Last Saturday, July 31, in front of a capacity crowd and more than a million TV viewers, the 20-year-old skateboarder took gold at X-Games 16. Last year, things were different. In the third round, Sheckler landed badly off a 12-stair drop and his ankle more or less exploded. It was the worst injury of his career and immobilized him for six months. What happened? After the jump, the sport's wunderkind multimillionaire discusses his injury, his comeback, his winning run, and how it all ended in gold.
How did it feel coming back to the contest where you got hurt? Were you nervous?
No. I love to compete, and just wanted to go out and do my best, then hopefully come home with a win. And it worked out.
You pulled some really hard tricks on your final run. Tony Hawk, who announced the contest, said you combined the best parts your previous two.
Yeah. It all came together during the final. Everyone was skating so well, so I had to switch it up a little bit. I did that alley-oop—which I hadn't tried—into that whole tea cup area, then that full-cab back lip [a 270-degree spin into a backward slide] on the handrail. Those were both spur of the moment decisions.
The tea cup area looked like it was built by the Mad Hatter on crack and acid.
You had to really pay attention when you were airing from one to another, because there were sections missing, and they're all at different angles. Personally I haven't skated anything like that, but it's a little like a bowled corner at a skate park. They were a lot of fun.
Hawk also said it was going to come down to whether the judges counted the half-cab back lip. [They did.] That was the riskiest, most impressive part of your run.
I don't what I was thinking. After landing the backside flip up the step-up, I knew I had to do something good, so I just went for it and tried to stay on. I touched the ground, but there was enough momentum to keep going, and then enough time for one more trick [A frontside blunt on the LSD teacup wall].
Let's talk about your injury. What happened?
I tore the first metatarsal, the ligament between the big toe bone and the rest of the foot, so they had to put screws in and let everything heal.
You've had bad injuries, but never been out this long. What was that like?
It was horrible. I was off my board for six full months and going to physical therapy every day. Cold laser treatments, wobble board, that kind of thing. Injuries are part of skateboarding, but this was really hard. Though, you know, it was also a time to reflect on a lot of things. I also redesigned my skate park, which was cool.
In a recent interview, skate legend Rodney Mullen explained how an injury completely changed his approach. Has this injury changed skating for you?
I think it has. Now I try to just let it flow, and not worry so much about style. And everything's a little more aggressive now because I'm more confident being back on my board, so I really try to stomp my tricks with each landing. My skating now is a little bit harder and a little bit smoother.
The sport seems divided on the issue of contests, the idea of judging something so individual and artistic. What's your stance?
Personally, I like contests. I've always been a competitor, which plays out in my skateboarding, but there's also something very rewarding about perfecting a 60-second run. If you work on a run for a whole week, then bring it to the final, and you just nail it, there's nothing that beats that feeling. It's an adrenaline level you can't match skating on the street by yourself.
Who do you admire in the sport?
All the guys on my team. Paul Rodriguez [son of the actor Paul Rodriguez] is my favorite skateboarder. Felipe Gustavo is amazing. Scott Decenzo. And Torrey Pudwill, the new Plan B pro. He's absolutely bananas.
source:
Friday, August 6, 2010
Street League Launches 30-Day Countdown
GrindTV Newswire: (August 4, 2010) LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Rob Dyrdek's vision for a professional sports league for street skateboarders is close to reality. Following six years of developing a structured competition format infused with "traditional" sports elements and then pairing it with world-class venues and a revolutionary real-time scoring system suitable for athletes and viewers, the $1.2 million DC Pro Tour fueled by Monster Energy debuts on August 28 at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona. More information is available at www.streetleague.com.
Street League Skateboarding's™ prestigious three-event series features the exclusive participation of the world's top 24 street skateboarders ranging from familiar contest stars like Ryan Sheckler, Paul Rodriguez Jr. and Chris Cole to core street skateboarders that have traditionally shied away from competition like P.J. Ladd, Mike Mo Capaldi, Brandon Biebel, and Dylan Reider. The combined roster of athletes is unprecedented in the world of skateboarding and represents the winners of the past four years of the Dew Tour, X Games and Maloof Money Cup.
"To see my dream come to fruition with the launch of Street League Skateboarding on August 28th is beyond words," said Dyrdek. "To me, Street League is more than just a new contest series; it will redefine the way skateboarding competitions are done forever."
Street League Skateboarding is the first contest series to construct real concrete skate plazas inside world-class arenas. These plazas, designed by Dyrdek and California Skateparks (the worldwide leader in skatepark design and construction), signify a departure from traditional skate parks since they resemble true street obstacles that would likely be found in any city plaza environment. Although each of the three tour stops will feature four distinct sections, no course will ever be the same - making the look of Street League another dynamic feature of the series.
