Slope Phenom Bobby Brown Takes Home First Dew Cup

Bobby competing at his home mountain in Breck

For 19-year-old Bobby Brown, fame has become a prevalent factor in life; something he may not have anticipated when he first set his sights on becoming a pro skier. In the few years Brown has been skiing professionally, he’s quickly made a name for himself among the celebrated athletes of generations past who have pushed the progression of the sport over the years.

In 2010, Brown was the first skier to win two gold medals at the same Winter X Games. One of those was the result of throwing the first switch double misty 1440 in a competition, earning a perfect score. Because of accomplishments like these, among the many others we’ve seen including his recent win of the slopestyle Dew Cup, Brown has made a statement in the sport of skiing. He’s here to stay, and the show is only going to get better.

Brown’s reputation has not only been established in skiing, but it is quickly growing beyond the boundaries of the sport. Brown has jumped to a level of fame other skiers have only dreamed of. First there was his nomination for an ESPY. Then the MTV appearance. And then, oh yeah – a phone call from Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. Just to say hi.

Waiting for his scores in Breck, and the result was a win

Maybe this acquisition of celebratory status is due to the recent popularity spike of freeskiing in mainstream media, a sport that just a few short years ago was obscure to the general public, and Brown happened to burst onto the scene at the right time. Or maybe it simply comes down to Bobby’s charmingly good looks and unassuming personality (cue “Teen Heartthrob” nickname).

This young, hardworking skier has only been on the pro scene since 2008 when he was first discovered by Salomon. What’s even more surprising is that he didn’t start skiing until the age of 11. A significant key to Brown’s success is that he has taken full advantage of every opportunity to come his way. Between the commute from Denver, Colorado to the mountains every weekend before moving to Breckenridge, to now taking time out of his busy training and competition schedule for media tours, Brown isn’t one to pass up opportunities.

Going for it on the massive jumps in Killington

This dedication has clearly paid off by looking at Brown’s results the last few years, both on hill and within the eyes of the general public. But like anyone else, Brown can waver under pressure. The hype at this winter’s X Games in remembrance of his double-gold performance from the year prior got to him. Brown admitted, “I couldn’t handle it and I blew it. That’s a great example of how I need to be mentally on point.”

To shake off his performance at X and move forward, Brown headed into the third and final stop of the Dew Tour with a fresh outlook. With a win and a second-place-finish under his belt from the first two stops of the Tour, he simply focused on the day. “I came into Snowbasin with a smile on my face and genuinely enjoyed myself,” said Brown. “It was the best I’ve skied in a while.”

Killington was another podium performance, and he finished here in second-place

This Dew Cup was a long time coming. The past two years, he’s placed 3rd and 2nd, respectively. This was his first year to walk away with the title, saying, “I’m stoked to finally put the consistency down in the Dew Tour and win the Cup. It’s something I’ve wanted for a few years.”

Consistency was key for Brown this year, focusing on each stop as if it were its own event. “I didn’t think about the Tour from an overall aspect.  My individual effort at each contest led up to the ultimate result of the Dew Cup.” Another contributing factor to Bobby’s success was the presence of his supportive family at all three stops. His Dad even made the long haul out to Vermont.

 Snowbasin, Bobby went big

The Dew Tour is an event Brown and the other skiers truly appreciate. The point system is a motivating factor that opens the doors for a big win at the end. In addition, it provides a lot of national exposure to the athletes and the sports they are trying to grow—a factor Brown is keen on. Salomon International Freeski Team Mananger Tyler Gigg said, “Bobby is an innovator and because of that the sport will grow around him and with him for many years to come.”

Looking forward, Bobby plans to keep skiing for as long as possible. By resisting the various pressures put on him and continually taking advantage of every opportunity, he plans to use his overwhelming rise to stardom for the greater good of the sport. “There are a lot of titles people put on me but I’m just going to keep doing what I normally do and try not to let it get to me. I’m ready to take this to the next level and use all the media outlets I’m getting to show skiing to a broader audience.”

A key member of this particular audience may include the talented Taylor Swift. As Brown so eloquently put it, “I like Taylor Swift a little bit. Ok maybe more than a little bit.” If this is a ploy into another opportunity to gain public exposure (for skiing, of course), Taylor’s your girl. Despite the rumors, the two are not actually dating…yet.

ESPN Adds Global RallyCross Series

Championship Series will take the excitement of X Games Super Rally, pictured here, and extend it to three other events.

 

ESPN and Global RallyCross Championship (GRC) series organizer RallyCross Management have reached an exclusive agreement for the inaugural race series to receive coverage across ESPN's multiple media platforms. The first race of the series kicks off at Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, Calif. March 25-26, with two additional races at Old Mill Rally Park in Snoqualmie, Wash. and Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo.

Following the success of rally events at X Games, including the first X Games RallyCross competition at last summer's X Games 16, the GRC series will be distributed on a tape-delayed basis domestically in the U.S. on ESPN and ESPN2 and to more than 100 countries through international network distribution. ESPN3.com will provide live coverage on the 24/7 live broadband sports network and on ESPN Mobile TV. Additionally, original web-exclusive content will be created for digital distribution across non-linear ESPN platforms throughout the social media landscape, including ESPN and X Games official Facebook pages.

"ESPN is thrilled to have the Global RallyCross Championship exclusively on our services around the world," said Scott Guglielmino, senior vice president of programming and Global X Games. "We look forward to working with RallyCross Management and bringing together world-class drivers and manufacturers to showcase this exciting form of motorsports racing to ESPN audiences around the world."

Three-time X Games rally gold medalist Tanner Foust, said, "RallyCross has huge potential in the U.S. and is almost the perfect spectator motorsport with the whole track visible from one seat, insane racecars that are pushing, shoving, sliding sideways and jumping. The added bonus of ESPN's involvement brings in a lot of the stars from the X Games, and anyone who's ever seen the X Games understands what ESPN is capable of doing for action sports."

2011 Global RallyCross Championship Schedule
Race	Dates/Telecast Date	Network/Time
Irwindale Speedway	March 25-26/April 17	ESPN2 10am - 12pm
Old Mill Rally Park	April 15-16/May 14	ESPN 4:30 - 6pm
Pikes Peak International Raceway	June 17-18/June 25	ESPN 9-10pm

Top teams and drivers will be drawn from the U.S. and European RallyCross championships, including past X Games rally competitors. RallyCross combines the best aspects of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition to deliver intense, crowd-pleasing action in a variety of diverse fan-friendly environments. Featuring as many as six drivers lining up to start at once, competitors will pilot modified high-horsepower compact cars through race traffic over a challenging short course that features jumps, off-camber turns, hills and transitions between pavement and gravel.

More information on Global RallyCross Championship can be found on www.global-rallycross.com.

Mountain High Introduces The Dual Pass

Winter has returned to Southern California with more than two feet of fresh snow in the past week. Skiers and snowboarders are flocking to the local mountains and in honor of the great conditions Mountain High is releasing its Dual Season Pass.

Ski or snowboard the rest of this season PLUS all of next season for just $299. That’s right…Just $299. Regularly $599 for one season, the new Dual Pass lets visitors take advantage of the fresh snow this
year and lock in next year’s pass at the lowest rate possible. Says John McColly, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, The Dual Pass is an unbelievable deal. Prices are going up next year so not only can you take advantage of the terrific conditions now, you get ALL of next season as well. And at the lowest price possible so it’s a benefit to both new customers and existing pass holders.”

