Make-A-Wish Road Trip 2003 Day 4

By Ryan Clements     It’s 8:30am [Monday morning] and everyone is just starting to get up. They’re all wondering what the game plan for the day is, but I’m still not 100% sure. We could go for it and drive straight home, but I figured since we’re 1000 miles away from home and this doesn’t happen too often, that we should take advantage of it and hit one more skate park on the way back. I’m missing home, but I can still handle one more night on the road.

    Yesterday, the Jam was a bit mellower. Mike V. took off, so he missed the Bowl Jam, along with TNT and Drehobl. But there were plenty of other rippers to fill the void, including old G&S pro, Ken Fillion, and the well padded up, Troy Chason. I also got to see Wild Will Taylor and young Texan, Chaz Pineda, tear it up. One of my favorites throughout the weekend was Charlie Thomas from Hollywood Skateboards – he kills all terrain.

    On the street course a few guys stick out in my head as ‘stars’ of the weekend. I specifically remember Steve Nesser destroying the course for hours on end. In addition, he’s one of those guys that gets embarrassed when you mention his name over the mic. Jeremy Rogers was skating, too, and he’s one of those kids that are always smiling. But he’s not smiling as much as Malcolm Watson, who Schaefer says, “...has a smile implant.”

    There was a Street Best Trick later in the afternoon on the big rail/step-up area. I saw some guys that I don’t usually see, like Chico Brenes, Chany Jeanguenin, Felix, and Jarrett Berry. It was cool to see guys like that show up. If there was a team award, it would have gone to Flatline, because Matt Fink did a kf backside noseblunt on the flat rail and Joey Corey bs smithed the handrail, as well as nailing a heelflip indy down the entire damn obstacle. First place and a $5000 write-off to Make-A-Wish went to Stacey Lowery. If you recall, I was hanging with him the night before. I had asked what he was going to do in the Contest, but he said, “I’m not making any claimers.” Looks like it worked out for him, because he kickflipped over the entire step-up, all the way to 5-0 on the top flat rail right into first place.

    By that time it was nearing the end of the day and there was some skating going on here and there. Then, Schaefer initiated a raffle. By using the product that the companies donated for product tosses, he raised nearly $2000 for the MAW kids. Finally, it was time for the awards; everyone was honored, thanked, and so on and Southside was emptied.

    The same old stuff went down in the evening. We began at the dive bar next door, having drinks with the Westside Crew. I was getting hungry, and Schaefer was tired of getting harassed by drunken Texans, so we headed out and grabbed some grub. Upon our return, the usual party was going on in the room and I hit the sack.

    I’m still not sure what the plans are today, but it’s time to go…

Anthony Shetler - nollie crook	Branen Fitzgerald - frontside tuck	Brad Haiser had the hardest nut slam of the weekend about 1 second after this photo was taken	Charlie Thomas - 360 flip	Charlie Thomas - miller flip
Dustin Charlton - big spin	Felix - pop shuv	This photo of Jake Nunn's backside shifty flip sucks because I took it to early. He turns them a hard 90 for real.	Joey Corey - back Smith	Joey Corey - heelflip indy to flat
Joey Corey - smith grind	John Montesi - ollie impossible	Matt Fink - kickflip backside noseblunt slide	Matt Pailes - frontside tailslide	Nick Matlin - frontside flip
Selling promo for Make-A-Wish	Stacey Lowry - gap kickflip frontside 50-50	Stacey Lowry wins Best Trick	Steve Brandi - nollie half Cab	Steve Nesser - fakie flip
Texas street prowler	Diego Butcheri - kickflip backside tail slide