Team 2 to Houston. We have a problem. Ok I pretty much blew it on the whole “update” deal every couple hours like Brandon smith and Ivan. I had a few technical difficulties one being my camera, the other being my brain. I will point most of the blame towards my highly defective brain though. I will try and detail as much as the trip as possible from my point of view with my terrible, terrible pictures.
After our nice little 20-minute session Thursday night (the only chance I really get to skate the park btw) we head on down to the Microtel hotel. The trip is normally around 5 minutes…it was snowing and the road was covered. I decided to make the trip a little interesting. We hit up about 10 parking lots with our supreme dodge charger and side showed and Tokyo Drifted the hell out of it, I was loving the Ohio weather for the moment…there are not a lot of things I like more than getting a car sideways. Many of 360’s, 720’s and nearly wiping out a quarter panel or 2 later we arrive at the beloved Microtel Inn. Check in is made easy and we start “settling” in. Once we were settled we needed to hit the Bar…and it’s a good thing the Holiday Inn had a decent little bar set up right across the street. Victor Ivan the Crid and I went over and met up with the Eulogy crew (Isaac Oltmans, Gonzo, Robert Lievanos) who had all been drinking long before we got there.
(Ivan the Crid on his way to the Holiday Inn bar)
(Victor, Gonzo, and Ivan the Crid. caught at the Holiday Inn bar.) By the way next time anyone goes to BCSD it is well worth your money to stay at the Holiday Inn…When you call to make reservations be sure to say the secret password. “Boardman Bucks” as they will give $100 free dollars to spend in the bar…I don’t even think I have to mention how much the free moneys would have come in handy. The only bad thing is that the bar sometimes closes a bit early, no big deal though. As there is a terrible bar across the street again called Salty Grogs, which quickly became known as Salty Balls.
Alright, we head on over to the “Salty Balls” bar now. Just the 4 of the AM G’s. The walk is really only about 100 yards but keep in mind it’s about 10 degrees out and we came dressed straight from California and I know I sure as hell wasn’t thinking I would need anything more than a sweatshirt.
Peter D. ends up coming over and meeting us as well. We start getting more drinks and notice that Ohio runs a completely backwards system of rating women. A 10 being a 1, and a 1 being a 10. With that said this extremely fat pig (nearly 600lbs) is working it at the pool table and seems to be getting more attention from the locals than anyone, not to mention the pigs at the table next to us are getting a good amount of looks as well.
(Gonzo & Ivan peeping pics)
(the cool Canadian dudes we met at Salty Balls)
(idiot boy)
Ok Freeze time for a second.
At about this time an off duty waitress notices about 30 AM stickers have made their way onto our table. She then proceeds to start an argument with Gonzo (who is completely loaded by the way) the argument escalates and the fat pig playing pool now gets involved. She then says she’s going to somehow kick all of our asses and eat us… She nearly gets into a brawl with the Canadian guys (who would have destroyed her) The Fat Nasty trys calling “security” to get us kicked out which doesn’t work. We then proceed slam a few more beers and decide to call it a night. Keep in Mind Gonzo has been drinking heavily since about 9, he’s having slight trouble with judgment and walking. It’s snowing like crazy so what does he decide to do?
(play in the snow of course. He stars doing snow angeles and then blacks out. and pretty much needs help getting out of the snow.)
Later I heard he peed in the elevator at the Holiday Inn. (HA!)
Friday comes about at about 4PM (late night) where the AM/Grom contest is being held.
Friday ends in pretty much the same fashion. Go to the bar, meet some more folks… Head back to the hotel. 10AM (or 11AM) the next day we were supposed to be setting up for the BCSD tradeshow. We ended up getting a bite to eat at Chick-fil-a, which is probably the worst fast food restaurant I have ever eaten at, simply terrible. We then get set up for the tradeshow at about 12 noon where we had tons of our own sweatshirts, hats, beanies and tees for sale and a bunch of our colored parts set up. Ivan sold nearly all his remaining copies of Hyphy 3 at the tradeshow as well.
(Peter D working the booth)
While the tradeshow died down the darkness of Vertigo skatepark filled with spectators. I never even knew that so many rollerbladers existed and could pack into one skate park. The event was obvioulsy going to be huge.
(Ivan the crid)
(more randomness)
The park was brimmed. The competitors could hardly skate the park. Bleachers should have been installed but that is a bit much to ask considering there would be no place to put them in the narrow park. I tried to snap a few photos at the places I was at but 99% of them were terrible. I should have brought a real camera instead of my measly little Digital Elph, not to mention I was probably in the worst spot ever.
(360 topsoul)
(Bailey back royal transfer front royale. It was a big gap for sure.)
The contest ended on a down note after Aragon laced his 540 AO top acid considering no one could top that. I always like it when contests just end on the last big trick, everyone is juiced and it’s just obvious who won. I think that is how it should be, but it doesn’t always work like that. I think part of the problem was that people were giving it their all in the prelims even though the round had ended 10 minutes prior. Nonetheless I saw some of the best skating I have seen in a long time and props to anyone that skated in the contest. (For a contest edit and more photos see brandonsmith-photo.com and Ivan’s edit.)
What contest would be a contest without a big product toss? I am sure people got stampeded punched and kicked for tee shirts that didn’t fit them and magazines that were being given away for free at the tradeshow. It was a mess that was worth witnessing as I saw some of those shirts being torn in half and DVD’s flying from their cases only to hit some one else in the face and be grabbed by another guy who grabbed it so hard it grenaded and showered the crowd with “DVD confetti.” To say the least it was grand event.
We went back to the hotel, counted our cash and gathered our things and headed on over to the bar once again. We chilled it up one last time and Ivan drank himself into the oblivion. Fast forward a few hours and he is passed out like a little fool.
For my first time to Ohio I must say I had fun. Vertigo is a cool park and the Bitter cold Showdown is one of those “Must Attend” events of the year that it seems anyone who is anyone attends. Props to Daniel Kinny for putting on such a large event, and props to Vertigo for having it at there park…Well Ohio…Until Next year.
Team 1 & 2, Peace out at Denver Co. at “Steak Escape” last photo by Bsmith.
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