Additional benefits include 10% off non-sale retail items, 10% off adult ski & snowboard lessons, guaranteed admittance during a sell out, and daily admittance to the North Pole Tubing Park. Ski the East Resort with its long runs and breathtaking views. Ride under the stars Wednesday through Sunday at the West Resort. Or take the kids on an exciting tubing adventure at the North Resort. With a season pass, you can do it all for less than the price of five visits. Children’s passes for age seven to twelve are also available for just $129.00, and children six and under receive a free season pass with the purchase of an adult season pass. Please note there is a limit of two children’s passes per adult pass purchased.

Mountain High’s Dual Season Pass is on sale March 1st through the end of the 2010/11 season. For the quickest processing, guests are encouraged to purchase their passes online at www.mthigh.com www.mthigh.com. There they can manage their orders, download liability forms, and much more. Existing pass holders can also renew their cards saving any processing fees. Dual Season Passes are available on site or by phone, toll free at (888) 754-7878. Operators are available 7 days-a-week from 8:00am to 3:00pm.
There is a $10.00 processing fee for all new passes purchased. If you’ve been on the fence and looking for a great deal to get you back on the snow, this is it! The Dual Season Pass to Mountain High. Two
seasons for the price of one.

For more information or to schedule and interview, please contact Kim Hermon, Marketing Manager at (760) 316-7830 or kim_hermon@mthigh.com

LEO ROMERO Skater of The Year on Cover of Thrasher Magazine

Even though Emerica pro Leo Romero got the Skater Of The Year at the end of last year, he hasn't slowed down one bit. The newest Thrasher magazine Skater of the Year issue (April 2011) has Leo on the cover, as well as a 16 page interview with a lot more carnage. Check for the new Thrasher in your local skateshop for more Leo.

Very Emotional Day at the 2011 ASP Awards

It's official. The 2010 Year of Surfing is over. The last year's World Surfing Champions, Kelly Slater and Stephanie Gilmore were finally handed their trophies.

In an event described as "surfing's night of nights," the ASP World Surfing Awards was held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Center with all the pomp and circumstance you'd expect.


As 2009 champion, it was Mick Fanning's task to present Kelly Slater with his 2010 trophy. Fanning joked that he was just 10 years old when Kelly won his first title in 1992. Of course, earlier recipient of the 2010 World Tour Rookie of the Year award, Owen Wright, had gone one better, declaring that he was just one year old when Slater had won his first.

Slater and Gilmore, there's 14 world titles among them. In an off-the-cuff acceptance speech, Slater thanked all the normal crew, his girlfriend Kalani, his mum back home in Florida, Travis from Channel Islands, his "boyfriend on tour" Belly, and then got down to trying to describe the emotions of winning his tenth world title. He held it together, cracking jokes and ribbing a few people along the way until he tried to put into words his feelings about actually sealing the title in Puerto Rico last year alongside the death of Andy Irons.

 

Slater's acceptance speech lost momentum as he struggled to fight back tears before he finally came out with, " I'm such a competitive guy, but a big part of my competitive urges died with Andy ... I dedicate this award to him."

Kelly couldn't go on before a crowd that was moved to silence. He held his trophy aloft, turned his back on the audience and was consoled by close friend and emcee for the night, Sal Masekela. A few minutes later, still visibly upset, Slater was back in the spotlight with Stephanie Gilmore holding their trophies high to end the official part of the night.

Behind the scenes, with his thoughts of Andy still very much in the front of his mind, he opened up in an interview. "The rivalry with Andy definitely kept me hungry because it pissed me off so badly." He was such a dick to me, you know. He just got under my skin and I got under his skin and we just went at it. I think it was really hard for us to put down our egos and be friends. Eventually we did put them away and became friends, but it was like 'I'll do it if you do it,' and it was this weird stand off thing. I think we always had a friendship underneath it all."

"There were times where I was so annoyed by the guy," he continued. "I couldn't believe people liked him because he made me so mad, and I'm sure he felt the same way about me. Then when I got to see a different side of Andy it was almost the reverse. It was like 'I can't even believe that I didn't like this guy.' He was so classic. He was like a little kid, and I think that's what I didn't understand about him in the first place. He was very young and he might have been almost immature, but that's what kept him hungry and competitive and when he was winning it was almost like 'These are my toys so don't touch them.' It was like a primal instinctual thing. I told him a number of times he reminded me of my older brother, and our relationship was like a family relationship I'd had in my life forever ... there is just a lot of emotion there. It's just weird to say goodbye to him. Tonight bought a lot of things back, and in a way it was like saying goodbye to him."

Finally Slater found himself once again at a loss for words, his thoughts of Irons and their times on the tour together created a silence that had to be filled by a change of questions. The moment had passed.

In the next room the Awards were over and the after-party was starting. The music got louder, Slater became restless, and the intimacy that was there at the beginning of the interview disappeared as the room filled with people bustling around and breaking in to ask some of the same dumb questions that seem to dog dog him wherever he goes: "Did Quiksilver pay you 10 million dollars?" or "When are you going to retire?"

Slater was over it and took a pass. The night was moving on and his tears for Andy had dried up. There is no doubt the rivalry between the two was the greatest pro surfing has seen, but in an answer to an earlier question, Slater had suggested that Owen Wright and Jordy Smith could create their own rivalry that could be compared to his and Andy's.

Surfing's "Night Of Nights" is a clichéd term, but a quick scan of the list of recipients receiving awards tonight links together 20 years of professional surfing. Slater accounts for a lot of those years, while the rest go out to the future of pro surfing.

Awards Recipient List:
2010 ASP World Champion: Kelly Slater (USA)
2010 ASP Women's World Champion: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
2010 ASP World Tour Runner-Up: Jordy Smith (ZAF)
2010 ASP Women's World Tour Runner-Up: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
2010 ASP World Tour Rookie of the Year: Owen Wright (AUS)
2010 ASP Women's World Tour Rookie of the Year: Carissa Moore (HAW)
2010 ASP World Tour Breakthrough Performer: Alejo Muniz (BRA)
2010 ASP Women's World Tour Breakthrough Performer: Laura Enever (AUS)
2010 ASP World Longboard Champion: Duane DeSoto (HAW)
2010 ASP Women's World Longboard Champion: Cori Schumacher (HAW)
2010 ASP World Junior Champion: Jack Freestone (AUS)
2010 ASP Women's World Junior Champion: Alizee Arnaud (FRA)

White ranks second on Power 100 list

By Devon O'Neil ESPN ACTION SPORTS

Shaun White is a more powerful athlete than LeBron James, Lance Armstrong, Tom Brady, Roger Federer, Kobe Bryant, Lindsey Vonn, Sidney Crosby and Derek Jeter, according to the Bloomberg Power 100 ranking of the most marketable athletes in sports. The list was made public this morning.

Only Peyton Manning was ranked ahead of the two-time Olympic gold medalist White, who rose from No. 52 to No. 2 in the magazine's annual rankings, by far the biggest jump. The list was created by an Atlanta-based sports marketing firm, CSE, using math-based analytics that combine on-field performance as well as nationwide surveys.

"We were honestly quite surprised" that White landed in second, David Newman, VP of analytics at CSE, said in a phone interview. "Until we hit the enter button, we don't know what the list is going to look like."

"Power is a unique term," Newman added, "but it's really just the completeness of an athlete. It's their ability to perform on the field and serve as a role model off it. Overall, it relates to their total endorsement potential."
To compile the rankings, Newman and his team used competition results (like halfpipe victories) and individual statistics (like touchdown passes) to pare down an initial list of more than 4,000 athletes, which included action-sports stars such as Travis Pastrana, Anthony Napolitan, Gretchen Bleiler and Ryan Sheckler, who made the Power 100 last year. After an initial cut left Newman with 260 athletes, he added survey data and endorsement income to get the final 100. White was the only action-sports representative.

