Vans Downtown Showdown: Foundation Big Six Article at Skatepark of Tampa

Vans Downtown Showdown: Foundation Big Six

Posted on Wednesday, September 7, 2005 by Ryan

Vans Downtown Showdown: Foundation Big Six
Words by Ryan Clements
Photos and Captions by Rob Meronek

Ryan Sheckler - pop shuv
Ryan Sheckler is coming up on his switch tricks. He switch flipped this huge set perfect. This is a frontside flip down it
Andrew Reynolds - frontside flip
Rick McCrank - backside 50-50
Rick McCrank - frontside tailslide
Sean Malto - pop shuv
Sean Malto is another kid with a great looking hardflip
Jamie Thomas - backside 50-50
Josh Harmony - lipslide
I actually can't remember what Chris Cole is doing in this photo. Looks like either a kickflip or a pop shuv
This hubba was so big and steep, boards were snapping left and right on landings. Angel Ramirez had no trouble doing this back lip, though
This was definitely the most intimidating obstacle of the event. Rob and I skated it the morning of the Showdown and I had trouble just getting up the step-up. And then to have to set up in about 24’ and go down a big six (about 8’ tall and 10’ in distance) was quite a feat. The hubbas on each side were super-steep...I saw several top pros look at them over the weekend and shake their heads in disbelief. Not too many people skated the quarterpipes to the side, but they still got some use. The quarters, paired with the step-up pole jam and killer paint job, got Foundation the Panasonic Package for Best Obstacle, which consisted of a 42” plasma TV. I’m sure that’s going to look proper in the Tum Yeto office (or Josh Beagle’s house).

Baker
Kevin Spanky Long – Spanky was 180ing up the step-up and trying switch frontside bigspins down the stairs, but I don’t think that he made it.
Andrew Reynolds – Would you believe it if I told you that Andrew did a perfect frontside flip down the stairs? No, really...that’s what he did, along with a great kickflip shifty, too.

Birdhouse
Brian Sumner and Jon Goeman both got “0.00” for their scores, so that tells me that they didn’t do a damn thing.

Girl
Rick McCrank – One of the few to step up to the hubba, Crankers pulled a fs tailslide to fakie .
Sean Malto – I heard judge Lance Dawes from SLAP say that Sean’s hardflip down the stairs was the best trick of the Jam. All I can say is that it was literally perfectly executed with superb style. That kid rips now, so I can only imagine what he’s going to blossom into in a few years.

Toy Machine
Billy Marks and Josh Harmony - Shame on me for not remembering what either of these guys did, but I was announcing the event, not taking notes. Maybe Rob can help me out with some photos that he snapped of these guys.

Foundation
Angel Ramirez – Angel came out swinging. He did a backlip and back smith down the hubba...and I know something else because he ended up in first. He was the only Foundation rider, which severely hurt their chances at winning the entire Event, since it was based on the scores of all of your team riders.

Zero
Chris Cole – I saw Ryan Smith there. He was even standing on the obstacle at one point, but I guess he wasn’t feeling it because he didn’t skate. Chris was like, “I guess I’m skating for Smith.”
Jamie Thomas – The Chief stepped in for Keegan Sauder and stepped up with a frontside boardslide down the hubba. I think he was working on a backside nosegrind, too, but ran out of time.

Almost
Chris Haslam – Haslam almost pulled a kickflip into the step-up and down the pole jam...almost.
Ryan Sheckler – This was Sheckler’s first obstacle and he ruled it. He did a kickflip, frontside flip, and switch flip (damn!) down the stairs, earning him a well-deserved third place.

Element
Tosh Townend – Tosh was working on fs nollie 180’s down the big six.
Nyjah Huston – Nyjah stole the show. Although you probably already know this, let me remind you one more time. Nyjah is 10-years-old! 10! And he put a whooping on Reynolds, Cole, Thomas, and many more. Wow...

Foundation Big Six Team Results
1stGirl78.17
2ndElement75.83
3rdBaker72.83
4thToy Machine71.33
5thZero61.67
6thAlmost52.33
7thFoundation43.33
8thBirdhouse0.00
Foundation Big Six Individual Results
1stAngel Ramirez87.00
2ndNyjah Huston86.67
3rdRyan Sheckler84.67
4thAndrew Reynolds82.67
5thRick McCrank81.67
6thJosh Harmony79.00
7thSean Malto74.67
8thJamie Thomas66.00
9thTosh Townend64.67
10thBilly Marks63.67
11thKevin Spanky Long63.00
12thChris Cole57.33
13thChris Haslam20.00
14thBrian Sumner0.00
15thJon Goeman0.00
16thEthan Fowler0.00

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