We've all been flying enough that we get the First Class upgrade now. Porpe, Clem, Colin, Schaefer, and I took over the front of the plane. The bid'niss people must be wondering what washed up boy band we are.

Jeffrey Marshall, Colin Clark, and Clive looking for trouble to get into tonight in NYC.
Skater Profile: Clive Dixon

I spotted Sierra Fellers at the airport.
Skater Profile: Sierra Fellers

I was at the airport to pick up this lovely lady, my wife Brittany. I like how she's usually low key on the artificial glamor but sometimes turns it on with the red lipstick. Welcome to NYC.

All the food in NYC seems to always be amazing, even these weird banana chips and some green slop.

This place called Empanada Mama's is open 24 hours and has everything from legit ethnic empanadas to Americanized ones like cheeseburger and hot dog.

There seems to be a bar on every block that his its own scene and locals. NYC is huge, but just like any other place people live, it seems like you generally stick around your neighborhood when you go out.

Does your city have no standing rules? I wonder what the ticket for that is.

You can spend up to an hour in a cab trying to go a short 10 miles. It makes it not very fun trying to get around as a visitor. Bring a bike or good cruiser if you can.

It's Wednesday and we're on site now at The Cup where everyone from the security staff to the TV crews are setting up and getting ready for the big day. Well, everyone except the people at the jumbotron place. They are waiting until the night before to get their act together. I wonder if that method of conducting your business works?

Steve Van Doren and Brian Schaefer, mighty titans in the sketchy skateboard industry.
Skater Profile: Brian Schaefer

I love all the camera contraptions. This bouncy thing lets you walk or run with your gear but still keep a steady shot. I want to mount a beer to this thing and go for a jog to really test it out.

Tim McFerran from the Maloof staff is going through the motions of the Opening Ceremony. He is a champion of bid'niss negotiation. When we're on phone conferences planning these events, I picture him poised at a podium like this ready for a classic debate about all aspects regarding skateboard shindigs.

Geoff Rowley, thanks for all your input that has made the Maloof plazas and Contests that much more amazing.
Skater Profile: Geoff Rowley

That is one amazing skateboarder right there.
Skater Profile: Justin Figueroa aka Figgy

Tim was also here with the wife and family. This weekend was like the Disney World of skateboarding.
Skater Profile: Tim O'Connor

I can't stop nerding out on all the electronics.

Inside this truck is where all the live TV staff and equipment is. They are some of the most professional people I've ever worked with.

Is that Commodore 64? Colecovision? Atari 2600? Nope, it's this thing called Duet, a character and graphics generator that puts things on a television broadcast. I had to write our scoring system to integrate with this thing to get results on the screen as the Contest went down.

It's a crazy scene inside the TV production truck.

The best pile in skateboarding, Dustin Dollin.
Skater Profile: Dustin Dollin

Derek Rinaldi skated in the Masters demo and session on Saturday.
Skater Profile: Derek Rinaldi

I've never seen Ron Chatman in person. I used to have Rubbish Heap on VHS in serious rotation growing up. It was nice to see him still ripping in the Masters session.

I remember when I was younger and seeing someone in their 30's or even 40's still skating and thinking how that's got to be some kind of impossible feat, super dangerous, and just plain crazy. As someone who's at that age level, I can tell you it's not, as long as you never stop or get lazy. If you're 25 or 30+ and skate less and complain because you feel old, you need to just shut up and keep skating. If you follow that simple plan, skateboarding will be the fountain of youth for you. It sure is for Lance Mountain.
Skater Profile: Lance Mountain

Derek Rinaldi, Pat Ngoho, Ron Chatman, and Lance Mountain - you in 20 or 30 years if you're lucky.
Skater Profile: Ron Chatman

Judges Dan Pensyl, Mike Sinclair, Rodney Torres, Jason Rothmeyer, and Paul Zitzer with their electronic devices.
Skater Profile: Dan Pensyl

I like how Andrew Reynolds is so low key in practice and then blows minds as soon as the Jam starts.
Skater Profile: Andrew Reynolds

Most plazas like this that have everything are usually missing that one basic, small quarter to complete the picture. There's a nice one here at this one and Bobby Worrest has a blunt 360 flip out on it.
Skater Profile: Bobby Worrest

Shuriken Shannon and all the pros were good about stopping for autographs. The crowd here in NYC always seems to be mostly true skateboarders that live and breath every bit of it. It's a refreshing change from some of those events that are all beach bros.
Skater Profile: Shuriken Shannon