Athletes were primarily compared with their peers in their sport -- i.e. White's contest wins weren't pitted against Federer's serve percentage. While White received no extra points for winning Olympic gold, he shined in the surveys, which measured four factors: awareness ("Do you recognize this person's picture and do you know their name?"), appeal ("Do you like this person?"), trust ("Would you buy this product if this guy was endorsing it?") and influence ("Are you swayed by what he says?").

Coming off his Olympic gold medal, White was recognized by 51 percent of people surveyed, compared to just 21 percent in 2009. (Tiger Woods led the way at 77 percent.) White's "appeal" rose from 43 percent to 64 percent (Drew Brees was tops at 71 percent), and his "trust" rating came in at 13 percent (up from two percent; Phil Mickelson topped the list at 27 percent). White also jumped to 26 percent in "influence," up from 16 percent in 2009.

In essence, White's halfpipe riding helped him become a household name who's better liked, a more trusted product salesman and able to change more people's minds with what he says. Vonn, the only other skier or snowboarder on the list, debuted at No. 13 thanks in part to 70 percent of Americans' liking her, even if only 21 percent recognize her. Woods, meanwhile, dropped to No. 3 despite making an estimated $70 million in endorsements last year. Apparently fewer people like him now.

The full list:
1 Manning, Peyton
2 White, Shaun
3 Woods, Tiger
4 Mickelson, Phil
5 Brady, Tom
6 O'Neal, Shaquille
7 Brees, Drew
8 Armstrong, Lance
9 Pujols, Albert
10 Ohno, Apolo Anton
11 James, LeBron
12 Phelps, Michael
13 Vonn, Lindsey
14 Bryant, Kobe
15 Federer, Roger
16 Nadal, Rafael
17 Manning, Eli
18 Williams, Serena
19 Beckham, David
20 Wade, Dwyane
21 Westwood, Lee
22 Foster, Arian
23 Johnson, Jimmie
24 Pacquiao, Manny
25 Durant, Kevin
26 Jeter, Derek
27 Howard, Dwight
28 Furyk, Jim
29 Johnson, Chris
30 Halladay, Roy
31 Crosby, Sidney
32 Williams, Venus
33 Peterson, Adrian
34 Favre, Brett
35 Rodgers, Aaron
36 Jennings, Greg
37 Rivers, Philip
38 White, Roddy
39 Gordon, Jeff
40 Donovan, Landon
41 Hamilton, Josh
42 Earnhardt Jr., Dale
43 Fitzgerald, Larry
44 Cabrera, Miguel
45 Polamalu, Troy
46 McNabb, Donovan
47 Garnett, Kevin
48 Anthony, Carmelo
49 Lewis, Ray
50 Johnson, Calvin
51 Nash, Steve
52 Wainwright, Adam
53 Willis, Patrick
54 Cano, Robinson
55 Ellis, Monta
56 Lester, Jon
57 Votto, Joey
58 Stoudemire, Amare
59 Stricker, Steve
60 Gasol, Pau
61 Turner, Michael
62 Stewart, Tony
63 Johnson, Andre
64 Clijsters, Kim
65 Duncan, Tim
66 Nowitzki, Dirk
67 Howard, Ryan
68 Tomlinson, LaDainian
69 Teixeira, Mark
70 Braun, Ryan
71 Wayne, Reggie
72 Hamlin, Denny
73 Longoria, Evan
74 Charles, Jamaal
75 Ortiz, David
76 Ovechkin, Alex
77 Gonzalez, Carlos
78 Paul, Chris
79 Tulowitzki, Troy
80 Pierce, Paul
81 Rodriguez, Alex
82 Lysacek, Evan
83 Sharapova, Maria
84 Hernandez, Felix
85 Ryan, Matt
86 Stamkos, Steven
87 Donald, Luke
88 Harvick, Kevin
89 Mauer, Joe
90 Schaub, Matt
91 Wright, David
92 Jones-Drew, Maurice
93 Els, Ernie
94 Lincecum, Tim
95 Sabathia, CC
96 Martin, Mark
97 Harrison, James
98 Rondo, Rajon
99 Rose, Derrick
100 Holliday, Matt

Hibbert Will defend Worlds title in Finland

Tucker Hibbert racing at the 2010 FIM Snowcross World Championship in Sweden. 

For the first time in his career, Tucker Hibbert is going for what could be called the grand slam of snowmobile racing: Winter X gold, two Amsoil Championship Snocross Series (ACSS) titles and next he plans on defending his FIM Snowcross World Championship title in Tuuri, Finland on March 26.

Hibbert, who won his sixth Winter X SnoCross gold in January, is currently leading both pro points series on the United States-based ACSS tour and is the favorite for another FIM title. At the 2010 World Snowcross Championship in Sweden, Hibbert became the first American to be crowned champion in the 11-year history of the event. "Last year in Sweden I was overwhelmed by the fans," Hibbert said. "They have a serious passion for riding and racing. The energy was contagious and really lit a fire in me for snowmobile racing. It was one of the most memorable races of my career."

In 2010, Hibbert finished 1-1-2 in a three-race format for the overall win. In Finland, the event will again feature three 15-minute races with an overall score determining the 2011 champion. European tracks are dramatically different from those in the U.S. and the FIM has sound and fuel restrictions and does not allow the use of traction products.

Hibbert has been test riding a specially equipped Arctic Cat Sno Pro 600. The Monster Energy/Arctic Cat crew recently put the final touches on the sled and have already shipped it to Finland. "I really enjoyed racing on the European-style track in Sweden and hope Finland's course will be similar. With the rough, long track and longer races it's more like motocross than American snocross. It really divides the riders and makes it exciting for the fans. At the 2010 World Championship, I was surprised to see riders from so many countries. I had no idea that Italians raced snowmobiles! I hope more countries get involved this year and support the event."

Riders from nine countries are expected to compete in the event, six days after Hibbert wraps up the ACSS tour in Lake Geneva, Wisc.

Chad Reed, of Dade City, Fla., Captured His Sixth-Career Win in San Diego

A dedicated crowd of 53,342 fans withstood the rain inside Qualcomm Stadium on Saturday night as the 2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross. In his debut season piloting his own TwoTwo Motorsports team, Chad Reed, of Dade City, Fla., captured his sixth-career San Diego win in the Supercross class. GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac, of Cortez, Colo., captured his first career supercross victory in the Western Regional Supercross Lites class.


It was Reed who crossed the holeshot stripe first to kick off the 20-lap supercross main event with American Honda’s Trey Canard, of Shawnee, Okla., and Red Bull KTM’s Andrew Short, of Smithville, Texas, in tow. Canard quickly made his move for the top spot and held it for the first five laps before falling and stalling his bike. Reed assumed the lead and held it for the remainder of the main event.

“This is incredible,” said Reed. “I‘ve put so much work into this team to make it the best it can be. To win with your name on your chest makes everything so much better. This one is emotional. I just followed Trey because he was showing me some lines. When he went down, it became just about putting together 20 clean laps.”

Canard remounted in third, allowing San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., to take over second. However, on Lap 15, Stewart stalled his bike, falling to fourth. While running second, Canard suffered his second fall of the evening, allowing Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., to secure second with Stewart in third. They would complete the podium in that order.

Championship leader Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., crashed on the opening lap, but fought through the field to secure a seventh place effort aboard his Monster Energy Kawasaki. He now holds a three-point advantage over Stewart in the points.

“I just stalled it,” said Stewart. “I’m trying my best. I don’t want to just throw it away like that, but I’m glad to get on the podium. I had nothing for Chad tonight, he was riding great, but I made up a lot of points.”

