Damn Am Japan 2023: Men's Qualifiers Photos

Murakami Skatepark

Gotta respect the space!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Hideki Ishii

Hideki chipping away at all the clips he has been collecting all weekend. Too much footage to handle.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Uncle Sam Bellipanni

Sam showing Wade how to use a smartphone in 2023
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Murakami Skatepark

Alright these kids are ready. Let's get Qualifiers started!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Toki Kakitani

Toki Kakitani takes the path less traveled and kickflips over the rail into the bank.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Toki Kakitani

Toki crook bonk fakie out of the bank full speed
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Takumi Koyanagi

Takumi front blunt perfection down the center piece hubba.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Sena Watanabe

Sena back at it with those heelflips! Doin' one into a front blunt this time.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Kuon Takaesu

Kuon Takaesu popping out of a crook. Beautiful
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Joetaro Saito

Joetaro catching a kickflip back footed before stomping it into a crook.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Rio Sawada

Alleyoop 180 50-50 seems like the most dangerous thing I can think of on a waxed hubba. Rio doesn't think so.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Kikujiro Nakamura

Kikujiro front crook bonk to fakie out of the bank
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Kikujiro Nakamura

Kikujiro follows up his previous front crook with another one. I'm not complaining!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Kikujiro Nakamura

Then he back heels the set. This dude is all over the course!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Rio Sawada

Rio Sawada bringing his pop power to the frontside flip
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Sena Watanabe

Well well well. If it isn't Sena Watanabe heelflipping into a front board
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Sena Watanabe

Followed by a heelflip down the set for good measure
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Sena Watanabe

And a front hurricane. He didn't heelflip into this though - I know, disappointing.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Sena Watanabe

But he did heelflip into this front lipslide like an insane person
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Niko Sugimoto

Ladies came through to watch the guys after their qualifiers ended!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

QR codes are the future of Damn Am.... well maybe not the future of the contest, but they do help with spreading information.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

DJ Wade

I startled DJ Wade. Sorry dude, shouldn't have put a mirror in front of you like that!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Yuu Kurisu

I've always wanted to get a photo with Kurisu and luckily you can see my shadow in this heelflip back tail photo.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Skatepark Of Tampa SPoT

Yo this dude is rad!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Rio Sawada

Rio Sawada going well above the rail for a front noseblunt.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Rio Miyamoto

Rio Miyamota had an amazing run and after doing this front hurricane he waved at the crowd like he just fought a bull.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Rio Miyamoto

I don't think Rio knows how funny he is. Nobody tell him.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Taiga Nagai

Taiga Nagai with a 270 noseblunt.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Toa Sasaki

Toa has popularized the bigger flip front board. That's right - he isn't the only one that can do them anymore.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Taiga Nagai

270 lip from Taiga. He's gonna win one of these one day!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Joetaro Saito

Varial flips never went anywhere. At least not for Joetaro Saito.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Luca Hirata

Another back heel from Luca. He caught it right before I snapped.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Murakami Skatepark

Father daughter Qualifier quality time.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Kento Namekawa

All these kids can 270 into tricks these days and man is it hard to take a good photo of them doing it.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Monster Energy

I could use a Monster right now honestly.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Kotaro Nakano

Kotaro Nakano is really good at tre flips.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Aoi Ishimaru

The next three pictures are crowd laughter from someone falling.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Joetaro Saito

Wait no they are cheering now!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Tokiya Imamura

Oh great now one of the skaters is on the ground. What the hell is happening.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Raimu Sasaki

Another tre flip, but this time from the mind of Raimu
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Raimu Sasaki

Raimu has the steeze. Switch 270 blunt.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Toa Sasaki

Here comes Toa. Or as Paul says: Toaconstrictor with a nollie nosegrind
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Toa Sasaki

Toa follows up the nollie nosegrind with a nollie front feeble. Tasteful
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Toa Sasaki

Nollie hurricane. What is happening.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Toa Sasaki

No nollie into this one. Just a good old fashioned back noseblunt.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Tokiya Imamura

I think the catch on this hardflip was heard in outerspace. Tokiya has these things down.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

DJ Wade

Coffee break. What's so funny Wade?!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Kuu Takahashi

What up girls!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Junpei Tsutsumi

Another back noseblunt down the hubba. Brought to you by Junpei this time around.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Raito Nema

This is how you catch a heelflip
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Raito Nema

If you wear sunglasses on top of your hat you better be doing shit like this.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Takumi Koyanagi

Takumi brings it over to the bump to ledge and rests a back blunt on top.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Daisuke Hayakawa

We love you Daisuke!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Chris Blake

You can't get anything past these guys!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Chris Blake

Keep your eyes on the tricks judges
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Rio Miyamoto

Rio returns after blowing kisses at the crowd and gives them a front nosegrind instead.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Rio Miyamoto

Followed by a backside flip. He's tweakin!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Yuto Sugawara

Switch heel for days.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Murakami Skatepark

I have no idea what this is
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Tokiya Imamura

Photo bomb except I'm the photographer.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Monster Energy

Alright who spilled Monster on my board. It better go faster now.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Joetaro Saito

Joetaro closes out the qualifiers with 1 of two varial flips.
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Joetaro Saito

Look at the air coming out of that back smith. Wow!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail

Joetaro Saito

Joetaro closing out with his second varial flip of his run. See you all in the finals tomorrow!
Date: June 14, 2023
Photographer: Matt Shail