X-Games 11 Day Two

Words by Ryan Clements, Photos and Captions by Rob Meronek

Rob was referring to the FIVE P’s in yesterday’s piece. In other words, he was calling me out for being completely unprepared, and he was dead-on. The FIVE P’s go a little something like this:

Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

I learned that one from an older friend of mine that’s more experienced in life than I am. And my mom taught me this one: The K.I.S.S. Principle.

Keep It Simple Stupid

I definitely try to adhere to that philosophy, but it’s tough sometimes. Life gets complicated real quick if you don’t watch out. But I’m here in LA at the X-Games, so there’s no time for life-lessons at the moment.

I’m a big fan of CrailTap.com, so when they were posting footage of their new Training Facility, Rob and I were making jokes like, “Hell yeah, let’s go out there and skate with Koston,” or other stupid stuff like that. So last week when we realized that we really could go skate there, Rob made the move and emailed Greg Carroll, General Manager over there at the Girl camp. We got the ‘okay’ from Greg and made our plans.

Ryan Clements with a front lip on the super steep China banks looking thing at the Girl/Chocolate facility

Rob Meronek - frontside 180 nosegrind with that annoying nanu nanu steez at the Girl/Chocolate facility. That place is great - nothing too big or scary which is nice for the old guys like me. Thanks to Greg Carroll for hooking it up for us. Now go check out tha tap

The Girl warehouse/office building is totally undercover. It doesn’t even have a sign out front. I guess they do it like that so random kids don’t just show up wanting to see Koston or whatever. The actual skate park is in a whole other part of the warehouse in the back of the building. Rob and I skated for about an hour and Rob totally won the contest between he and I. Well, there wasn’t really a contest, but if there had been he would have killed me with his 180 nosegrind down the hubba.

As we were thinking about leaving in walks Gino Ianucci, along with photographer, Giovanni Reda, who I know from seeing around here and there. I had never actually seen Gino in real life, so I was admittedly star struck. He’s just one of the undercover guys that’s highly respected in my book, and in person he was very friendly. And if you think that he’s got great style, you should see him skate in person. He makes the simplest tricks great just because of the way he does them.

Thanks to Greg, Joey and everyone else at Girl for the hospitality.

Marissa Del Santo - kickflip over the bump to bushes gap

Marissa Del Santo - backside 50-50 on the flat bar

Marissa Del Santo - back lip on the nine stair

Lyn-Z Adams - stink bug over the bump to bushes gap

Lauren Perkins - lipslide on the flat bar

Lauren Perkins - front board on the flat bar

Lauren Perkins - kickflip over the bump to bushes gap

Evelien Bouilliart - roast beef over the bump to bushes ledge

Lauren Perkins - frontside 50-50 on the nine stair hubba

Evelien Bouilliart - frontside 5-0 on the nine stair rail

Evelien Bouilliart - feeble grind on the nine stair

Elissa Steamer - backside shifty over the bump to bushes gap

Elissa Steamer - ollie over the nine stair rail

Marissa Del Santo (3rd), Elissa Steamer (1st), and Evelien Bouilliart (2nd)

Amy Caron - ollie over the bump to bushes gap

The rumor going around was that the girls were going to boycott their Contest. Apparently they thought a $10,000 purse for females wasn’t enough considering that the male variety of the species split up a $100,000 purse for their efforts. I had heard that when their names were called that they were just going to go out there and sit down. This would have ill-effected ESPN’s TV plans for the event and garnered some serious attention.

That seems a little whiny to me, but who am I to judge? I bet Elissa wasn’t whining though. Especially since her pal Erik Ellington came out to support her. It was business as usual when I showed up though – the betties were practicing and they ended up skating.

Here are some things that I noticed and overheard:

• An unnamed official was calling it the “Villa Villa Cola Lesbian Boycott Coalition.” Whoa.
• Vanessa Torres is cute and she certainly rips, but the rips in her jeans that permit me to see her white undies…not necessarily feeling that...
• Amy Caron always looks pissed. I don’t know her at all, so that opinion is based solely on her facial expressions.
• I felt cool when Lyn-Z Adams gave me hug. She must get paid to wear a helmet at all times. She was the only broad wearing one and she certainly doesn’t need one on street...she was skating very well.
• I felt even cooler when Elissa Steamer hugged me in the middle of the street course. I love that girl and she’s seriously killing it and looking great at the ripe age of 29.
• Finally, there was a girl wearing girls’ pants, instead of some little turd at Skatepark of Tampa with some serious nut-huggers on. Marissa Del Santo had the tighties on and a hot backside lipslide to boot. I feel like a pervert for even saying that.

Oh yeah...Elissa Steamer won. I love her. Did I mention that? Also, she rides for Skatepark of Tampa, too. Right on, Elissa!

Results
1	Elissa Steamer
2	Evelien Bouilliart
3	Marissa Del Santo
4	Lauren Perkins
5	Amy Caron
6	Vanessa Torres
7	Lyn-Z Adams
8	Patiane Freitas