Skaters.com Blog

The 2007 vert skating competition of the Pro Action Sports World Tour at Mission Beach, San Diego, has been turning heads and making a name for local amateur skaters and pros alike. The extreme sports tour, known as a smaller version of the televised X-Games made the Belmont Park parking lot its home for the weekend. Yesterday was the second day of the three-day event.

There were people scattered about everywhere, but the 14½-by-59-foot vert ramp boasted the biggest crowd, because some of the best skateboarders in the world were there to compete in the marquee event: the freestyle vert challenge.

People were there to see skateboarding legends like Bucky Lasek, Danny Mayer, Pierre-Luc Gagnon, Neal Hendrix and San Diego’s own Andy Macdonald.

The ten skaters were allowed three 45-second runs on the vert ramp to showcase their most original and technically difficult tricks and lines, with the prize awarded to the skater with the highest score on a single run. Pierre-Luc Gagnon, scoring 92.75 on his first vert run, finished the winner of the day with a prize of $10,000.

The only other skater to come close to Gagnon’s highest score was the high-flying Rodrigo Menezes of Sao Paulo (Brazil), with an impressive score of 91.00 on his second run. San Diego pro skater Andy Macdonald came in third place with a high score of 89.75.

Gagnon has recently been riding a hot streak. During an interview, Jake Brown, the tough Aussie skater who suffered that terrifying 45″ fall during a televised vert event (watch the video!), doused his French-Canadian friend with a bottle of champagne in celebratory fashion.

This was Gagnon’s third vert win in a row. The first win came in Mexico City, the second during the Action Sports World Tour kickoff Sept. 2 in Glendale, Ariz. The Championships are Nov. 9-11 in Dallas.

“I’ve completed the trifecta,” Gagnon said. “I’m going to try and make it four in Dallas.”

Visit the promoters page for more information on the Action Sports Tour.

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