San Diego Sports Arena Double Set Challenge

Posted on Monday, November 1, 2004 by M.Sinclair

Words and Photos by Mike Sinclair

For one straight hour about 10 pros and 10 ams hucked themselves down a 4-flat-4 double set. This double set was built to the exact measurements of the infamous San Diego Sports Arena double set that Plan B first made popular in Questionable. Almost every trick in the book has gone down on the infamous San Diego Sports Arena double set for free, but today Sun Diego Skateshop decided to put up $4000 for a single best trick on the perfect replica. Bastien Salabanzi warmed up with a kickflip first try and so did Billy Marks. Oscar Jordan warmed up with a 360 flip attempt and so did a few of the others. Nobody landed a 360 flip first try. It took Josh Kasper about 45 minutes to pull his 360 flip and he was the only one to make it.

Last year Chad Knight won with a switch 360 flip. Where the hell was Chad Knight this year? Half way through the contest the SK8MAFIA crew showed up. Peter Smolik stepped up to the double set and on his first attempt he came super close to a fakie hardflip. Word on the street is that Smolik has already done a fakie hardflip down the real Sports Arena double set and the people who reported him doing it said, "It was tight, too." Look for the footage in a upcoming SK8MAFIA video/promo. Jarret Berry was trying inward heelflips and switch frontside 360's down the set, but never landed either. Andre Genovesi skated hard all day long and broke his board about half way through the contest. Rodney Jones gave his board to Andre and shortly after that Andre pulled a switch backside flip.

Bastien was ripping as usual and he landed a cab kickflip, backside flip, and attempted a switch heel. When Bastien landed the cab kickflip he looked down at his shoes, took them off, and them tossed them into the crowd. Bastien's celebration was a little early this time. Bastien has been know to bow to the crowd or blow the judges a kiss after making a great run, so the tossing of shoes was bound to come. Billy Marks was the first guy on the double set today and he was the last one to stop skating. Billy pulled out a switch hardflip, switch frontside flip, and a switch bigspin heelflip to take home the $4000 check. Hell, Billy even kept his shoes on after he won.

Other stand-outs were Ryan Sheckler, fresh out of a full arm cast, pulling perfect frontside flips and Tony Cervantes who pulled a heelflip body varial and an airwalk fingerflip.

Mike