As the gates dropped on the Supercross Lites class main event, Tomac grabbed the holeshot and never looked back, leading wire-to-wire with a convincing win.

“The first five laps I just put my head down and pulled away. It was kind of crazy,” said Tomac, who won by over 10 seconds. “The track was really tricky and slippery. I got a little nervous out (front), but overall it was really good. I’ve learned a lot this season and I’ve gotten a lot better in recent weeks.”

Behind him, a stellar battle ensued for the remaining podium positions among the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki trio of Josh Hansen, of Elbert, Colo., Tyla Rattray, of Wildomar, Calif., and Broc Tickle, of Holly, Mich., as well as GEICO Honda’s Jimmy Decotis, of Peabody, Mass., and Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda’s Cole Seely, of Corona, Calif. As the group of five riders traded positions, it was Rattray and Tickle who prevailed to round out the top three.

Hansen, the class points leader, fell to sixth, still on the mend from a hand injury suffered at the previous round. His advantage over teammate Tickle dwindled to three points as the Western Regional Supercross Lites class Championship takes a midseason break until April 16 in Seattle.

Supercross Class Results: San Diego
1. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Honda
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki
3. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
4. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
5. Davi Millsaps, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha
6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM
7. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
8. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki
9. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM
10. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C., Yamaha

Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 146
2. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 143
3. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Honda – 130
4. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda – 130
5. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki – 123
6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM – 95
7. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 93
8. Davi Millsaps, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha – 78
9. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C, Yamaha – 76
10. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki – 66 

Griffin Takes Home NBA ALL-STAR Slam Dunk Contest for 2K11

Blake Griffin leaped over a car and threw down a two-handed dunk to the accompaniment of a gospel choir, winning the slam dunk contest in iconic style before his hometown fans on All-Star Saturday.

The Los Angeles Clippers rookie caught a pass out of the sunroof from teammate Baron Davis and easily cleared the 2011 Kia Optima’s hood while the Crenshaw Select Choir sang “I Believe I Can Fly” at midcourt.

The inventive slam drove home the obvious point of the All-Star weekend’s silly Saturday: Griffin has both the raw athleticism and the showtime flair to be the NBA’s next big star.

Finalist Javale McGee of Washington and Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan didn’t stand a chance despite their own inventive dunks at Staples Center.

The shoe the NBA BANNED!

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When the NBA banned the Concept 1 sneakers created by Athletic Propulsion Labs, co-founders Adam and Ryan Goldston went on the offensive. Three months later, the brothers haven't looked back.

It was back in October 2010 when twin brothers Adam and Ryan Goldston received the news: their product had been banned by the NBA. The Goldstons, 23, had spent most of the past year developing a revolutionary basketball shoe that, by incorporating proprietary spring technology and carbon-fiber materials, promised to increase a player’s vertical leap by up to 3.5 inches – a significant advantage in a sport like basketball. The brothers, who call their company Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL), had traveled from their home in Los Angeles to New York City a few months earlier to pitch their new shoes, dubbed the Concept 1, to National Basketball Association executives in hopes of signing up NBA players to endorsement deals. After they completed their demonstration, in which the Goldstons explained that a team of biomechanical engineers had vetted their so-called “Load ‘N Launch” technology, the NBA executives thanked them, promising that their answer would be forthcoming.

And when it did, the Goldstons, who knew the ban was a possibility, were disappointed nonetheless. But, while the brothers knew they wouldn’t soon see players like Blake Griffin of their hometown Los Angeles Clippers wearing their shoes and doing things on the court that had never been done before, they also sensed a unique opportunity. Rather than hide from the ban, they decided to send out a press release on Oct. 19 detailing how the NBA had banned their shoes because, in short, they worked too well. It took all of seven minutes after the release went out before the Goldstons were inundated with e-mails, texts and phone calls from friends, media and interested customers all asking about their new wonder shoes. “My BlackBerry literally shut down and our website crashed for about eight hours due to all the traffic,” says Ryan Goldston. “That was the start of a crazy ride for us.”

As the story of the banned shoes went viral, grabbing headlines and page views around the world, orders came flooding in to the APL website. The Goldstons quickly cleared out their inventory, selling more shoes in a single day than they had in the prior 30 days combined. With strong sales lasting through the holidays, the biggest challenge the Goldstons face these days is keeping enough shoes, which are manufactured overseas and sell for $300 a pair, in stock. In other words, the NBA’s ban had helped establish APL as a player in the multi-billion-dollar athletic footwear business, literally overnight. “When we came up with the idea, we never thought it would take off this quickly,” says Adam Goldston.

Want more tips on getting media attention? Check these out:

• Battling Bad Press in the Social Media Arena
• 6 Ways to Get Press for Your Startup Without Hiring a PR Firm
• Good Press: 6 Steps to Writing Killer Op-Eds and Commentaries 

The truth is, though, that the seeds for the success of APL and the Concept 1 were sown much earlier. Not only had the twins played college basketball at the University of Southern California, where they made friends and contacts throughout the industry, they had also grown up in an entrepreneurial household that knew a lot about athletic footwear. In particular, the twins credit their father, Mark, who held executive positions at Reebok and L.A. Gear, as the inspiration for their company. Even as kids, the twins often served as test subjects for prototypes of breakthrough products like lighted shoes that their dad would bring home for them to try out. “Our dad is our No. 1 mentor and cheerleader and the smartest person we know,” says Adam. “Without the benefit of his experience and his network of contacts, we would never be where we are now.”

Still, this venture is theirs. The Goldstons say the idea for the design of their shoe came from their own limitations. While they had been standout athletes in high school and into college, the Goldstons, who both stand about 5-foot-11, simply wanted to jump higher. And, while they worked diligently on conditioning programs to help improve their vertical leaping ability, they wished for an easier way. “We knew from our playing days that even guys who had 40-inch verticals wanted to jump even higher,” says Ryan. “We figured there would be a huge target market if we could find a way to help someone do that. We wanted to sell a dream that anyone could jump higher instantly.”

The Goldstons began in early 2009 by tapping into their father’s network to hire expert designers and engineers to help them with their mission to increase jumping ability. (They used funding from family members to bootstrap the operation.) Nevertheless, it took more than 10 months of choosing among sketches, colors and the testing of prototypes – not to mention the time spent on the arduous process of patenting their designs – before the Goldstons were ready to make their pitch to the NBA.

Despite the phenomenal promotional boost APL received when the NBA banned the Concept 1, the Goldstons, who won’t disclose their sales figures, say they plan to keep their growth under control. “We’re not trying to sell 500,000 shoes right off the bat,” says Ryan, who majored in business and entrepreneurship at USC. “We want to build the company the right way, by maintaining our brand image and the quality of our product.” As such, APL currently sells its shoes almost exclusively through its website – though the Goldstons say they plan on rolling out a more expansive retail strategy over time.

The Goldstons are also currently working on expanding into a new market: they plan on introducing a line of running shoes by the fall of 2011 aimed at both men and women. “We’re working on shoes that will make you run faster, instantly,” says Adam. “Our goal is to change the game when it comes to improved performance for runners.”

Meanwhile, the popularity of their business has impacted the Goldstons in a more unexpected way. Even though they fulfilled their dream of jumping higher—Adam says he can now dunk the basketball while Ryan says the shoes have helped him recover from major ankle reconstruction surgery—the brothers have had a hard time putting their new skills to use. “We used to try and get out to the gym and play at least twice a week,” says Adam. “Now, when we show up, everything just shuts down. It just turns into a question-and-answer session about APL instead.” 

