Surf Expo - September 2003

Words by Ryan Clements. Photos by Rob Meronek.

Josh Maready - crooks nosebonk off the rail to flat

Ian Gow - fs flip over the rail

     There are few reasons that I particularly enjoy Surf Expo. First of all, it’s really close to home for me. If I decide to spend the night in Orlando and go out, I can. If I want to drive home and enjoy my own bed, it’s just over an hour away.

     As you probably know by now, Brian Schaefer and myself organize, run, and announce all skateboarding demos at both ASR and Surf Expo. Since ASR is in So Cal, the heart of the skateboarding industry, all of the hot shots are there. In addition, ASR is cool because we get treated like royalty from the staff and there are tons of big time pros cruising around. It’s certainly an entertaining atmosphere.

Curtis Valentine - nollie nosegrind

Gugu Ramos - fs noseblunt slide

Abdias Rivera - fs blunt

     On the other hand, Orlando, Florida isn’t exactly the epicenter of the skateboarding industry. So, in turn, the crowds get super-hyped on watching the skateboarding and go especially nuts over free gear. If you tried to give away some of the busted gear in San Diego that we gave out in Orlando, we’d get the crap thrown right back at us. But not in O-town…the crowd was eating it up. Thanks goes out to the attendees in Orlando and Darrel Stanton and Caswell Berry for making the trip out for the weekend.

     The great skateboarding led to a good reason for a Best Trick Contest. The crowd and exhibiting companies were so generous that in about half a day we raised over $1000 to give out. Thanks to all that I can remember: Volcom, DVS, Element, Osiris, 88, Billabong, and several other contributors. One Best Trick went down on the vert, with some money going to Matt Dove, Rodney Mead, and the winner, Max Dufour – with a kf tail grab to tail, amongst other moves.

Abdias Rivera - bs smith

Mike Peterson - fs 270 to bs lip

Abdias Rivera - kf boardslide

     The other Best Trick was on the angled pyramid, gap to rail, ledged, center-piece-gimmick. We had intentions of giving the prize money out to top three or so, but the skating was so insane that we passed around the dough to over 10 guys. There were kids that you’ve never seen, like Alex (don’t remember his last name), throwing down nollies to fs board and nollies to 50/50 over the gap to rail. Gugu Ramos, from Brazil, got top honors with a 180 to switch crooks over the gap to rail, along with Mike Peterson who nailed a fs boardslide body varial over the same obstacle.

     I previously forgot to mention this, but it seems that wherever we go there are women hanging around us that want to take their tops off. It’s not like we encourage it or anything. My guess is that since exhibitors are allowed to bring in alcohol to pass out, then some of the ladies get slightly tipsy. Not exactly a bad thing. Go to the next Surf Expo in January and see for yourself.

Ryan