test
t was no different from any other con-
setting when the United
(USA) held
the Beast of the East contest at Utopia
Skatepark in Raleigh, North Carolina,
from December 3-5. Aside from the Vans
Warped Tour and the Tampa Am contest,
there really aren't many contests for spon-
sored ams. The USA is trying to create a
contest circuit for skaters on the East
Coast, and considering that this was their
second year, they pulled it off well. What
better way to christen a 70,000 square
foot skatepark than with a full-blown am
contest, a Birdhouse demo with Tony
Hawk, and all the free Yoo-Hoo one could
drink? Since it was a brand new park, the
50-plus entries were all in the same posi-
tion-none had to compete with the park
local who'd been practicing his winning
run for the last six months.
By Saturday, the group had been
whittled down to 25 qualifiers for
Sunday's finals. When the smoke cleared
Sunday afternoon, this is who came out.
10. Pete Eldridge. Pulled kickflip mel-
ons over the volcano and huge 360° flips
on the banked roller. 9. Rodney Jones.
Charged the entire course with speed
and lipslid an offset flat bar that no one
else would even touch. Deserved to
place higher. 7. Andy Bautista and
Graham Bickerstaff (tie). Andy did
varial heelflips up the bank to gap and
nollie backside flips on the bank, and
Graham had frontside feebles on the
flat bar, rocket airs on the volcano, and
nollie hardflips on the banked roller.
6. Mike Rosa. Kickflips on everything.
4. Jay Blome and JT Aultz (tie). Jay
stayed on with Smith grinds to fakie on
the tall ledge. JT did crooked grind to
backside lipslides on the flat bar and
frontside tailslides to fakie on the long
ledge. 3. Danny Morran. Kickflipped
the volcano and 50-50ed the ledge with
the death gap. 2. Kile Barard.
Qualified first on Saturday. Transferred
from the mini-ramp to the street
course, backside tailslide to revert over
the quarterpipe gap, and did frontside
blunts. 1. Chris Cole. Rode the course
with ease, pulling fingerflip benihanas,
blindside kickflips to fakie over the
quarterpipe gap, and 180° switch
crooked grinds on the banked steps.
Top to bottom: Game recognize
game in the East man, JT (The Bigga
Figga) Aultz opted for a backside lip-
slide halfway through his nosegrind.
This is what it's all about: Jay Blome
doing a Smith grind and turning himself
around. Graham (Cracker) Bickerstaff
kickflip frontside boardslides the bar.
84 THRASHER
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