Wednesday, May 8

Slam City Jam 2002- Vancouver, BC

By Dave Finger
EXPN.com

Slam City Jam may be one of the most fun, big-time skateboarding contests ever. In fact Canada is one of the most entertaining places I've ever been, but that's a whole different story altogether. There are many reasons Slam City is great, but one of the biggest reasons is that it's known as an international gathering of skateboarders, by skateboarders, for skateboarders. It's also great because this is the 9th year in a row they've put it on, and it gains momentum each time around. The course design changes every year and now Jay Balmer and New Line Skateparks are using their expertise to run the show. Hastings Park, where local rulers and top pros converge for little sessions throughout the weekend, is just a short push away. And you can't forget the parties and wackiness that happen every year combined with a mellow contest schedule to get everybody's head straight.

Not enough to convince you? Then don't leave out the annual skateboard hockey game that gets a little funnier each year as it becomes more and more of a rivalry between Team Carnie and Team Chalmers. And then of course the field of skaters - ruling girls, vert destroyers, and a crazy grip of street technicians all getting their trick on. I mean the final results for street have 127 names and each one of them was out there working on new lines and having fun in the mob. But beyond all that it's really the convergence of great people and a stoked crowd that make this contest so chill and good to be at.

Bucky put together an amazing second run to earn him the first place dollars, here he is mid lein air.

So what you have is this giant dome arena (The Pacific National Exhibition Center) that houses the vert ramp (rumors had it that some of the riders weren't happy with the finished product), the street course, the media/industry/pro corral, a host of VIP suites on the top level and a bunch a seats for fans and spectators to peep the action. Then there's the Element sponsored skate lounge with food and entertainment - video marathons, autograph signings, bands and special events like the premier of Vallely's Drive. Also present are a ton of retailer booths and product display areas so you can cruise around and look at or even purchase some fine industry goods. Then there's a band playing every day, like Mike V. and the Rats (He was all over this thing) or Steve Caballero's The Faction. Plus you can't forget one of my favorite things, all the personalities and people watching for the lurker in me.

This kind of set-up is cool for the spectators because kids who get down to the bottom level of the seats get a chance to hang over the railing and yell at their favorite pro and maybe even get an autograph or fifty. Also out in full force is the latest and greatest display of personal style that is so much a part of skateboarding now a days. One of the best examples of new steez is the massive collection of girls mobbing up the pro area and contest floor. They're all just laughing around in their low-slung jeans with a big tough belt holding them in just the right place. Put that with maybe an old cut sleeved 80's rock tee and a little bit of ink showing just to keep you interested and you have the girl of the day. You know, the kind of girl you can only get if you're a pro skateboarder, or rock star, or both.

Rodil Junior took first in men's street and skated without any music for his second run, eerily quiet it was. You could hear the powerful clang his board made when it hit the big green bar after he cleared the flat into this lipslide.

Mmmmmm, fine women. Wait what's this story about? Oh yeah, skateboarding. What can I say, the skills were in top form and nobody came away disappointed. Friday was the first day of three and it was just crazy. Everybody showed up to practice and started working out some lines on the course. But what really made it cool was the open jam Hastings Bowl session, emceed by the one and only host to Vancouver - Renee Renee. Now Renee Renee is not the type of guy you really understand but he is the type of guy you really like. He is not afraid. He was rocking crazy cool gear the whole weekend; most of it you thought was lost in the great incinerator that burned every music video ever created from the early 80's. I'm talking custom painted pink and zebra DCs, a checkered mudflap hat, big shades and maybe a neon jacket over a tank top with some Lycra shorts underneath. Even if he didn't say a word (which is not the case because when he talks, you laugh) he would still be screaming for the idea of what's old is new, and cool again.

Anyways, he was calling out these improv mini-contests during the session, so one minute you would hear him yell something like, "biggest air over the volcano!" or maybe "OK everybody, longest grind!" So everybody skating would change up their focus and try to out do everyone else in whatever was called out. And then whoever was deemed winner (by Renee Renee and everyone else skating) would receive a bit of cash from the little black pouch he was holding. So people were actually getting paid little stipends for each banger they pulled. He closed up the session by calling out "last man standing!" which is just what it sounds like, a bunch of guys mayheming around the bowl until only one was left standing. Ben Krahn was that man and he took home the remainder of cash for being the one who did just that.

Chris Senn attacked the corner at Hastings Park with super fast crooked grinds, he came back in on this one fakie.

Other standouts that I saw were Chris Senn crooked grinding around this one long corner to fakie. Carlos de Andrade rolling up and proceeding to wow the remaining crowd with these huge frontside ollies in the shallow end. And Mike Peterson basically killing everything in sight with this Kona Skatepark bred fast and powerhousing style. It was cool because the whole format was loose and open and definitely another look at what skateboarding contests can be in contrast to the big arena, big course, big lights, big crowd type contests that are becoming more and more popular as the popularity of the sport moves closer to that middle market. So with Saturday and Sunday you had all the prelims and finals for men's and women's street and vert (the ladies actually just had a vert jam) but I'm not going to bore you with any more trick calling. You can look at the photos for that. So what I will end this thing with is the fact that the young guns are coming up. New kids on the block like Paul Rodriguez, Greg Lutzka, Austin Seaholm, Ryan Sheckler (he's only 12 years old!) and Caswell Berry all finished in the top ten and they're all still in their teens.

Koston didn't think he deserved second in men's street, but here's a pretty photo. Ollie to crooks on the orange rounder.

This shift in competition power, points towards the idea that there's a whole new generation of skaters out there getting ill in the schoolyards, and progressing the sport. This may be a direct result of skateboarding coming full swing and blowing up again in recent years. So what that means is some of the proven rulers are gonna have to contend with these new superstars to win the prize money and exposure that the big comps bring. Or be like the Lakers and not really care until the real pressure is on then step up and crush everything in sight.

So that being said enjoy the flicks, read what Chalmers has to say, find out a little more about Canadian culture and know that this event is fun and great and big and legit and uniquely Canadian all rolled into one big 3 day weekend of skateboarding.

Related Photos:
2002 Slam City Jam Vert Photos
2002 Slam City Jam Street Photos