etnies Skate Team Report 10-28-04
by: Mike Matz | Thursday, October 28, 2004
Well, October is coming to an end, and there has been quite a bit going on. Here is the latest
This past Saturday, October 23, Active Ride Shop in Rancho Cucamonga, California hosted the third edition of Blingfest, an all-day long affair with autograph signings, a best trick contest and loads of free gear tossed around. Arto Saari, Bastien Salabanzi and Rune Glifberg were all carted out there to sign some autographs and watch the carnage go down. The best trick contest included a 1st place prize of $2,500 and some œblinginҔ rims. Bastien skated the last two minutes, and within a few tries, big flip front boarded the rail, but it wasnt enough (and time had run out) to take home the cash and rims. That was unfortunate, as Bastien just bought a Beamer and couldҒve used the rims.
Arto is still rehabbing the knee pretty much every day. With each passing day, we are all one step closer to watching the man from Finland grace us with his skills on a skateboard once again. Arto has also been up at etnies working on future colorways of his shoes. Its been said here on the site before, but it bears repeating҅this is the best shoe for skateboarding, ever! In between his rehab, working on colorways, meals, and what have you, Arto has taken up the game of golf. It has been about a month now since he started, and he has already managed to get a few pars. I guess we better start calling him "Parto". Look for photos in future team reports.
If youve been checking the etnies site in the last month, youҒve probably read about the etnies Goofy vs. Regular contest that went down at the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest. Well, if you did read about it, you know that Bastien basically destroyed the event, and guided the Regular footers to victory. The list of stuff he did is endlessit would take hours to write it all down. Basically, it consisted of Cab flips, half-Cab flips, backside flips, tre flips, switch heels and fakie flips over and down pretty much every obstacle on the course. He also big flip front boarded the square rail a couple times in a row. The Cab flip down the 11-stair first try was completely ridiculous! Look for the coverage in future issues of the skate mags. Since then, Bastien has been skating in Southern California and working on a couple of projects, and also playing a little golf with Arto here and there. Like Arto, look for some photos of BastienŒs golf skills to be posted soon.
As you probably guessed from the above, Rune is back in California for the Winter. He was kicking it in Copenhagen up until October 14, then headed out here just before the weather gets bad. Lately, Rune has been skating at Volcom, coming into etnies to work on future colorways for his shoe, The Tip, and also dabbling a little bit with the game of golf.
Stefan Janoski just returned from a three-week trip to Spain, where he filmed and shot photos with TransWorld. Apparently, loads of work was accomplished. Stefan will be sending in some photos. The camera was his birthday gift from etnies, and the deal was he had to snap some photos for the site. Check back soon. Stefan leaves to China for about 10 days on Monday, November 1.
Ryan Sheckler has pretty much fully recovered from his elbow injury. About a month-and-a-half ago he broke his elbow at the Triple Crown Finals in Huntington Beach, California, but he is now back skating 100%. The Almost Skateboards video is pretty much done and will premiere in Los Angeles on November 10. Ryan has a full-length part in it, and it should be pretty damned amazing! Needless to say, we're looking forward to that beast!
Thats it for now. More updates coming soon҅
Sun Diego Boardshop $4,000 Best Trick Contest!
by: Mike Matz | Thursday, October 28, 2004
This Saturday, October 30, come out to the Sun Diego Boardshop $4,000 Best Trick contest at the Sun Diego location in the Parkway Plaza in El Cajon, California. An autograph signing featuring Arto Saari, Bastien Salabanzi, Ryan Sheckler and Rune Glifberg will be going down at about 1:00 p.m., followed by a demo and best trick contest to finish off the day. The best trick contest will be held on the San Diego Sports Arena double set replica. So, get your arse down to El Cajon this Saturday to get autographs, free gear and watch some skating carnage go down. Oh yeah, be sure to rock your etnies shoes for a chance to win some new ones, or at least a sticker!
GvR: Regular Takes It All!
by: Mike Matz | Sunday, October 10, 2004
Sunday, October 10, 2004
etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest
Lake Forest, California
etnies Footwear's own Bastien Salabanzi leads the left-foot-forward crew straight to victory!
After months of debate, discussion, deliberation and downright veiled threats, Regular emerged victorious at the etnies Goofy vs. Regular contest, which wrapped-up on Sunday evening at the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest. etnies powerhouse Bastien Salabanzi blew everyone out of the water, keeping the crowd of hundreds on its tiptoes with his powerful and consistent tech approach to skateboarding.
