Categories
Features Skateboarding

The Crossfire Xmas Jam 2012 feature

The weather reports in the lead up to this 10 Year celebration went from a possible fat dump of snow, to freezing frog, but the end result was perfect blues on the day. We were so lucky, because it was freezing from Monday to Wednesday but the weather went from 2′ to 10′ in two days.

Those thinking this is great news may not know that after a big freeze like that, the motorway over-hanging BaySixty6 skate park suddenly starts to sweat, meaning condensation fills the walls when a sudden change in the weather happens. The day before the jam, the park was soaked, so we all lucked out big time.

Before the event kicked off, I had the pleasure of dressing the park with banners and stickers as usual, and was stoked to have two kids ask if they could help. It was more of a surprise though when none other than Paul Weller asked if he could hang Ricta banners around the bowl. Crossfire would never have started if I had not have heard ‘Setting Sons’ by The Jam back in the early 80’s. This album has some seriously powerful lyrics. This happening was personally a lovely 10th Anniversary gift, so big ups to Mr Weller for making my day.

The un-sponsored jams commenced on the Grizzly Grip Tape ledges. Everything landed in this rapid fire 15 minute session came courtesy from our guest ams and pro’s warming up and so many tricks that were never actually made, so the vouchers were taken over to the small stair set.

Santa checks the park for booby traps ahead of doors. Explosive jam incoming. Ph: Richard West

baysixty6skatepark_crossfire

Like lemmings, people dropped all sorts of goodness on us. This included Tomas Monkevičius‘ kickflip fs board slide on the rail that took Stand Up‘s dough. Nai Sukanant’s switch hardflip on the small stair set was a banger, Craig Loveless pulled out a nollie hardflip, but it was Gytis Bluivas‘ switch bigspin heelflip that rocked the joint. He was so close to taking a fs smith flip out on the ledge before this too, like, really close, but this was just the beginning for Gytis as you will find out further down this page. Alex Tibble closed the un-sponsored procedures with a quick-as-you like, straight-out-of-the box switch fs flip over the small gap. If you blinked, you would have missed it.

Watch the official video edit filmed/edited by Andy Evans, additional filming from Danny Bulmer and Tom Gillespie.

The park was a mess by 2pm. Boards were being sprayed everywhere. There’s so much more room in the new Bay park, but during an open jam style event, it’s quite hard to find that space needed when it’s busy. People tend to sit on obstacles and get in the way, making it difficult for people to land tricks. That aside, we had no major collisions other than two blokes locking horns in the bowl, and the usual scrap in the product toss, so considering the chaos, nobody was seen limping into an ambulance.

Six people skating the bowl at once = carnage. Ph: Richard West

Gytis Bluivas takes the DGK jam with style. Ph: Tom Halliday

The DGK Hubba Jam was instantly set upon by Thomas Harrison whose tail slides didn’t connect for him, but out of nowhere came Aaron Neville‘s impossible 5-0 before Alex DeCuhna laid down a stealth fs smith and kick-flipped out. Dan Wileman pushed a fs blunt, Sox ollied onto it and pushed a nose manual down it, Shaun Currie took a sweet noseslide 270-out before that Lithuanian ripper Gytis Bluivas returned with a crook only to nollie flipped out. He took the honours, and the dough. We hear that on this display, Gytis may end up with a sponsor. Let’s hope so, he fully deserves it.

Alex DeCunha delivers a mansize FS smith flip out. Ph: Tom Halliday

alexdecuhna_crossfirexmasjam

Sox had manny mania. Ph: Tom Halliday

sox_xmasjamcrossfire

It was Tom Steel who came up with the idea of wrapping board boxes for the HUF high ollie jam. The choice of Xmas wrapping paper and overall job would have received thumbs up from Blue Peter I reckon.

Mark Radden killed it all day for Death. Ph: Tom Halliday

With the driveway prepped, and the boxes continuously stacked, it came down to three potential candidates for the win. Chris Oliver sneaked one over the top ninja style and rode out on two wheels. Mark Radden pushed the boundaries and popped what we thought would be the winner until Thomas Harrison took out six boxes and closed the account. Absolutely epic stuff.

