Thrasher Magazine

Let's Go Bowling

The Pro-Tec Pool Party is so hectic, I even had to get a practice photo day in.

The heavies have been skating the Combi non-stop for months.

This was also a good time to acquaint myself with the new gen of bowl bashers.

Sky Souljah, for instance. Totally rad.

Borden. Ripping.

Birdman, no biggie.

It was a good confidence builder.

Game day parking lot.

Nelson!

You know you're on time if you beat Van Doren.

Barros Crew.

Here we go ....

Imagine that - Grosso with a life-threatening ailment.


Not skating.

Inside: all biz.

Ngoho rolls in first thing.

Andy Mac, always dancing on the edge of acceptability.

Blue collar types.



Stafford, with third eye.

Furly takes a dip.

Texas legend, Bryan Pennington.

Fejj, layback sit.

Filling up fast.


Salba tapes out his lines, damn the security.

Tony Mag was there .. bumm-bum-bum-bum-bum-bummm...

Smithvert.

Sluggo.

Ken Fillion.

Birdman, easing into the day.

My photo comp began lining the decks, many with innovative new designs and techniques. This thing will also help you find water.

Acosta Bros - worthy fuckin' adversaries.

Stars of the blogosphere.

It's hard not to notice how the legends are always with hot babes at these things.

Maybe we should start a romance advice column with these dudes.

I know I woulda read it as a kid.


Back in the bowl, Zach Miller gets airborne.

Omar.

Bob-O.

Screech had a sort of castaway look going.

Nolan Munroe, totally awesome.

Rastas and Punks, brothers in the bowl.

Crooked cop.

Hassan bursts the 540 bubble.

Perelson, holy shit.

Bob vs Screech.

Guess who won.

Duncan brings order to the madness.

Potato grind.

A Mountain of a man.



'Maybe you should switch frontside flip it ....'

In case you hadn't heard, Alex Perelson is the best thing to happen to vert/pool skating in the last forever.

Frontside cab, total make.

Frontside les.

Kickflip lein.

It's weird to call Alex vert's last great hope, but it's not totally innacurate either.

Legends semis. Swedish corner work.

Ffej wanders into a Badlands lovefest.


Hell of a protege.

Like a fighter, Salba towels off in the corner before each round.

Then gives it all he's got.

DP. He invented it.

Crowd went wild.

Max legend density.

For longtime fans, the bald guy next to Hosoi is GSD.






Wisniewski, sweeper.

Nash smashed.

Seriously going for it.

Speaking of masters.

Combi comp is an emotional time and the competitors definitely don't hold back.

Why would they?


Pro semis.

Pedro was on fire, as they say.

TNT jumped into a heat.

Light lip encroachment.

Frontside inverts. Real nice.

 
Hella quick, Rune.

Then onto legends finals.

Cab, totally shredding.

 

In the hearts of many, the contest was between Miller and Lance.

Chris Miller is probably the finest concrete skater of all time. Skating better now than ever.

Really impossible to match him in the Combi. Such a treat.

Lance definitely had the crowd on his side. I know I wanted him to win.

360 lein.

Denial, pain, guilt ...


In the end, gradual acceptance.


Each run was a cavalcade of classicly-trained bowl bravado.

This face says it all ... though I'm not exactly sure what it's saying.

 

The crowd went nutso.

And finally, the pros. Vets on one side ...

kids on the other.

Last chance to make gear adjustments.

Like a Nascar pit crew!

Rune, incredibly strong.

Pedro blasted off.

The kids did all the spins, indy 540s, whatever you want!

 

No shortage of showmanship either.

MacTwist.

Nolan, lein D.

Skybox flip grab.

Alex Perelson with a kickflip lein. He also did ten-foot-high frontside airs in the round (not shown.) Fuckin' awesome.


'Whattyou think, Buck?'

Lil' McEgg in the best trick, no big deal.

And finally, to Duncan's warm embrace.

Fist bumps with Cab while Hawk giggles and Sergie takes time to enjoy a beverage.

Salba kept it punk. Shit, someone's got to. Congrats, Chris! You're the best.

'Yo! Hands off the Mac!'

It was a tough call, but Pedro pulled it - Combi King 2011.

Until next time. Thank you, Steve Van Doren. Thanks for everything.