15 year-old Pedro Barros skates away as back-to-back Pro winner of VANS BOWL-A-RAMA™ 2011

After a big day of battle 15 year-old Pedro Barros skates away as back-to-back Pro winner of VANS BOWL-A-RAMA™ 2011, whilst Steve Caballero took out the Masters title for the forth year in a row. Rotating crowds of over 5000 people were witness to some of the biggest names in skateboarding battling it out for a prize purse which gave each skater a huge incentive to get amongst the competition in the biggest BOWL-A-RAMA™ yet!

 

Jenn Kong, Vans Senior Marketing Manager Asia Pacific Said: “Vans BOWL-A-RAMA™ is our key skateboarding event in Asia Pacific and we’re excited the event has been elevated to a new level this year with the significantly increased prize purse to AUD 60K to keep attracting the world’s best riders, and by our decision to webcast it live on vans.com and on Fuel TV Australia to grow the global exposure.”

The event series, including the sister event Oakley BOWL-A-RAMA™ held at Waitangi Park in Wellington, has recently gone through some exciting developments including the World Cup of Skate signing a five year deal, major growth in prize purses and major sponsor alignments “We are stoked to be able to work with the best in the industry to deliver a strong event every year” Comments Chad Ford, Vans BOWL-A-RAMA™ Director. “The event keeps growing every year and brings with it the biggest skaters in the world. With the support of sponsors, media partners and World Cup of Skate, we are definitely on our way to becoming one of the most iconic skate events in history” He adds.

UFC: Ortiz Injured; Davis In to Face Nogueir

Phil Davis (above, top) will replace Tito Ortiz at UFC Fight Night 24. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

An injury has sidelined Tito Ortiz from his bout with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC Fight Night 24.

Ortiz will be replaced by undefeated light heavyweight contender Phil Davis of Alliance MMA. UFC President Dana White announced the injury and Davis’ substitution on his verified Twitter account Saturday afternoon.

“Tito has pulled out of fight night due to getting stitches,” stated a post on White’s Twitter account. “8-0 Phil Davis will be fighting Lil Nog now and is pumped for this fight!”

Davis, hailing from Harrisburg, Penn., is 4-0 in the UFC. The former Penn State University standout wrestler last saw action in an impressive submission of Tim Boetsch in November 2010.

Nogueira (19-4), the twin brother of MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, is coming off a tough loss to prospect Ryan Bader at UFC 119.

UFC Fight Night 24 will go down March 26 at the Key Arena in Seattle, and will likely be headlined by the Nogueira-Davis tilt.

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki Returns to the West Coast

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki''s Josh Hansen, Broc Tickle, and Tyla Rattray return to action as the Monster Energy Supercross, and FIM Championship see the AMA Supercross Lites Western Region riders one more time before a seven-week break.

The week break came at a good time for Hansen, who suffered a broken finger at the last race in Anaheim, Calif. He’s taken time to rest and now is looking to maintain the eight-point lead in the championship standings at the final Southern California race in San Diego.

"I was lucky enough to have a week break after I hurt my hand," said Hansen. "I’ve been trying to stay off the bike and get my wrist strong enough to put in a good race this weekend. It’s going to be tough, but I have to think about the long-term goal of winning the championship."

Just behind his teammate in the point standings is Tickle, who already has one win under his belt this season. Eager to get back on top the podium, Tickle has been putting in the time on the bike to go into the break with a victory.

"I know I’m capable of a win and I just hope I feel as good as I did in Oakland," said Tickle. "That was a mud race as well and it looks like this may be our second one of the season. I’ll just try to be smart and make as few mistakes as possible."

Rattray makes his return back to racing after taking a one-race break because of a back injury. He is confident that he can do well in San Diego, hoping to get back on the podium where he started the season.

"It’s really fun racing supercross and I hope this weekend won’t be too tricky with the rain," said Rattray. "I just want to go out there and have a solid race before we go on our break."

The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team makes their return west at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego before heading east. Hansen is leading the championship standings with 113 points, while Tickle is right behind him in second with 105. Despite missing one race, Rattray is still in ninth with 58 points.

Oakley Surf Shop Challenge announces schedule

Ross Stevens, Tony Butler, Owen Moffett, Michael Powell, Ben Powell, Mason Barnes © JP Van Swae Oakley Surf Shop Challenge Seaside Reef, Cardiff California 11 March 2011 Surfer Magazine's Oakley Surf Shop Challenge kicks off season at Seaside Reef Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 17 February, 2011 : - - Surfer Magazine's Oakley Surf Shop Challenge (OSSC), the event series that teams shop employees with shop pros for a chance at $10,000 and the title of the best surf shop in the U.S., will kick off at Seaside Reef in Cardiff, CA, on March 11. This year will see 280 surfers from 70 shops around the country compete at seven regional stops before culminating at the Huntington Beach pier in September for the National Championship. The series, which began in the early '80s as a single Southern California contest, stays true to its philosophy that core surf shops play a pivotal role in the success of the action sports retail industry as a whole. "The series is an excellent way for Oakley to support the healthy competition that happens among surf shops across the U.S.," says Ronny Nelson, Oakley Sports Marketing Manager. "We know what a huge role these shops play in the success of our brand and the entire action sports retail industry. This is our way of giving back to these guys and stoking them out in a major way." Today the OSSC has expanded to include every major surf retail market in the country—not to mention some of the most renowned surf spots North America has to offer. Each regional winner will not only earn an expense-paid trip to the National Championship, but each will also receive a full-page shop profile in SURFER Magazine, and product from all sponsors. "Oakley's support has really stepped up the reach and impact of the series, giving more shops in more areas the opportunity to compete," says SURFER's Associate Publisher, Jeremy Schluntz. "Regional winners are flown to California in September and treated like royalty. Core retailers deserve our thanks, and we're so happy to help celebrate all they do for our industry." Last year's National Champions and grand prize-winning team was North Carolina's Sweetwater Surf Shop in Wrightsville Beach. With a come-from-behind victory in their first year of competing, the team—comprised of Tony Butler, Owen Moffett, Michael Powell, Mason Barnes, and Ross Stevens—seized the win with less than a minute remaining in the finals. Defending their title this year will be a tough task. Sunrise from the Southeast region finished only 2 points behind Sweetwater, while Western regional champs Jack's Surfboards and Southwestern champs Hansen's Surf Shop held at a close third and fourth. All the teams will be hungry for a comeback in 2011, and another chance to claim the national title, the $10,000 prize purse, and an entire year of bragging rights. For 2010 photos, video footage, results and more check out SurfShopChallenge.com. The regional contests will begin in March and run through the end of August, with the National Championship taking place in Huntington Beach, CA, in September. Special thanks to Oakley and other event partners Futures Fins, Buell Wetsuits, and Bubble Gum Wax for all their support. Without their involvement the Surf Shop Challenge series would not be what it is today. www.oakley.com

Frenchman Kevin Rolland Takes Freeski Pipe Dew Cup

French skier Kevin Rolland is a fierce competitor in pipe skiing, but most of the
time his biggest competition is himself. With a handful of skiers at the top of the game in
men’s Superpipe, each and every run comes down to who can put all the pieces together.

Every detail counts: the preparation of their bodies, their minds, their runs, and their gear. Rolland has been able to prove his success at this with a handful of X Games gold medals under his belt and most recently, the coveted Dew Cup.

Rolland went into the third and final stop of the Dew Tour tied for the Cup with Simon Dumont, a dominant competitor in pipe skiing who typically performs well under pressure. In the end, Kevin came out victorious because he was the one able to get into the right mindset and lay down a solid run.