Thomas Harrison ollies The National Skateboard Co into their first win. Ph: Tom Halliday.

thomasharrison_crossfirexmasjam

Balls of steel. Joe Habgood back-D’s the wall hole. Ph: Tom Halliday

joehabgood_crossfirexmasjam

If the wall jam at this year’s Halloween Massacre was anything to go by, we were about to see even more NBD’s destroy its steep transitions. This wall is no joke and way steeper than the previous build. It didn’t bother Joe Habgood though, whose first trick was to fakie rock the high section. I can confirm that he is the first to lay that down for sure. His backside disaster in the wall hole and fs nosepick raised beers across the park too. The unicorn juice was certainly flowing today.

Jed Cullen takes a pivot fakie. Ph: Tom Halliday

jedcullen_xmasjamcrossfire

Ryan Price threw another fs nosepick into the mix, Sox pulled in off the coping to fakie and also left a one foot rock fakie behind. Again, another NBD went down. Jed Cullen took the honours though with a blunt fakie on the coping, and then on the high wall like Joe (just to rub it in!) and also took a pivot fakie home too. What a session.

Lloyd McLeggon had catch, bolts and steez. Watch him in 2013. Ph: Tom Halliday

The big rail sesh and stair set was quite a spectacle too. The rail was kept warm by John Howlett who made sure he feebled it and also left a backside smith for us to ponder on. Jess Young took a sick tailslide revert, Daryl Dominguez also saw his tail do the work right in front of Brum’s Luke Kindon, whose crook backside lipslide was deemed the winner.

John Howlett back smith’s the rail. Ph: Richard West

crossfirexmasjam

The stairs got a serious workout. Oldham’s LLoyd Mcleggon was catching his board with steez as he kickflipped and hardflipped the 5. Bloke went down though and was helped out at the final whistle with a tweaked knee and a groin whack. This year’s I.D star Awahd Mohammed looked like he was walking away with the pounds with a sick bs 360 ollie, but in the very last second Liverpool’s Charlie Birch laid down a fs bigspin that had everyone on their feet. The place erupted and he took the lot. Ridiculousness.

A Third Foot’s Dave Pegg ripped all day long with hardlflips and more. Ph: Tom Halliday

Lloyd McLeggon recovered from this with a groin strain. Ph: Rich West

Ledge fiends then filled the quad with tailslides, nosegrinds and more on the Grizzly Grip ledge sesh. So many people skated, yet so little was taken away clean. Honorary mentions include Alex DeCunha‘s front smith kick flip out (that we didn’t manage to get on film or tape), Caradog Emmanuel‘s fs tail slide flip out and Thomas Harrison’s second winning trick on the day for the National Skateboard Co, a tailslide 270 out which again, didn’t make it to film due to people being in the way. This was a frustrating session for coverage but what went down in the chaos was ace.

Daryl Dominguez takes a fs kickflip over his local hole. Ph: Tom Halliday

Double D then pushes the boat out with a fs heelflip. Job done. Ph: Richard West

darylfsheel_crossfirexmasjam

Big tings were going down in the warm up for the Superdead Gap Jam. Clean ollies were beong thrown down as set ups for various other tricks, but with this gap being fucking huge, it eventually came down to three contenders. Vans rider Daryl Dominguez opened the proceedings with a kickflip which spurned on Lovenskate’s Ewen Bower to float an ollie over the beast and revert it right at the last millisecond. Whilst people were picking their jaws up from the floor from that, Death’s Mikey Patrick (who has returned from an injury) launched a few attempts to bs ollie fakie the channel, until he hit the sweet spot. A total meltdown was in place but this was just the beginning. Daryl then threw another kickflip across the beast and then started some heelflip assaults. Ewen upped the ante with a stalefish revert (yes, wtf!) and took the piss with a fully-cocked-leg benihana. Shut down. Every skater in that park went nuts and then started to chant Daryl’s name. You know he was going to have it, and then there it was. Bang! Electric session!

Benihana’s suck, but not when Ewen Bower floats them this high. Ph: Tom Halliday

ewenbower_crossfirexmasjam

Ewen’s stalefish revert over the beast gap was pure class. Ph: Richard West

ewenstalefish_crossfirexmasjam

How do you follow that mentalness? Only one way, and that’s to get stuck into a bowl sesh fueled by Ricta. It was a mess in there! 6 people at a time, full throttle. Sox had a bunch of tricks up his sleeve, Habgood was roaring through the place catching diving board gashes in his shins from the weak. He took a sick nosepick out of the bowl, so did Jed. Sick tricks. The hip jam was won by Greg Nowik, whose selection of fine xmas pickings warmed the cockles enough to hand him the dough. It was his fs shuv that really got tails tapping though. Carl Wilson’s hip work was sterling as ever, Ryan Price was bang up for it, Ewen Bower dropped some bangers. Too much, too many, too much again.