While many others tend to turn into piles of quivering Jell-O when put in the competitive spotlight, Bastien seems to thrive on the attention of huge audiences and cameras--stomping trick after tough trick. And with high caliber teammates like Kurtis Colamonica, Leo Romero, Johnny Layton and Chris Senn backing Bastien up, there was just no stopping Team Regular.
Team Goofy was not slouching by any means. Claiming such esteemed members as Eric Koston, P-Rod, Nilton Neves and Colt Cannon, the Goofs gave it their best and put on an amazing show of skateboarding prowess, but ended-up just a few points shy of the Regs. Maybe next year, Goofies.
Down on the street in front of the skatepark, hundreds of kids and parents milled about all day, enjoying food vendors, a Michelin Man-like wrestling pit, booths full of skate gear, street ramps, a (really) big screen TV displaying the contest action close-up, and plenty of live music.
All in all, it was a terrific turnout for a long day of the world's best skateboarding. A huge thanks goes out to all the pro skateboarders and spectators who showed up, and especially to everyone who worked so hard to make this groundbreaking skateboarding event happen: The staffs of etnies, World Cup Skateboarding, SoBe, The Skateboard Mag, Skateboarder, Fuel TV, Epitaph, Fender, the City of Lake Forest, Hometown Heroes Skatepark Tour, Freshpark, Indie 103.1 and Rock 105.3. See you next year!
GvR Final Results
First Half: Individual Runs
Regular Heat 1391.25 (Highest individual score: Billy Marks 81.00)
Goofy Heat 2ח357.75 (Highest individual score: Nilton Neves 76.50)
Regular Heat 3385.75 (Highest individual score: Johnny Layton 86.75)
Goofy Heat 4ח373.75 (Highest individual score: Eric Koston 84.25)
Regular Heat 5384.00 (Highest individual score: Bastien Salabanzi 92.00)
Goofy Heat 6ח388.00 (Highest individual score: Paul Rodriguez 89.25)
Regular Total: 1161.00
Goofy Total: 1119.50
Second Half: Jam Sessions
Regular Heat 1443.50 (Highest individual score: Bastien Salabanzi 98.25)
Goofy Heat 1ח395.25 (Highest individual score: Paul Rodriguez 88.75)
Regular Heat 2416.00 (Highest individual score: Bastien Salabanzi 94.25)
Goofy Heat 2ח401.75 (Highest individual score: Colt Cannon 89.00)
Regular Total: 859.50
Goofy Total: 797.00
Grand Total Points
Regular: 2020.50
Goofy: 1916.50
Winning Team's (Regular)
Highest Scoring Runs of the Day
Bastien Salabanzi 98.25 ($10,000)
Kurtis Colamonica 93.75 ($5,000)
Leo Romero 90.75 ($2,500)
Johnny Layton 86.75 ($2,000)
Chris Senn 86.75 ($1,500)
Remainder of Regular Team ($1,000 each)
All of Goofy Team ($500 each)
MVPs of GvR
Regular: Bastien Salabanzi ($1,000)
Goofy: Colt Cannon ($1,000)
Words + Photos: Garry Davis
Etnies Presents GvR, The Ultimate Skateboarding Battle!
by: Mike Matz | Saturday, October 9, 2004
The worlds top pros battle it out in the first-ever skateboarding team contest pitting Goofy Foot riders against Regular Foot.
Since the dawn of time, man has, by natural individual instinct, been left-handed or right-handed, left-brained or right-brained, and goofy or regular. ThatҒs right, Goofy (right foot forward) or Regular (left foot forward). From the moment the first skateboard was ever stepped on, the left foot or right foot was placed first, debuting the birth of stance. Though all skateboarders were created equal, an age-old unspoken question remains: which stance is better? Its time to find out. etnies, the leader in action sports and lifestyle footwear, is proud to present the Goofy vs. Regular (GvR) of Skateboarding, the first-ever team competition based solely on skateboarding stance.
Taking place this weekend, October 8-10, at the etnies Skatepark in Lake Forest, California, GvR is unlike any other contest in history. GvR brings together the worldҒs very best professional skaters, grouped by stance, to compete as a team in the first and only event to reveal which stance is better: Goofy Foot or Regular Foot.
