Let's get one thing straight, never refer to Sacramento as Sacramento, in the skateboarding world it's called "Sacto" and don't you forget it! Stop #4 on The Tony Hawk Gigantic Skate Park Tour took place at Ruck's Grand Prix Skate Park in Sacto. Skateboard demos have been happening in Sacto since the early 80's back when bonelesses and wall rides ruled the skating world. A huge turn out once again. These demos keep getting bigger and bigger. About 800 people on hand on a day where we saw temps in the low to mid 90's. I decided I would skate a couple of hours before the demo just to get a feeling for the park. I thought since it was such a nice day I would skate without my shirt on. That was probably the dumbest thing I have done on the tour so far, except for hitting that curb in Paris resulting in a flat tire. I had 3rd degree burns by the end of the day, but that's another story.

The Tour Bus pulled up to the Park around 4:20 in the afternoon and the crowd went into a high five frenzy. Grand Prix has a vert ramp and 2 mini ramps. One of the minis even has some pass vert on it. The street course has several handrails and a couple of fun boxes. Mike Vallely, Mr. Punk Rock himself was amazing Sacto with his front side 50 50's. On the wall ride wall, Mike slammed once or twice but in true Mike V style he would get up spit and continue to blaze a trail all over the place with blood dripping from his swellbow (swollen elbow). We were joined this time by the likes of Chris (I skate really Fast) Senn and Pat (I started the Hand Rail Craze) Duffy and the usual crew Tony, Bam, Ellis, Chalmers, Barley, Berra, Rooftop, Sean White and The Condor. How could a Demo suck with names like that? It can't! Bam took a big slam on the street course within the first 15 minutes of the demo and didn't get up until our personal Trainer Barry helped him up. I have never seen Bam slam and not get up, so you know it had to be serious.

With Bam out of the mix the skaters and bike dudes kept ripping in honor of their fallen hero. Chris Senn was doing feeble grind's down the handrails to shove it off, aren't Feebles down a hand rail hard enough? Berra was doing late kick flips off the side of the fun box from about 5 feet in the air. Rooftop was throwing down some pretty big blunt to fakie's on the street course. The funny thing about the park was the sign that said no bikes or roller blades, skateboards only! I guess Rooftop and the Condor must have missed that sign. All 3 of the ramps were side by side making easy for the boyz to air the gap between the ramps. I think just about every pro on hand was doing the gaps, in some cases narrowly missing spectators, now that's a cheap way to get a hair cut.

During the vert demo, Tony and 14-year-old phenom Shaun White decided it was time again to bust a double's run like they did in Encinitas. Tony's X Games Vert doubles partner Andy Macdonald better watch out because these two guyz looked natural. Another scary moment happened when the legend himself, Mat "The Condor" Hofman took a big slam for the team. He actually gouged out part of the ramp with his bike. He got up holding his wrist and was escorted to the bus for a check up. Only time will tell if Bam and The Condor can make it back for the remaining 2 stops, I will be keeping my fingers crossed. The burliest thing to happen all day was when Tony was doing a 540 when his board got away from him and hit a photographer in the head. This dudes cranium started spurting blood out like it was a garden hose on full blast, Tony tried to offer him a towel and the guy started yelling "don't touch me" I guess that just goes to show you that even watching skateboarding can be as dangerous as skating in this case. This day will go down in history as the bloodiest stop on The Hawk Tour by far. Next stop Grunge Town A.K.A Seattle, Washington home of the Space Needle, Curt Cobain's Grave and Rain City Skate park.

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