from the worst type of destruction known to
a skater. The ramp is so crowded that 20 or
so go to the bro bowl in Tampa just to get a
chance to skate. The evening is calm ex-
cept for Mountain and Caballero's newest
hair colors. Steadham goes for a new color
and Hawk wants to but worries what his
dad will think.
Saturday morning skating commences
around 7:30 with the temperature in the 30s
and an even colder wind. Most looked for-
ward to coming to sunny warm Florida, but
not today.
The Amateur division starts around 9:30
with 21 sponsored am's from all over the
country. Most are having a difficult time due
to the cold. There is a cut to six who will
then session in a Jam. Craig Johnson qual-
ifies first along with John Grigley, Jimmy
Murphy, Buck Smith, Bill Procko, and Chris
May. The jam format consists of two
twenty-minute jam sessions. Craig
Johnson comes out on top with a score of
John Gibson
179.33; John Grigley follows in second with
175.66 points; and Buck Smith in third with
160.99.
The Pro's warm up for an hour or so and
so does the weather, a little. We start out
with 14 pro's who will be cut to to five.
Those to make the cut are Monty Nolder,
Neil Blender, John Gibson, Lance Moun-
tain and Rob Roskopp. Many were sur-
prised at who did not make the cut, but
there's only room for five. The jam session
is so hot. Neil Blender flips all the way over
on an invert, slams onto the flat, lies dead
for a few moments then hops on his board
and jams some more. Nolder stokes the
crowd with high airs and is easily the
biggest crowd pleaser of the day. Lance
goes all over the ramp and pulls ultra high.
alley oop channels. Gibson pulls a double
foot bounce bone less one. And Roskopp
skates on the edge at all moments.
After the first session Blender is in first
with a score of 89.66, Nolder and Gibson
are tied in second with a score of 89.33.
In the second Jam, Nolder leads with the
highest score of the day, 92.66, Blender
and Mountain tie for second with 92.33
points.
With all scores tallied it's Roskopp in 5th
with 174.33, Gibson in 4th with 179.33,
Mountain in 3rd with 180.33 and tied for
first are Nolder and Blender with 182.00
points. Monty wants to arm wrestle for the
win, but a coin is tossed and Nolder wins,
so Blender goes first and then Nolder. Each
has a run marred by some falls. On the sec-
ond round Neil pulls an air to rock 'n board
slide over the channel in a clean run. Then
Nolder goes and does an impressive five ft.
frontside air, boned to the max, but bails on
a high channel plant. After the scores are
totaled Blender wins and Nolder takes sec-
ond. A massive sticker throw is in progress
also tossed were some shirts, trucks, and
even a board. The crowd goes crazy and
stickers TK's 30 year old Thrasher van and
30
THR
AO BEACH
Emperor Neil Blender
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