Street League also introduces an instant scoring format that brings a competitive strategy to skateboarding for the first time. Each skateboarder will get 7 attempts on four sections (technical, creative, line and big); all designed to test a different skill set within street skating. Each attempt gets an instant score on a scale of 0.0 to 10.0, averaged from five judges. Each landed trick contributes to a cumulative point total (tricks that are not landed are given a zero).
"There's going to be a time when Ryan Sheckler knows what level of skating he has to do in order to jump to first, but will have to calculate the risk of not landing his trick which could put him behind everyone," Dyrdek said. "The skaters will have to strategize for the first time." Beyond the instant ranking changes during every moment of the event, this format brings real time statistics including consistency percentages, average landed trick scores, and on the spot best-trick calculation.
Street League's $1.2 million purse is the largest in skateboarding history and almost double the combined winnings for all other skate contests. Nearly $400,000 will be awarded at each of the three stops beginning with Glendale, Ariz. on Aug. 28 and followed by Ontario, Calif. (Citizens Business Bank Arena) on September 11 and the finale in Las Vegas, Nev. (Thomas & Mack Center) on Sept. 25. The competitions will air on ESPN2 every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. PT, Sept. 15 to 29.
Complete Street League Athlete Roster
Billy Marks - 27 - Corona, CA
Brandon Biebel - 29 - Sacramento, CA
Chaz Ortiz - 16 - Chicago, IL
Chris Cole - 28 - Philadelphia
David Gonzales - 20 - Medellin, Colombia
Dylan Reider - 22 - Westminster, CA
Eric Koston - 35 - Hollywood
Geoff Rowley - 34 - Long Beach, CA
Greg Lutzka - 25 - Milwaukee, WI
Luan Oliveira - 19 - Porto Alegre, Brazil
Marc Johnson - 33 - Winston-Salem, NC
Mark Appleyard - 27 - Hollywood, CA
Mike Mo Capaldi - 20 - Simi Valley, CA
Mike Taylor - 27 - Newbury Park, CA
Nick Dompierre - 24 - New Bedford, MA
Paul Rodriguez - 25 - Tarzana, CA
Peter Romondetta - 28 - San Francisco, CA
PJ Ladd - 28 - Rockland, MA
Ryan Sheckler - 21 - San Clemente, CA
Sean Malto - 20 - Kansas City, MO
Terry Kennedy - 25 - Long Beach, CA
Tommy Sandoval - 23 - Chula Vista, CA
Torey Pudwill - 20 - Simi Valley, CA
Shane O'Neill - 20 - Melbourne, Australia
source:
Grind TV
Street League Skateboarding's™ prestigious three-event series features the exclusive participation of the world's top 24 street skateboarders ranging from familiar contest stars like Ryan Sheckler, Paul Rodriguez Jr. and Chris Cole to core street skateboarders that have traditionally shied away from competition like P.J. Ladd, Mike Mo Capaldi, Brandon Biebel, and Dylan Reider. The combined roster of athletes is unprecedented in the world of skateboarding and represents the winners of the past four years of the Dew Tour, X Games and Maloof Money Cup.
"To see my dream come to fruition with the launch of Street League Skateboarding on August 28th is beyond words," said Dyrdek. "To me, Street League is more than just a new contest series; it will redefine the way skateboarding competitions are done forever."
Street League Skateboarding is the first contest series to construct real concrete skate plazas inside world-class arenas. These plazas, designed by Dyrdek and California Skateparks (the worldwide leader in skatepark design and construction), signify a departure from traditional skate parks since they resemble true street obstacles that would likely be found in any city plaza environment. Although each of the three tour stops will feature four distinct sections, no course will ever be the same - making the look of Street League another dynamic feature of the series.
Street League also introduces an instant scoring format that brings a competitive strategy to skateboarding for the first time. Each skateboarder will get 7 attempts on four sections (technical, creative, line and big); all designed to test a different skill set within street skating. Each attempt gets an instant score on a scale of 0.0 to 10.0, averaged from five judges. Each landed trick contributes to a cumulative point total (tricks that are not landed are given a zero).
"There's going to be a time when Ryan Sheckler knows what level of skating he has to do in order to jump to first, but will have to calculate the risk of not landing his trick which could put him behind everyone," Dyrdek said. "The skaters will have to strategize for the first time." Beyond the instant ranking changes during every moment of the event, this format brings real time statistics including consistency percentages, average landed trick scores, and on the spot best-trick calculation.
Street League's $1.2 million purse is the largest in skateboarding history and almost double the combined winnings for all other skate contests. Nearly $400,000 will be awarded at each of the three stops beginning with Glendale, Ariz. on Aug. 28 and followed by Ontario, Calif. (Citizens Business Bank Arena) on September 11 and the finale in Las Vegas, Nev. (Thomas & Mack Center) on Sept. 25. The competitions will air on ESPN2 every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. PT, Sept. 15 to 29.