Joe Habgood nosepicks to glory. Ph: Tom Halliday

Nowik tried the double flip. Ph Tom Halliday

Stalefish action from Witchcraft’s secret weapon, Morph. Ph: Richard West

Jed Cullen takes his Blakey moustache to new levels in the bowl jam. Ph: Richard West

jedcullen_crossfirexmasjam

‘Chav’ Dan Hill was the only person able to actually grind more than 10 feet. He managed only two thirds of the double pocket he laid down at the Halloween Massacre to win the longest grind comp. The carnage was so rife in that bowl that tricks were hard to come by, knowing that someone is about to smash you in the back of the head as you land a trick.

Max Roton needs no colour for his fs boneless steez. Ph: Richard west

Chroliver‘s head high kickflips would have been trick of the day if he had landed one, instead, he got his arse out for the transfer jam and mooned the platform like a slut. I’m amazed that nobody’s head got stuck up his harris from the amount of people flying over the barrier. Witchcraft’s New Zealand bomber Morph was in every run laying it down in camouflage attire. He was also busting out 360’s out of there, until he took the tail of his 8.5 on landing. Terrorist moves. Charlie Birch then drew blood from his head in the melee. There was also a serious head clash in the bowl before Habgood rolled out of there with some moolah for his nosepick and transfer prowess. The bear’s insides maybe fucked, but he’s tough on the outside and will battle anyone.

Jono Coote slams down a handplant. Ph: Richard West

Jonohandplant_crossfirexmasjam

If you were not there on the platform to witness this and sat at home awaiting footage like a mong, then you will never understand what this frenzied session was like, ever. Thanks Ricta, you fucking rule. The skateboarding certainly didn’t let us down.

The after party saw Chroliver taking over the decks and a full house filled the Portobello Pop Up Cinema for the UK premiere screening of the banging new DGK video ‘Parental Advisory‘. A huge amount of work has been put into this production, the skating is ridiculous. Pure tech dream stuff. Go grab a copy of it this Xmas.

RESULTS:

UNSPONSORED BEST TRICK JAMS:

Tomas Monkevičius – Kickflip FS board slide on the small rail.

Nai Sukanant – Switch Hardflip on the small stair set.

Gytis Bluivas: Switch bigspin heelflip down the small stair set.

Craig Loveless: Nollie hardflip down the small stair set.

Alex Tibble: Switch fs flip over the small gap.

Jess Young takes a tailsilde revert for Kill City’s hit list. Ph: Richard West

jessyoung_crossfirexmasjam

Greg Nowik’s front shuv was one of many. Standard solo show for Xmas. Ph: Tom Halliday

nowik_crossfirexmasjam

SPONSORED BEST TRICK JAMS:

RICTA BOWL JAM:

Best Hip Trick: Greg Nowik: FS late shuv and many more.

Longest Grind: ‘Chav’ Dan Hill.

Best tricks out of the bowl/transfer: Joe Habgood – FS nosepick on the outer wall/ FS 180 to nosestall and backside 180 to rock fakie into the barrier out of the bowl.

Chav Dan whoops a big backside-D slide once the carnage clears. Ph: Tom Halliday

chavdan_crossfirexmasjam

DGK HUBBA JAM: Gytis Bluivas – Crook nollie flip out.

HUF HIGH OLLIE JAM (driveway): Thomas Harrison (6 boxes).

SUPERDEAD GAP JAM: Split winners – Daryl Dominguez – 2 x kickflips, heelflip. Ewen Bower – FS Ollie revert, FS Stalefish revert, Benihana.

GRIZZLY GRIP TAPE LEDGE JAM: Thomas Harrison – FS tailslide fs 270 shuv out, in and out of ledge.

WALLRIDE JAM: Jed Cullen – Blunt fakie, Pivot fakie, fakie rock (on high section).

RAIL JAM: Luke Kindon – Crook to back lip slide.

STAIR SESH: Charlie Birch – FS Bigspin.

‘The Spaniard’ Ivan Rodriguez sings Feliz Navidad to his well wishers over the hip. Ph: Tom Halliday.

ivanrodriguez_crossfirexmasjam

Huge thanks to Paul McDermott and everyone at BaySixty6 skate park, Ian Deacon at Ricta, Vicki and Alan at Shiner, Wes at Rocksolid, Maf and Ross at Out of Step, Tez and Harry at Superdead, Jane and Adam at I-Five, all at Slam City and at Stand Up Skate Shop.