Sanctioned by World Cup Skateboarding (X Games, Gravity Games, etc.), the $55,000 GvR of Skateboarding has confirmed 40 of the top professional skateboarders from around the world. Invited guests include: X Games gold medalist and skateboarding legend Eric Koston, street skating wizard Andrew Reynolds, Brazilian Rodrigo Tx., 14-year-old phenomenon Ryan Sheckler and many more. Over 12,000 people are expected to attend throughout the weekend.
There has never been an event like this in skateboarding history,Ӕ exclaims Pierre Andr Senizergues, CEO/Owner of etnies. GvR is going to be a truly groundbreaking and unique contest, one that will surely go down in skateboarding铒s history books. And without question, the worlds best skaters will be in attendance, making GvR a canҒt miss event for skateboarding fans.
In addition to all the skateboarding action, a Festival Village featuring food, vendors and art exhibits will be open throughout the weekend. Live music and special artists provided by Epitaph Records (Saturday and Sunday only) will also add to the eventԒs vibe. See below for a schedule of events:
Friday, October 8
etnies GvR Pro Practice (Pre-contest athlete interviews available.)
12:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
etnies Bowl Practice (Traditional skateboarding bowl contest.)
12:00 p.m. ֖ 2:00 p.m.
etnies Bowl Qualifiers
2:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
etnies Bowl Finals
8:00 p.m. ֖ 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 9
S Game of Skate (In Festival Area.)
10:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.
etnies GvR Team Practice
1:00 p.m. 閖 3:00 p.m.
etnies GvR Team Qualifiers (Pro riders vying for team placement.)
3:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 10
Hometown Heroes Am Finals (National Amateur contest finale.)
9:00 a.m. ֖ 12:30 p.m.
etnies GvR of Skateboarding Practice
10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m.
etnies GvR of Skateboarding Finals
3:00 p.m. ֖ 6:00 p.m.
Skateboarder Magazine and The Skateboard Mag are co-presenting GvR with etnies, who would also like to thank its generous partners: SoBe, Fuel TV, the City of Lake Forest, Epitaph, Fender Guitars, Freshpark, Hometown Heroes, Indie 103.1FM, KIOZ 105.3FM and World Cup Skateboarding.
Bastien & Elissa Take Triple Crown!
by: Mike Matz | Thursday, October 7, 2004
September 24-26, 2004
Huntington Beach, California
etnies riders Bastien Salabanzi and Elissa Steamer took the Triple Crown by storm--easily laying claim to the top spots in Men's and Women's Street. Our vert ramp king, Rune Glifberg, also placed high with a respectable 4th place spot. Congratulations to our three musketeers for yet another round or strong showings!
Men's Street
1. Bastien Salabanzi (etnies)
2. Rodil Junior
3. Corey Sheppard
4. Pat Channita
5. Alex Chalmers
6. Fredrik Austbo (etnies Europe)
7. Danilo Do Rosario
8. Josh Evin
9. Austen Seaholm
10. Rodney Jones
11. Wagner Ramos (etnies Brazil)
12. Kyle Berard
Womens Street
1. Elissa Steamer (etnies)
2. Vanessa Torres
3. Amy Caron
4. Lauren Perkins (etnies)
5. Lauren Mollica
6. Elizabeth Nitu
7. Jessica Krause
8. Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins
9. Allison Matasi
10. Jayme Erikson
11. Steffi Weiss
12. Patiane Freitas
Men's Vert
1. Bucky Lasek
2. Bob Burnquist
3. Andy MacDonald
4. Rune Glifberg (etnies)
5. Max Dufour
6. Buster Halterman
7. Juergen Horrwarth (etnies Europe)
8. Sandro Dias
9. Mike Crum
10. Pierre-Luc Gagnon
11. Matt Dove
12. Lincoln Ueda (etnies)
Happy Birthday To Rune!
by: Mike Matz | Thursday, October 7, 2004
Happy birthday to Rune Glifberg! Rune turned 30 years old today and etnies would like to wish him a birthday par excellente! Looks like his present from us will be a skibarro (guitar), since that is maintaining an overwhelming lead in the Quick Pick pack. Hope you like it, Rune!
Buy a pair of Rune's etnies shoe, The Tip, at a store near you!
