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Above: Bill Beauregard, out of the East, defied reality with a continuous bombardment of mind
blowing rides. This backside air was typical of his input during the contest.
Right: In the finals, Billy Ruff put out more than anyone. He utilized more of the pool than any
other skater and is a master at every trick in the book (even simple rollouts). Competing in every
contest of the series, Bill racked up the most points of every one, thus making him the overall
winner of this series. With a track record like that, one would think his sponsors would appreciate
the #1 guy.
the rest crammed into a rented "Oma-Men-
tal compact car. I told Gnit tht he was too
happy to drive and he just laughed at me
(he who laughs last!). Down the road they
passed us in our own lane...with a black
and white, just car lengths behind them.
This is when it all hit the fan.
As it turned out, we waited ahead at the
"Groin Bar" (or whatever it's called) for our
"benders of the law." I went inside looking
for TRACKER Larry and Lowboy. Nothing
but a bunch of kinked-necked, high-strung,
poseur, surfer types and beach people,
doing the pogo to some limp-wristed
wannabee New Wave band. It was just
dark enough in there so you could see
friction-sparks coming from all the girls
with hairy legs, trying to be "au naturél" to
fake, big city music. TACKY, TACKY,
TACKY are these people.
Almost an hour went by, and still a
no-show all the way around. We went back
to the skatepark just in case anyone might
have a line on the up-to-date. Nothing. But
Mike Smith did offer to do some more stunt
driving. Not today, Mike. We waited for
awhile then went back to Room 10. Gnit
had the key. As far as we knew, he and the
boys were on their way up the river.
Fortunately, I spent part of my life in
Eastside San Jo. They don't make screens.
like they used to. The crowd entered.
minutes after we did, minus the irrepressi-
ble Gnit. Gnit, they informed us, was being
held captive by the Federales (CHP) in
Vista, and they said he wasn't so happy
anymore. Such is life.
Sunday morning and still no Gnit in the
free world. Don Hoffman, Frank Hawk and
others of superior importance asked me
where Gnit was. I told them he was eating
breakfast. This line only worked for a few
hours, and by the time two in the afternoon
rolled around, I had to tell them, "He was
just here, but now he's out to lunch."
Meanwhile, while Ted was out trying to bail
Gnit out of "Maximum Slam," the freestyle
finals were going on.
The Opens Ams are showing a few
promising freestyle types who in the future
will more than likely pose a major threat to
the King of Freestyle, Rodney Mullen.
Keith Butterfield probably the top Pro-Am
freestyler today has been sucking up first
place victories left and right.
Some innovative performances in the
banked freestyle department were put in
by Gary "Skate Davis. G.S.D. migrated
from Cincinnati, Ohio, to San Jose just a
few months ago. Gary, as many a skater
knows, is the pioneer of the underground
skate rag SKATE FATE. Now, there are
little skate rags popping up all over the
place.
The top three freestylists in this division
at the end of the finals were Keith Butter-
field in first place, Ray Guardia in second
and Bill Swartzbaugh third.
The Pro-Am finals was promising some
heavy trickage, as definitive styles have
developed along the lines of technique and
the execution of moves over the course of
this series. From Primo Desiderio's
bouncy-erratic figure contortion tricks and
ultra-fast footwork in an excellently
choreographed routine; Rodney Mullen's
rapid fire, trick after trick style; to Paul
Hoffman's haul-ass, carve the banks at
high speed with walk-overs and banked
360's thrown in for effect.
Kevin Harris and Chris Guild, visiting
from Canada, were posing major threats
for the stateside professional crews. Their
own brand of freestyle was a major factor
in their high placings. Stressing wheelie
and space walk oriented stylish moves, the
two opened older doors of all around
usage of freestyle coordination.
Chris Chaput made an appearance out
of nowhere, applying long-board freestyle
once again to the masses. He incorporated
handstand carves on the banks and an
able high-jump into his routines, thus
favoring heavily with the judges. He also
promo-ed some local radio station (music
geared for the middle-class masses) in the
form of posters (a picture of some busty
wench with call letters across her skin tight
top) and bumper stickers. Some idiots
plastered the stickers all over their bodies
and called them clothes. Chris Chaput
said, "Don't do that, that's New Wave!" I
couldn't agree more.
Steve Rocco (who didn't skate the last
contest at Paramount because he didn't
have a board) was coming on strong. His
sponsors would have been proud, had
they been there. Rocco utilized the whole
freestyle area. Very consistent and very
precise.
But still in the long run, it seems no
matter bow-hard all these and other -
skaters try and try, nobody can even get
close to equalling the performances of
Rodney Mullen. The "Mutt" is just as
unbelievable as everyone says he is. From
the last contest just weeks ago he has
already included a handful of tricks to his
TRACKE
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