Kevin is an athlete who is confident in his skiing. He knows his tricks and he knows what the judges are looking for. His recipe of doubles and switch tricks combinedwith amplitude has worked out well for him this year.

“I work so hard but always have fun being in this position,” says Kevin. “Last year I was proud of my X Games gold medals but I didn’t ski well on the Dew Tour. This season I’m more consistent and hopefully that will continue. I train so hard all year to be at the top so being on the podium consistently is the reward for my work.”

Kevin is a part of the Freeski Project, a French freestyle pro team consisting of Xavier Bertoni, Benoit Valentin, and Thomas Krief. Together under the coaching of Greg Geunet, these guys are ruling the pipe. According to Kevin, “We ski together all year. We are really good friends so we don’t try to see who is best, we just enjoy skiing and pushing each other.”

The team trains year-round under a very organized structure. Kevin says, “Learning new tricks is never done. We have many rotations and doubles to learn. Every year it’s harder to find new tricks but every year we see some crazy new stuff. The most difficult is to try what you see in your mind when nobody has tried it before you.” In addition to on-hill training, they are very focused off the hill. According to
Rihm, “Everything is well thought out. They work out a lot, but only to a certain level. They are fit and strong, but not over-built. Their philosophy could be described as light and nimble but still strong.”

Although some have referred to this generation of competitors as “pipe jocks,” Kevin doesn’t see what he is doing as any different from generations before. “All skiers before us have ever wanted to do is advance the sport and be the best, and it’s what we try to do.”

Like any other skier, Kevin enjoys just getting out and making turns on snow. Competition season is very demanding with consecutive events, but that doesn’t mean the French aren’t having fun and enjoying what they do.

“I’m not a superstar so when somebody wants to shake my hand because I won the X Games, it’s fun,” says Kevin.

In addition to winning the Dew Cup for Superpipe, Kevin was honored with the PowerBar Performance of the Year and Athlete of the Year awards from the Dew Tour. “I skied for the Cup without thinking about these other awards so I’m more than happy to return to France with more titles than expected.”

Upon returning to Europe, this ambitious skier plans to take a break and ski powder to clear his mind. Between a bit of training before Euro X and enjoying every day on his skis, Kevin is confident everything will work out. “When I was seven years old my goal was to be the best skier in the world. Now I’m 21 and my goal hasn’t changed.”

Aldrin Garcia snaps the world record with a 45-inch ollie.

Neftalie William courtesy of Maloof Skateboarding

On Tuesday at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, in the midst of the Magic tradeshow, 19-year-old Aldrin Garcia won the Maloof High Ollie Challenge with a whopping 45-inch ollie, setting a new world record. Garcia beat out regional qualifiers and professional skaters including Levi Brown, Steve Nesser and Torey Pudwill. Garcia took home $10,000 for his efforts and earned a spot in skateboarding's history books.


Before Garcia's monumental snap, the previous world record of 44.5 inches -- set by Danny Wainwright -- had stood since Feb. 6, 2000. There have been ollie contests since then where skaters have allegedly gone higher but the record was never officially broken.


In 2008, New York native Luis Tolentino allegedly snapped what many considered to be a 45-inch ollie at Billy Rohan's Rooftop Rampage skate contest. Tolentino was in attendance at the Maloof Challenge, and made the finals, but was out-ollied by Garcia.


Garcia was born and raised in San Diego county and is currently a sponsored amateur rider for Powell-Peralta skateboards, Bones wheels and Theeve trucks. In an interesting twist, Wainwright also rode for Powell at the time of his record-setting ollie.


"This is amazing," said Garcia after his win. "I'm hyped that I got to keep the world record in the Powell-Peralta family."


Prior to this contest, Garcia recently got some media attention for a frightening fall he took during the Crossroads Tradeshow and best trick contest on Jan. 28. Slipping out on a trick, Garcia hit the ground hard, was knocked unconscious and carried away on a stretcher.

Winter X Games Confirms Atheletes

The Winter X Games Europe will welcome 150 athletes competing in eight events -- Men's and Women's Ski and Snowboard SuperPipe and Slopestyle -- over three days. The confirmed athlete list is constantly being updated and is subject to change. Gold medal winners from 2010 Winter X Games Europe receive automatic invites to compete, this should be a very competitive field.

Slopestyle - Men
Athlete Name	Country
Ulrik Badertscher	NOR
Mikkel Bang	NOR
Gjermund Braten	NOR
Marko Grilc	SLO
Chas Guldemond	USA
Christian Haller	SUI
Halldor Helgason	ISL
Torstein Horgmo	NOR
Sage Kostenburg	USA
Mark McMorris	CAN
Aleksander Ostren	TBD
Peetu Piiroinen	FIN
Stale Sandbech	NOR
Seppe Smits	TBD
Sebastien Toutant	CAN
Eric Willett	USA

Slopestyle - Women
Athlete Name	Country
Jamie Anderson	USA
Sina Candrian	SUI
Jenny Jones	GBR
Cheryl Maas	NED
Kjersti Oestgaard Buaas	NOR
Enni Rukajarvi	FIN
Charlotte van Gils	NED

SuperPipe - Men
Athlete Name	Country
Greg Bretz	USA
Mathieu Crepel	FRA
Christian Haller	SUI
Ilkka-Eemeli Laari	FIN
Matt Ladley	USA
Markus Malin	FIN
Luke Mitrani	USA
Peetu Piiroinen	FIN
Iouri Podladtchikov	SUI
Stale Sandbech	NOR
Louie Vito	USA

SuperPipe - Women
Athlete Name	Country
Gretchen Bleiler	USA
Torah Bright	AUS
Queralt Castellet	ESP
Kelly Clark	USA
Kaitlyn Farrington	USA
Elena Hight	USA
Kjersti Oestgaard Buass	NOR
Sophie Rodriguez	FRA
Hannah Teter	USA

Vans' annual Bowl-A-Rama is going down this Saturday, February 19th in Bondi Beach, Australia

Vans' annual Bowl-A-Rama is going down this Saturday, February 19th in Bondi Beach, Australia and is being live streamed to the web so we can all partake in the action. Vans riders Steve Caballero, Pedro Barros, Bucky Lasek, Omar Hassan, Tony Trujillo, Steve Alba, Jeff Grosso, Andrew Langi, Josh Borden, Alex Perelson, Curren Caples will be there as well as Bob Burnquist, Rune Glifberg, Sam Beckett, Pat Ngoho, Otavio Neto, Jackson Pilz, Juergen Horwarth, Renton Miller and Corbin Harris. keep up with the latest form Bowl-A-Rama on facebook.

Eric Willett and Janna Weatherby take slopestyle finals at Winter Dew Tour Championships

The third and final stop of the 2010-11 Winter Dew Tour went down under sunny skies at Snowbasin today and was capped off with banger slopestyle finals. The setup was looking better than ever and the riders were putting it all on the table with the finals stock full of double cork spins.

With the tour leader, Torstein Horgmo, dropping last for the second run, the competition was kicked up a notch. Eric Willett slayed the course and stomped everything with style - nailing a solid switch back 12 double cork to front 10 double cork to score a 97.25. That immediately threw him to the top spot and it was a chase after Willett from there on out. Mark McMorris also pulled out a killer run to place second with spins and gaps on the jibs paired with a double cork 10 and 12. It seems as though the 1260 is the new method - everyone's got their own.

Last to attack the slopestyle course was your favorite Norwegian, Torstein Horgmo. Sitting in tenth place prior to his second run, his work was undoubtedly cut out for him but he delivered as usual. Horgmo had style and variation however, had a few slip ups that couldn't get him the number one spot, finishing up in the third place position. What's third place when you're the Dew Tour champ, though? He scored enough points to secure his title and he was stoked.