(Photo Above) This is how Rune will look later tonight after the celebration!
etnies Skate Team Report 10-05-04
by: Mike Matz | Tuesday, October 5, 2004
Congratulations to Rune Glifberg, who won his third contest of 2004, the Gravity Games in Cleveland a few weekends ago! This followed his other two wins in Prague this past July, and Basel in August. It was actually the second time Rune has won the Gravity Games (he won it in 2001, as well). The conditions were tough with high winds and cold weather. Each rider took three runs, and it was Runes first run that held for the entire contest--all for a cool $26,000! Not only were the weather conditions nasty, but a chair somehow ended up next to the ramp by the transition, and Rune landed on it after a slam. Yep, he knee slid across the ramp and fell right onto the chair!
Weekend before last, Rune was at the Triple Crown finals in Huntington Beach, California, but couldnҒt put it all together to win his fourth contest of the year, ending up in 4th place. Rune spent this past weekend in Toronto for the West 49 Open and came up in 3rd place. Now hes heading back to Copenhagen for his 30th birthday fiasco, which is going to be quite the rager. When you turn 30, you gotta tear it up!
Make sure to check out the Quick Picks on the etnies home page to pick which present etnies should get Rune for his 30th. He will be back on October 14, so weҒll let it run for a couple weeks and then hook up the gift when he returns.
Bastien Salabanzi was also in Huntington for the Triple Crown finalsand wouldnŒt you know it, he killed it, as usual, and took home 1st place and $18,500. Bastiens bag of tricks included Cab flips on a steep bank that was connected to another bank, half-Cab flips and Cab flips down the Euro gap, big flip front boards on the flat bar, kickflip 360s over the hip, and massive backside flips all over the place, as well. And thatҒs just some of the tricks he did at the contest! Congratulations, Bastien!
Bastien also needs to be congratulated for finally obtaining his drivers license. He and Arto went to the DMV on Monday and Bastien passed with no problems whatsoever. Well, there were a couple of minor mistakes, but not enough to fail the test. Look for Bastien on So Cal roads sometime soon. In what kind of car, you ask? WeҒll see.
Ryan Sheckler was at the Gravity Games a couple weeks ago and placed 3rd. He was going for back-to-back wins at the Gravity Games, but came up a bit short. No worries, though, as 3rd place got him a nice paycheck for a weekendŒs worth of work.
Currently, Ryan is resting and recuperating from hurting his arm at the Triple Crown contest. He was pre-qualified to be in the Finals on Sunday, but during practice on Saturday, he slammed and slightly fractured a bone in his arm. Hes perfectly fine, though. He went home after the slam, made himself a cast and showed up later that afternoon for an etnies autograph signing at the HSS Skate Shop on Main Street in Huntington. Talk about tough! Were you that tough when you were 14? Arto Saari and Rune were also in attendance at the signing҅check the photos! Thanks to HSS for hosting this autograph signing, which was pulled together last-minute.
Speaking of Artothe man is seriously on a golf mission lately. HeŒs getting really close to skating again (probably within a few weeks) after rehabbing his knee. Thank Godthe world needs ArtoŒs skating! Its a good thing he found the game of golf, as it has given him something to do while getting his knee back to 100%. Something to do, that is, other than playing the guitar and reading books. Plus, that means the etnies Team Manager gets to play a little more golf now and then, as well. Future team reports will likely include some photos of the golf action going down҅maybe even some footage!
Stefan Janoski has been at home up in Sacramento, California skating his ass off lately. He came down to So Cal earlier in September to attend the ASR trade show and skate in the S Game of SKATE. Yeah, he had his guitar with him on the trip. It seems like the whole etnies team is playing guitars these days.
Next Wednesday, Stefan is going to be skating his ass off somewhere elseSpain! He酒ll be out there for most of October with TransWorld Skateboarding. Can you say interview? I cant wait to see that! Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that for StefanҒs birthday a while back, etnies did pay his utility bills, but since that is sort of a boring gift (photos would have been really dull), weve decided to help him get a Contax T3, which is quite a nice camera. So, instead of putting a picture up on the site of the purchase of the camera going down, weҒll post a photo from his trip to Spain that Stefan himself took. Youll have to wait until he returns though, so hold tight.
Have you checked out the Arto shoe from etnies? It's available right here or at a store near you. Check out The Tip in stores, too.