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The jam style tournament saw faces old and new compete for the king of the beach honors. 19-year-old Ben Raybourn was average in age but best on board, ripping his way to the $20,000 top prize. His revert combinations and 540 variations were enough to wow the crowd and the judges, though it was Aaron ?Jaws? Homoki who won best trick for his kickflip melon grab to tail on the shark, a $3,000 land. Even with all the money on the line and the younger generation scoring most of the pot, the field was far from catty as boards smacked and fists pounded in appreciation of their peer?s performance. Living legends Eric Koston, Kenny Anderson, and Lance Mountain competed with and cheered on the young crop; fetching out of bounds boards and dapping it up with the generation they inspired. Such sentiment further proved that skateboarding isn’t just a sport, it’s a lifestyle.
Rune Glifberg, Eric Koston and more observe action in the bowl 2012 Nike US Open of Surfing & Converse Coastal CarnageBoth waves and crowds were surfed over the weekend in Huntington Beach, but the skateboard scene appears to be the rising tide in the summer spectacular. On a surface level, the dull tones and ripped uppers sported on both board and beach footwear appear to be a far departure from the basketball-born and city-seasoned sneaker culture. But after watching just one ride, it?s clear that the same qualities that drive the skateboarding lifestyle also steer the sneaker culture– style, self-expression, and respect for the OGs.
