Know what’s cool? Good vert blading! And Pow-Wow Pro/Am IX featured some of that because it’s one of the few events in the US to have a vert ramp on-site! Lucky for all of us both Corey Oringderff (check his Pow-Wow VIII pics HERE) and Drew Humphrey were working things on the photo front, so we have these choice highlights from the comp to showcase here. Check them out and enjoy.
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Those paying attention to the social feeds may have noticed the occasional dispatch by Jeph Howard from the 3rd Lair vert ramp, and those with more years under their belts might remember that summer that Haffey, Stockwell and Shima all skated ASA vert comps because last place (there were only like 10 bladers on the ramp) got paid more than 4th place in the street comp. Simple blade economics!
But for a lot of bladers, like us, it had been awhile since watching bladers shred a half-pipe in person. And for others this might have been an introduction to vert blading. Either way it really is something to see first-hand.
Guy Crawford / Photo: Oringderff
Like most aspects of Kona Skatepark, the vert ramp is fucking dangerous. It just looks like it will kill you in a second flat if you don’t pay it its proper respects. And sure enough, before Saturday was over someone smacked their collar bone on the ground and split it into pieces. Ugh.
But that was after the contest (we think). The event itself rolled along smoothly, just another hour-long side event in a weekend full of blade mayhem.
While the scorching Florida sun beat down and fellow bladers crowded around the base of the ramp the pitch shifted into “serious mode” and the skaters started locking their tricks.
Eric Hallimen / Photo: Humphrey
As captured here in the pics, online in edits, and in person as well, standouts of the day were Eric Hallimen from Rochester, Guy Crawford, Wake Schepman (won that shit!), and Grant Hazelton. Dave Lang, Jeph Howard, Miguel Ramos, Tim Schmidt and more we’re surely forgetting also put in laps and pulled maneuvers, so bladers of many styles and disciplines were reprinted on the Skatelite.
We realize this small sampling of moments does little justice to the experience of being at a vert comp, so be on the lookout for more in-depth coverage of Pow-Wow IX from ONE online in the coming weeks.
