Ten years ago the ONE Blade Awards kicked off to give each and every blader a chance to have their opinion counted in some measurable way. Mission accomplished. But not only did bladers from around the world have a chance to say their piece, but those of us paying attention had a chance to learn directly from the most dedicated readers and community members just what they thought about what was going on. And that all happened again in 2018.
In a year that started with the most notable news to hit the industry since Shima left USD, 2018 was a year of shifting vibes and norms, of stylistic adjustments, and an ever-creeping communal maturity that continues to refresh and inspire.
Though the names that make it onto these lists may seem to remain similar year-to-year in some cases, we can attest that the variety and breadth of nominations represented the most diverse and wide-spread *take* on blading that we’ve ever seen.
But most importantly for the ONE Blade Awards, you took the time to nominate your favorites, and then sift through the Top 3 Finalists to select the recipient of each title. That’s no easy task!
And when said and done, once again the global blade community joined together to establish a set of standards to be observed and surpassed. These awards represent the voice of the people and the vision of what they expect blading to be.
They are the best that blading has to offer, and we offer a hearty coping slap to each and every nominee, finalist, winner, and of course every single blader that made this process possible.
Without further delay, here are your 2018 ONE Blade Award winners…
* * * *
[PEOPLE]
BLADER OF THE YEAR
Joe Atkinson (44.7%)
Runners Up:
Eugen Enin (29.5%)
Alex Broskow (25.8%)
BREAKOUT BLADER OF THE YEAR
Bobi Spassov (38.3%)
Runners Up:
Philip Moore (32.7%)
Dominic Bruce (28.9%)
HONORARY CHRIS EDWARDS AWARD
FOR MOST POSITIVE BLADE INFLUENCER
Robert Guerrero (44.1%)
Runners Up:
Jon Julio (35.3%)
Brian Freeman (20.16%)
[EVENTS]
BEST EVENT OF THE YEAR
Winterclash (51.7%)
Runners Up:
Blading Cup (31.8%)
FISE (Series) (16.4%)
BEST CONTEST PERFORMANCE (BLADER)
Joe Atkinson [FISE/All] (63.0%)
Runners Up:
Philip Moore (Blading Cup/ONE Lux) (19.0%)
Julien Cudot (FISE) (18.0%)
BEST NEW EVENT
What Year Is It (46.2%)
Runners Up:
ONE LUX Street Open (40.3%)
Filthy Fiesta (13.4%)
MOST HOSPITABLE VENUE
Area 51 (44.5%)
Runners Up:
City of Santa Ana (Blading Cup) (35.4%)
Syeahskate (Athens Blade House) (20.0%)
[INDUSTRY]
BRAND OF THE YEAR
Them Skates (56.9%)
Runners Up:
USD (22.3%)
Roces (20.8%)
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Them 908s (54.4%)
Runners Up:
Oysi Frames (32.6%)
King Soul Plates (13.0%)
BLADE SHOP OF THE YEAR
Loco Skates (46.9%)
Runners Up:
Intuition (33.0%)
Oak City (20.1%)
ANGRY YOUTH AWARD FOR BEST MARKETING
Them Skates (42.2%)
Runners Up:
Bacemint (35.5%)
USD (22.3%)
[MEDIA]
BEST EDIT OF THE YEAR (BLADER)
Alex Broskow “Seconds” (40.2%)
Runners Up:
Eugen Enin “Freestyle Sessions” (32.2%)
Jeph Howard “Rare Winter” (27.7%)
BLADE VIDEOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Jonas Hansson (42.1%)
Runners Up:
Mike Torres (35.2%)
Boysen & Büttner (22.7%)
BLADE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Dominik Wagner (64.4%)
Runners Up:
Sam Cooper (23.8%)
Sean Macgowan (11.9%)
BLADE VOICE OF THE YEAR
Jump Street Podcast (63.0%)
Runners Up:
ONEblademag (22.4%)
Jon Julio (14.6%)
While it’s impossible to know what will unfold for rollerblading in 2019, we’re confident that the people listed above, those that were nominated, and (hopefully) names some of us don’t even know yet will pour their passion into our community to make it what they want it to be. And we really can’t ask for more than that… so let’s be sure to give them the respect, appreciation and admiration they are due.
Let’s do it again soon.
* * * *
Photos taken from Instagram, Facebook, ONE print issues and oneblademag.com. Thanks to all.