On the ladies side, 34-year-old veteran competitor Janna Weatherby earned a 96.00 knocking out the young guns that have been dominating. Her winning run was polished with a cab 540, backside 3, and numerous 50-50s on the rails. Dew Tour leader and slopestyle buff Jamie Anderson came in close behind Weatherby with a 95.00 which ultimately held her lead and won her second consecutive Winter Dew Tour Slopestyle Champ title. Third place went to Canadian Spencer O'Brien who was riding well the entire contest with a 91.75.

This concluding Dew Tour event without a doubt showcased the impressive level of riding that the competitors are at and also how massive the pool of talent actually is. Congratulations to the winners - see you next year.

Huston We Have a Problem....Or Do We?

Every race counts. Every one. And they will all matter come Vegas.
Ryan Dungey (1) chases Trey Canard with one to go in Houston. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

Ryan Dungey is going to win soon.

The field has to try and make sure Trey Canard doesn't catch fire.

James Stewart was impatient, and it cost him.
James Stewart (7) jumped into Jason Thomas (right, in purple) in the rhythm. It was the mistake that cost him. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

Kevin Windham lost traction and crashed, giving away a sure win.
Kevin Windham was hurting after he crashed out of the lead. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

KTM is getting better with the 350s.
Mike Alessi (800) joined Ken Roczen and Andrew Short on KTMs in the top 10. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

Justin Barcia pestered Dean Wilson into arm-pump, and ultimately, took the win because of it.
Justin Barcia (17) took the opening win of the season over Dean Wilson (15). (Photo: CoxMX.com)

Blake Baggett is fast and determined, and Ryan Sipes gave him a gift with two laps to go.
Blake Baggett is going to be tough for the rest of the series. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

Blake Wharton should've been third in the main, if not for Sipes. Wharton is working with Sebastien Tortelli, and it shows.

The series is still wide-open, unlike the first turn in Houston.

Supercross Class Results: Houston
1. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki
3. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
4. Davi Millsaps, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha
5. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM
6. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Honda
7. Ken Roczen, Germany, KTM
8. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki
9. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki
10. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM

Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki - 132
2. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha - 123
3. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda - 112
4. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Honda - 105
5. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki - 101
6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM - 80
7. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki - 80
8. Justin Brayton, Cornelius, N.C, Yamaha - 65
9. Davi Millsaps, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha - 62
10. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda - 61

Dew Tour Championships ski pipe finals

The weather couldn't have been better for the Winter Dew Tour ski pipe finals today at Snowbasin Resort in Ogden, Utah. Shining sun and warm temps made the pipe soft and everyone was sending it, hoping to make Dew Tour history. Read on for a recap from Newschoolers.

The final competition of the ski superpipe side of things at the Winter Dew Tour Toyota Championships went down this afternoon in a big, big way at Snowbasin, Utah. After an amazing show under the lights last night in prelims the top qualified athletes were pumped for today's sunshine and big crowd. Up first were the top six ladies from yesterday, who were all more than ready to strut their stuff for a shot at the podium.

Rosalind Groenewoud was looking as solid as usual throughout this morning's practice, but on her second hit right 900 she couldn't hold the transition and fell to her side. She had to be carted down as a result of what looked to be a shoulder or collarbone injury. We wish you a quick recovery Roz!

As for the rest of the ladies, there was no disappointment to be found, as the top five all had scores of 80 and above. Canadian Keltie Hansen was super excited after landing her second run, during which she linked together a first hit right 540 into a left 540, followed by a big right 900 midway through her run and finished it all off with a left 720, scoring an 80.50 and fifth place.

Xtremly Sad: Tony Hawk filed for divorce from his wife Lhotse Merriam

Tony Hawk filed for divorce from his wife Lhotse Merriam on February 4 in San Diego, California.

"We have made the difficult decision to file for divorce," Hawk and Merriam said in a joint statement February 7. "We remain deeply committed and loving parents to our daughter, and out of respect for that responsibility we ask that people honor our family's privacy during this important time of transition. Thank you for your understanding."

The couple has a two-year-old daughter, Kadence, and married on the Fijian island Tavarua in January 2006. It was the third marriage for Hawk, who was married to Cindy Dunbar from 1990 to 1994. Their son Riley, 18, is a street skater who rides for Lakai, Birdhouse, Quiksilver, and Theeve. Hawk was married to Erin Lee from 1996 to 2004, with whom he had sons Spencer, 11, and Keegan, 10.

Hawk is presently in Abu Dhabi, where he attended the Laureus World Sports Awards on February 7 and is scheduled to open the "Real Action Heroes" event this weekend, coinciding with the opening of the V8 Supercar Championship. Today he is scheduled to do a skateboard demo at Ferrari World, the largest indoor theme park in the world.

Lil "Bubba" to Make Debut in Huston SX Lites Thos Weekend

Malcom Stewart, younger brother to James, will make his Supercross Lites debut in Houston Saturday. 

Malcolm Stewart said the only thing he ever wanted was to feel what it was like to be in a stadium and have thousands of people watching his every move. If satisfying a curiosity was all he wanted, he could have simply asked his brother -- himself no stranger to the spotlight -- how it felt. Instead, he decided to find out on his own.

This weekend, Malcolm, younger brother of two-time AMA Supercross champion James Stewart, will compete at the Houston Supercross in the Eastern regional opener of the SX Lites class. Growing up under the same roof as one of the most dynamic racers in history, Malcolm is aware that there will be comparisons. He knows people will say he's only there because of his brother. He doesn't care and he doesn't think about it. "I don't really have anything to prove to anyone," he said. "I'm just doing it for myself."

While his brother defends a five point lead over Ryan Villopoto in the Supercross class, Malcolm, 18, will open up his career on a number 139 Arma/Suzuki City backed RM-Z250. This is a major change of pace for a kid who, only a few years ago, had a goal of joining the Bassmaster tour instead of the AMA Supercross series. "I was all about fishing," he said. "That's all I wanted to do. I actually almost quit [racing] to become a professional fisherman but it wasn't going my way so I started taking my riding more seriously."

For now, Malcolm has hung up the fishing poles in favor of putting in time on the test track for his Houston debut, where his goal is to finish in the top five. Team Arma/Suzuki City Manager Michael Nasakaitis said he was initially interested in Malcolm's potential as a future champion, but after just weeks of testing, he said the younger Stewart has already exceeded the team's expectations, without having completed a race.

"He is very professional," Nasakaitis said of Malcolm. "His knowledge of the bike and being able to give feedback is unbelievable. It's obvious that Malcolm has an educated background in bikes."
Being part of the Stewart family has meant that Malcolm has also been a character on "Bubbas's World", a television program that is currently airing in its second season on Fuel TV and SPEED. He warns people who have formed their opinion of him strictly from watching television. "The TV show has always shown me clowning around so that's probably what a lot of people think of me already," he said.

There are benefits to being the brother of who Malcolm calls 'the best guy on the planet.' There is a lot of value in being able to sit at the dinner table of a guy who is now in his 10th season as a professional racer. "[James] told me to go out there and have fun and don't think about anything else. Don't worry about what people say. Just go out there and do my thing."
The Houston Supercross runs Saturday night at Reliant Stadium.

Maloof Skateboarding will host the final round of its Maloof High Ollie Challenge on February 14-15 in Las Vegas during MAGIC.