Massive thanks to all of the UK guest team riders that made it into the big smoke from Death, Heroin, Kill City, Skateboard Cafe, Science, 50-50 crew, Fabric, HUF, DGK, Superdead, Lovenskate, Ricta, A Third Foot, Steak, Crayon The National Skateboard Co, The Harmony and Witchcraft.

Big ups to Mark Brewster, Rich West, Tom Halliday, Andy Evans, Danny Bulmer, Tom Gillespie, Marcroy Smith, Jim O’Raw, Paul Weller, the two kids who helped me dress the park, Ben Larthe, Ross McGouran and Kyron Davis.

Tight grip yo. Ph: Tom Halliday

Product toss mayhem. Ph: Richard West

crossfirexmasjam2012

Bundles. Ph: Richard West

Super Brewster. Ph: Richard West

crossfirexmasjam

Double D and Ewen Bower stole the show. Ph: Tom Halliday.

Unidentified flying object. Ph: Tom Halliday

crossfirexmasjam

Liverpool’s Charlie Birch will be the UK’s most talked about skateboarder in years to come. Remember this. Ph: Tom Halliday

charliebirch

Porno Paul and Nowik know. Ph: Tom Halliday

xmas porn_ pornopaul_crossfirexmasjam

Chav Dan tries out some Guerrero steez. Ph: Tom Halliday

You can hear the snap of Habgood’s nose on the coping. Merry Xmas all. Ph: Tom Halliday.

joehabgood_transfer_crossfirexmasjam

Categories
Skateboarding Events Skateboarding News

House Skatepark comp planned for October 6th

The House Skate Park in Sheffield have their 10th Anniversary skate comp planned for Saturday October 6th. The full day is £5 with various comps for best tricks and £1000 prize money on offer.

houseskateparkcomp

Categories
Skateboarding News

Vans Downtown Showdown 2012 results and videos

This weekend’s Downtown Showdown held in Amsterdam went offin fine style. If you didn’t manage to tune into the live stream of the event from Vans then catch up with the highlights from all 4 teams.

Flip team rider Overall “Best Pro” Luan Oliveira skated with remarkable consistency and smooth style, landing tricks and winning 1st place on the Palace Obstacle and the Blueprint Obstacle. Best Overall Am was Element team rider Ross McGouran, who also took 3rd place on the Flip obstacle, skating hard all day. He made every transfer the windmill-inspired Antiz obstacle had to offer.

Flip:

Inside the massive Gasholder building at the Flip Obstacle the atmosphere intensified with heavy hitting last tricks and a solid performance by first place finisher Dominik Dietrich, who set the bar with a wallie up and Nollie heelflip down the ledge.

Vans Downtown Showdown 2012 – Amsterdam – Flip Obstacle Highlights. from Vans Europe on Vimeo.

Blueprint:

At Blueprint, Luan Oliveira landed a variety of flip tricks over the pyramid and on the ledge. Billy Marks double flipped the gap to flat and walked away with 1,000 Euros for 2nd place. Technical and creative skater Dallas Rockvam took third place by using the entire design, which was inspired by the barges and canals of Amsterdam.

Vans Downtown Showdown 2012 – Amsterdam Blueprint Obstacle Highlights. from Vans Europe on Vimeo.

Antiz:

The Antiz Obstacle rose above the venue floor like a classical Dutch Windmill on Acid. Rob Smith took first place by skating every angle, while Ben Nordberg’s backside nose blunt on the extension ricocheted into applause that reverberated off the walls.

Vans Downtown Showdown 2012 – Amsterdam ANTIZ Obstacle Highlights. from Vans Europe on Vimeo.

Palace:

Vans Downtown Showdown 2012 – Amsterdam – Palace Obstacle Highlights. from Vans Europe on Vimeo.

Categories
Skateboarding News

Andy Scott wins Night Of The Living Vert comp

Superdead’s Andy Scott flew into Spain last weekend and took home the number one spot at Volcom’s “Night Of The Living Vert” comp and hucked out the classic ‘Scrambled Egg’ in his runs.

Watch the footage below that also features the following skaters:

Results:

1. Andy Scott 500 €
2. Jean Postec 200 €
3. Alain Saavedra 100 €
4. Danny Leon
5. Diego Doural
6. Bruno Rouland
7. Urtzi Unanue
8. Ibon Mariño

VOLCOM 2012 NIGHT OF THE LIVING VERT from Volcom on Vimeo.

