PROFESSIONAL
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BURNETT
The Vans
CHILL KILL
T
Amateur
Championships
ith the Hi-8 warriors coming dangerously close to pounding
the final nail in the coffin of the idea of ranking skaters
through organized competition, Vans and its owner, Steve
"Santa Claus" Van Doren, went and resurrected a
national amateur contest series.
Listen closely, all you mongo-footed tic-tackers,
'cause the state of pro skateboarding wasn't always as
it is today. In the not-so-distant past, any would-be pro
worth his mettle not only had to get his mug in the
mags, but was required to enter, and do well in, a
strenuous series of contests known as the NSA
Amateur Championships.
"But contests are for geeks!" you might say. "What
about video parts?!" you may screech. "Couldn't they
just get a pro shoe model instead?"
But it just wasn't that easy. In those days, kids who
wanted to turn pro not only had to skate good for the
camera, but do so on command, in front of everybody,
and in full pads! Just ask former NSA combatants Eric
Koston, Willy Santos, Caine Gayle or almost any other
pro over the age of 21.
The Vans Warped Tour World Amateur
Championships is the closest thing to reviving that old
tradition. Now going on its second year, it's tough to
say whether the contest results are going to have any
sway in the minds of skate fans and skate companies,
but it sure seemed to be a good time for the guys that
got flown out to Ventura's Skate Street Skatepark for a
weekend of food, fun and nose-to-nose skate combat.
The following are profiles of a handful of rippers
doing it the old-fashioned way at the Vans event, as
well as a few from an unrelated amateur vert contest
held the weekend before in Long Beach, CA. Pro
couch sitters, watch out!
48 THRASHER
JOE
FERNANDEZ
Age: 24
Home: Minneapolis, MN
Years Skating: 12
Sponsors: Goodtimes, Volcom, Third Lair Skatepark.
Why do you skate vert? It's the funnest time.
What's good about contests? It's fun to skate
with people you don't skate with all the
time. It gets the adrenaline going.
What's bad? Just having to do what
you got, on call.
Faves: Frazier and Bob.
Immediate goal? Just keep
skating, pay the rent.
JOHN
"CHERRIER"
MULDOON
OVERALL RESULTS
Age: 21
Home: Virginia Beach, VA
Years Skating: 9
What's good about contests? Unity.
What's bad? Competition.
Why did you enter? I don't know.
3 Faves: Donger, Gonzales, Danforth.
Immediate goal? Skate everyday.
Vert
1. John Muldoon
2. Rob Agliam
3. Sam Hitz
4. Greg Hiler
5. Jesse Fritsch
5. Greg Witt
7. Dave Maxwell
8. Mark Roth
9. Dean Randall
10. Dennis Martin
Street
1. Billy Rohan
2. Bastien Salabanzi
3. Joe Fernandez
4. JR Neves
4. Richard Loffler
6. Kyle Anderson
7. Fred Reeves
8. Pete Kelly
9. Dave Goetz
10. Stefan Lehnart