Maloof Skateboarding will host the final round of its Maloof High Ollie Challenge on February 14-15 in Las Vegas during MAGIC. Pro Skaters Torey Pudwill, Corey Duffel, Johnny Layton, Levi Brown, Garrett Hill, Darren Harper and Steve Nesser will compete against 14 skaters who won regional contests at skate shops across the country, the winner of an online video contest, as well as amateurs Luis Tolentino, Anthony Schultz, Kechaud Johnson, Austyn Gillette and Aldrin Garcia. The winner will take home $10,000 and if his winning ollie is higher than 44.5”, he’ll set a new world record.  The current Guinness world record for highest ollie was set in 2000 by Danny Wainwright.


“Last year during our New York contest I saw Luis Tolentino ollie over this huge stack of skateboards,” said Joe Maloof, Maloof Skateboarding president and owner of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.  “The crowd went crazy; it was amazing.

Skateboarding is not exclusive to street or vert formats, there are so many aspects to it and so many ways skaters show their own style and skill.  We want to celebrate and promote all aspects of skateboarding and we’re always looking for ways to get the local skate shops involved. This partnership with MAGIC and the High Ollie Challenge was a great fit. ”

The semi-finals will be held Monday, February 14 at 3 p.m. on a 2,500 sq. ft. street course designed and constructed by California Skateparks as the centerpiece for the MAGIC show floor in the newly launched RIDE Unltd section, the dedicated home for all things skate.  SPoTlight Productions will judge the contest. The 15 regional and online winners will compete against the pros/ams to see who can land the highest ollie. The top 10 from the semi-finals will go on to the finals Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m.

The top regional contest winners included Christian Malouf (no relation to Maloof family) who landed an impressive 43.5” ollie at the Cowtown Skateboards event in Tempe, Arizona. Mikey Burton landed a 42” ollie at the Cal’s Pharmacy event in Portland, Oregon, earning him a trip to the finals.  Darren Harper and Benji Ross, tied for first place at their regional event in Frederick, Maryland sponsored by local skate shop Pitcrew. Both skaters landed 41” ollies, earning them spots in the Vegas finals. The winner of the viral video contest, Roy Robin, filmed himself landing a 41” high ollie, claiming his spot in the Vegas finals as the viral video winner.

Chuck Patterson puts the "C" back in CRAZY by skiing massive waves

Chuck Patterson had grown up skiing dangerous big-mountain terrain; he had also surfed plenty of large, thunderous waves.

But never, until recently, had he or anyone else donned skis and used them to surf the gargantuan swells at a notoriously treacherous spot called Jaws, off the Hawaiian island of Maui.

Patterson, a popular freeskier and trained racer from Lake Tahoe, who spends part of each winter in Hawaii, traveled to Jaws recently to greet an arriving swell (see video). Dozens of tow-surfers, those who are pulled onto fast-moving swells behind personal watercraft, were on hand. Patterson was the only one wearing two planks, boots, bindings ... and carrying ski poles.

Patterson clearly proved that with specialized skiing equipment the towering waves at Jaws can be ridden with style and poise, just like mountains of snow.

"I had a good idea that it was possible, but it really made a big difference having a solid background in skiing and big-wave tow-in surfing to really push it in big waves," Patterson told the Ski Channel. "There's a lot that goes into making it all happen safely even before you hit the water, and after that is when the fun begins."

Like the tow-surfers, Patterson also was towed onto the swells, whereupon he began his descent like an Alpine specialist trying to maintain the best possible fall line.

"Gliding into a 40-foot clean, open-faced wave has a lot of the same characteristics that you find when dropping off a cornice into a steep chute with fresh snow," he said. "Aside from the surface being water, it's almost the same feeling. Once you let go of the rope and glide down the face making turns to stay in the pocket, it's totally addicting."

The session comes 15 months after a Starr Surf Skis testing mission conducted elsewhere on Maui, and in smaller waves, by freeskiers Mike Douglas and Cody Townsend. That expedition was part of a Salomon Freeski TV web series last year. Patterson's Jaws footage will be part of a follow-up episode.

He expects surf-skiing to catch on, and it just might. Tow-surfing, with its specialized equipment, was once just an idea. So was surfing behind large kites, and aboard over-sized standup paddleboards.

Patterson's next goal? To tuck, like a downhill racer, inside a monstrous Jaws barrel. But he acknowledges that conditions will have to be perfect to attempt that.

"It's important to have a really good understanding and respect for the power of the ocean as you would have for the mountains and the backcountry," he said. "All waves are different and I find it really important to take your time in studying the lay of the land, always making sure you have a safe exit strategy. It takes time and if you can think outside the box a little, anything is possible."

Slater wins Laureus World Sports Award

The winners of the 2011 Laureus World Sports Awards were announced Monday in Abu Dhabi. Kelly Slater won his third Laureus Action Sports Award, on the heels of Slater's record 10th ASP World Championship title in 2010.

Slater won the Action Sports person of the year in 2007 and 2009, and he was nominated for the award in 2006. Surfer Stephanie Gilmore won the Action Sports award last year.

Slater beat out the other five nominees in the Action Sports category: Shaun White, Stephanie Gilmore, Jamie Bestwick, Levi Sherwood and Victor Fernandez.

"When [my manager] told me that Shaun White and Kelly Slater were nominated, that's when it hit me," FMX rider Levi Sherwood told ESPN before the awards. "I'm just excited and just to be nominated next to Shaun White after what he did at the Olympics last year. I grew up watching him, that's what means the most."

The winners were chosen by the 46 voting members of the Laureus Sports Academy, which is made of sports stars from across the world.

The awards, which were hosted by Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, were held at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates.

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year while ski racer Lindsey Vonn took the Sportswoman of the Year Award. Find a full list of this year's winners here.

Nike 6.0 Stairset Battle Final at Air & Style Munich on Feb 12th, 2011

The legendary Air & Style big air contest, known as one of snowboarding’s biggest international spectacles, this year will feature a rail jam as a new contest category: The Nike 6.0 Stairset Battle Final.

The TTR 3-Star event is the Grand Finale of the Nike 6.0 Stairset Battle Tour 2010/11, a series of official TTR 2-Star events that has visited nine snow resorts all over Europe since kicking off in Castleford, UK on December 10th, 2010. Every tour stop winner was rewarded with a ticket to the finals to compete against invited 9 of the best jibbers in front of 25,000 spectators at Munich Olympic Stadium.

The rail obstacle is based on the ones build for the tour, but for the final it’s an XXL version of the stair set with some extra features; 20 stairs, a marble kinked ledge, low-to-high ledge, straight- and kinked rail.

By taking it from the streets to the stadium, this relatively young contest category will bring the Air & Style to a new level.

With a total purse of $20,000 in prize money and confirmed international top pros including Keegan Valaika, Ethan Deiss, Marc Swoboda and Nick Visconti among others, everything is coming together for a great event.

With the level of tricks and excitement for jib sessions throughout the tour, this promises to be a great finish. See you in Munich!

Riders List
1. SBT Winner #1 Tom Guilmard - ENG
2. SBT Winner #2 Wessel van Lierop - NED
3. SBT Winner #3 Böris Bühler - SUI
4. SBT Winner #4 Pierre Rué - FRA
5. SBT Winner #5 Eirik Nesse - NOR
6. SBT Winner #6 Denis Leontyev - RUS
7. SBT Winner #7 Juan Polanco - ESP
8. SBT Winner #8 Flo Achenrainer - AUT
9. SBT Winner #9 Chris Boehnke - GER
10. Marc Swoboda - AUT
11. Jamie Nicholls - ENG
12. Gulli Gudmundsson - ICE
13. Wojtek Pawlusiak - POL
14. Eiki Helgason - ICE
15. Keegan Valaika - USA
16. Ethan Deiss - USA
17. Mike Casanova - USA
18. Nick Visconti - USA