Complete Street League Athlete Roster
Billy Marks - 27 - Corona, CA
Brandon Biebel - 29 - Sacramento, CA
Chaz Ortiz - 16 - Chicago, IL
Chris Cole - 28 - Philadelphia
David Gonzales - 20 - Medellin, Colombia
Dylan Reider - 22 - Westminster, CA
Eric Koston - 35 - Hollywood
Geoff Rowley - 34 - Long Beach, CA
Greg Lutzka - 25 - Milwaukee, WI
Luan Oliveira - 19 - Porto Alegre, Brazil
Marc Johnson - 33 - Winston-Salem, NC
Mark Appleyard - 27 - Hollywood, CA
Mike Mo Capaldi - 20 - Simi Valley, CA
Mike Taylor - 27 - Newbury Park, CA
Nick Dompierre - 24 - New Bedford, MA
Paul Rodriguez - 25 - Tarzana, CA
Peter Romondetta - 28 - San Francisco, CA
PJ Ladd - 28 - Rockland, MA
Ryan Sheckler - 21 - San Clemente, CA
Sean Malto - 20 - Kansas City, MO
Terry Kennedy - 25 - Long Beach, CA
Tommy Sandoval - 23 - Chula Vista, CA
Torey Pudwill - 20 - Simi Valley, CA
Shane O'Neill - 20 - Melbourne, Australia
source:
Grind TV
Ryan Sheckler Wins Third X Gold
San Clemente’s skating hero Ryan Sheckler left it all on the line Saturday, July 31, as he put together a string of seamless runs to mark his third X Games gold medal during the Skateboard Street Men's Finals at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. Sheckler battled back and forth throughout the jam session with Nyjah Huston, but came out on top after a near-perfect final run.
"It was a crazy contest to be back. I got hurt last year and wanted to get back this year, and this definitely exceeded my expectations," Sheckler said. "I'm psyched. I just had to believe in myself. I just needed to get my bearings about me, let it flow and not worry so much about it. I couldn't have done anything more."
Sheckler, who made the best use of the teacup during the jam session, put together a final run that included a full cab back lip to fakie down the rail, alleyoop frontside transfer from one half of the teacup to the other, gap up to 5, frontside air on the teacup and a cab back lip to take the win.
"I wanted to throw out a different run from what I already did. The course is interesting. You had to get out there and just start throwing down. I liked it," Sheckler said. "I just threw it out and gave it all I had because I knew it would be my last run."
The year marked the second silver medal in a row for Nyjah Huston, who said this silver meant more to him because of what he put into it.
"It means more this year because last year there was just one more trick I needed to land. This year I actually landed the run I wanted to do, so I was really happy with the way I skated," Huston said. "I wasn't expecting to win, I was just trying to do my best and I am happy with how it turned out."
Ryan Decenzo rounded out the top three as he took the X Games bronze.
X Games 16 Skateboard Street Men's Final Results
1. Ryan Sheckler, San Clemente, Calif., 92.66
2. Nyjah Huston, Huntington Beach, Calif., 91.33
3. Ryan Decenzo, Vancouver, British Columbia, 90.00
4. Chaz Ortiz, Chicago, Ill., 89.66
5. Sierra Fellers, Whitefish, Mont., 54.66
Information on all X Games events can be found on www.xgames.com for fans.
"It was a crazy contest to be back. I got hurt last year and wanted to get back this year, and this definitely exceeded my expectations," Sheckler said. "I'm psyched. I just had to believe in myself. I just needed to get my bearings about me, let it flow and not worry so much about it. I couldn't have done anything more."
Sheckler, who made the best use of the teacup during the jam session, put together a final run that included a full cab back lip to fakie down the rail, alleyoop frontside transfer from one half of the teacup to the other, gap up to 5, frontside air on the teacup and a cab back lip to take the win.
"I wanted to throw out a different run from what I already did. The course is interesting. You had to get out there and just start throwing down. I liked it," Sheckler said. "I just threw it out and gave it all I had because I knew it would be my last run."
The year marked the second silver medal in a row for Nyjah Huston, who said this silver meant more to him because of what he put into it.
"It means more this year because last year there was just one more trick I needed to land. This year I actually landed the run I wanted to do, so I was really happy with the way I skated," Huston said. "I wasn't expecting to win, I was just trying to do my best and I am happy with how it turned out."
Ryan Decenzo rounded out the top three as he took the X Games bronze.
X Games 16 Skateboard Street Men's Final Results
1. Ryan Sheckler, San Clemente, Calif., 92.66
2. Nyjah Huston, Huntington Beach, Calif., 91.33
3. Ryan Decenzo, Vancouver, British Columbia, 90.00
4. Chaz Ortiz, Chicago, Ill., 89.66
5. Sierra Fellers, Whitefish, Mont., 54.66
Information on all X Games events can be found on www.xgames.com for fans.
Read more: San Clemente Times - Ryan Sheckler Wins Third X Gold
source:
San Clemente Times
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