Zered Bassett - backside advertising flip.
Skater Profile: Zered Bassett

Jack Curtin stands right on top of these scary switch 50-50's on the rail.
Skater Profile: Jack Curtin

David Gravette is taking one of my favorite old tricks to places I can't even dream of doing it.
Skater Profile: David Gravette

Andrew Reynolds - 5-0 frontside 180 out.
Skater Profile: Andrew Reynolds

Darrell Stanton - backside 180 fakie 5-0 frontside half cab out. Looks like a back breaker.
Skater Profile: Darrell Stanton

Chris Nieratko and a pile of iPads we're using to run the show.
Skater Profile: Chris Nieratko

The voices on the boob tube were these characters: Chris Nieratko, Ryan Clements, and Pat Parnell.
Skater Profile: Ryan Clements

It was such a pleasure watching Dennis cruise around all weekend. Yes, this frontside bluntslide for him is just cruising.
Skater Profile: Dennis Busenitz

Johnny Layton has the pop to get on the Union Square rail from the other side.
Skater Profile: Johnny Layton

How can Eli Reed switch 50-50 on a round rail that high? That's looking pretty scary.
Skater Profile: Eli Reed

The Maloof Am Contest was Sunday morning where there was an open session to pick two people that would get a spot in the Contest. Dwayne Almonte was in that session and he had a frontside big heel to the bolts for the judges.
Skater Profile: Dwayne Almonte

Evan Smith = feeble grind frontside 360 shuvs out. Wow.
Skater Profile: Evan Smith

Check Riley Hawk's profile to see his new video part. This overcrooks is looking so good.
Skater Profile: Riley Hawk

Kyle Walker's gap to back lip got the crowd making noise.
Skater Profile: Kyle Walker

A nollie frontside noseslide already looks so damn good. Evan Smith throws in a heelflip.
Skater Profile: Evan Smith

Riley Hawk - hurricane.
Skater Profile: Riley Hawk

This stunt is scary like Halloween. That's Pat Rumney who got into the Am Contest on Sunday morning by destroying it with bangers like this half cab crook on the big rail.
Skater Profile: Pat Rumney

Trevor Colden - backside 360 to 5th place in the Am Contest. Get the full results here.
Skater Profile: Trevor Colden

Apparently, he's a big deal. That's the football quarterback from the NYC team. I wonder if Schaefer knows who he is.
Skater Profile: Brian Schaefer

Keegan Sauder - feeble on the big one.
Skater Profile: Keegan Sauder

Sierra Fellers nollie crooks while the jumbotron clowns display non-sense on the board all weekend. I guess that method of last minute preparing for your job doesn't work after all.
Skater Profile: Sierra Fellers

Dennis' kickflips are snapped and caught high above the stair-set.
Skater Profile: Dennis Busenitz

The pro boards from people in the Contest along the course were a nice addition.

I see Donny Barley hanging out at more and more events lately. Thanks for coming to our skateboard shindig.
Skater Profile: Donny Barley

Why not go ahead and run the white shirt along with the rest of your kit? This dude killed it in the Am Session.
Skater Profile: Who Dat?

Porpe was claiming frontside noseslide over the grate ledge, but then they filled the fountains on him.

I like seeing the judges and the announcers all using gadgets to run the show. They did all the announcing from their phones.

Andrew Langi - frontside noseslide.
Skater Profile: Andrew Langi

Good thing the dudes they put in front of the cameras don't have to be as polished as the chicks. That's Chris Casey and his webcast sidekick.
Skater Profile: Chris Casey

Geoff Rowley's new guy, Ryder Lawson.
Skater Profile: Ryder Lawson

The Am Contest winners with Tim McFerran's towering negotiation stance overshadowing.
Skater Profile: Evan Smith

The scoring system is pretty solid with a mirror version of it running at a completely different geographic location and separate cloud server with backup wireless connectivity through mobile broadband, but somehow I was still slightly nervous for the Finals, mostly because of our crazy experience last year when someone else wrote and designed it. Because of that, I didn't hold the camera and got no photos in the Finals. Colin's video will make up for that. Here are most of the skaters in the Finals brackets about to throw down.

I like what Lutzka said on the mic after winning the $160k. The money he's won at Tampa Pro for getting first isn't even enough to pay the taxes on this weekend's take.
Skater Profile: Greg Lutzka

Dennis Busenitz got second but still took home $40k. Not bad at all.
Skater Profile: Dennis Busenitz

I was in dire need of rest and caught a flight home right after the Contest with Brittany. Goodbye NYC. What a weekend. I'll be back soon for a repeat.