Categories
Skateboarding Events Skateboarding News

Official opening jam of XC Skatepark 18th Sept

The much documented XC Skatepark in Hemel Hempstead will officially open with a skate jam that is planned for Sunday 18th September. Expect a big turnout from the UKs best skaters and get this one in your diary now.

Categories
Skateboarding Events Skateboarding News

The House Skatepark comp in Sheffield September 17th

The annual comp at the The House Skatepark in Sheffield has been announced for Saturday 17th September. This year they have raised the bar on the prize money to £1000 for first place in the pro comp, £500 for second and £250 for third so expect a big turnout.

The day that costs just £6 kicks of at 10am with comps for under 12s, under 16’s plus 16s and over is looking to be one not to miss, so get down there and support what they have planned.

Categories
Skateboarding News

Malmö’s Ultra Bowl comp footage and results

The annual jam down at Malmö’s Ultra Bowl went off last weekend for the third time in Sweden. Kevin Kowalski continued to pick up the plaudits with a win in the pro jam event and Danish veteran, Nicky Guerrero took the Masters ahead of UK legends Sean Goff and Paul Atkins. Watch the footage of this comp below.

Pro Results:

1. Kevin Kowalski
2. Brad McClain
3. Ben Hatchell
4. Cody Lockwood
5. Steven Reeves
6. Andy Macdonald
7. Fernando Bramsmark
8. Mattias Nyhlen
9. Benji Galloway
10. Josh Mattson

Malmö Ultra Bowl III Masters results:

1. Nicky Guerrero
2. Sean Goff
3. Paul Atkins
4. Lester Kasai
5. Sasha Steinhorst
6. Dave Toms

Categories
Skateboarding News

Cliché obstacle Dowtown Showdown highlights edit

vansdowntownshowdownHighlights from last weekend’s Downtown Showdown event in London have been released this morning from VANS. Enjoy all the skating filmed on the Cliché obstacle right here.

Categories
Competitions Win

Win a VANS Downtown Showdown package!

The VANS European Downtown Showdown be held on the Saturday 20th August in Old Spitalfields Market, London and will be a free event for all. 50’000 Euro’s will be up for grabs for those pro riders invited to partake so get this in your diary and see one of the best skate events London will see in years!

To celebrate this gathering, VANS have sent us some brand new Rowley SPV’s, a limited edition art print designed by French and signed by Chris Pfanner, AVE, Dustin Dollin, Geoff Rowley, Tony Alva and Steve Van Doren, who will all be at the event as guests, plus a bunch of VANS apparel will be chucked into this package!

To enter, like the Crossfire Facebook page as we will be contacting you if you win from there only and answer this question below tied in with this new VANS Europe video. Find VANS on facebook too here.

[competition_22]

Categories
Skateboarding Events Skateboarding News

Confirmed teams for VANS Downtown Showdown

VANS have confirmed their invited teams and skaters to the VANS European Downtown Showdown that will take place in Old Spitalfields Market on 20th August this month in London. 50,000 euros will be up for grabs to the teams involved below.

If you cannot make it to the event, which is FREE to attend, don’t worry, as you will be able to watch it live on the internet from the Vans website.

To celebrate this event,VANS have given us some Rowley SPV’s, a limited edition, signed, art print and apparel so click here to pick up some free stuff!

CONFIRMED TEAMS ARE:

Blind Europe
Chris Oliver, Sam Beckett, Sewa, Javier Pares

Element Europe
Ross McGouran, Guillaume Mocquin, Phil Zwijsen, Nassim Guammaz

Antiz
Hugo Liard, Sam Partaix, Aaron Sweeney

Cliché
Charles Collet, Lucas Puig, Flo Mirtain and Daniel Espinoza.

Yama Skateboards
Muki Rustig, Ferit Batir, Dustin Vollnach

Blueprint
Danny Brady, Mark Baines, Jerome Campbell, Tom Knox

Almost
Willow, Michael Sommer, Michael Wright, Daryl Dominguez, Youness Amrani

Alis Skateboards
Flex O’ Connor

Superdead Skateboards
Eddie Belvedere, Harry Lintell, Nick Remon, Awadh Mohammed

Palace Skateboards
Chewy Cannon, Rory Milanes, Lucien Clarke, Olly Todd

Death Skateboards
Dan Cates, Boots, Adam Moss, Moggins