Trick skateboarding comes to Frederick
Bel Air resident defeats hundreds of skaters in The Game of Skate'
A bumper sticker on an Isuzu Trooper parked near the éS Game of Skate competition read, "Skateboarding is not a Crime."
And though skateboarding is neither a felony nor misdemeanor, what Allen Beers of Bel Air did to earn his first victory Frederick's Hill Street Park on July 22 was downright criminal.
Unleashing his "go-to trick" a "nollie big spin," when the skater makes the board spin 540 degrees and executes a full rotation before "nolling" (popping the board into the air) on the nose.
"This is too much fun," Beers said. "It shouldn't be legal, it's that much fun."
The Game of Skate is similar to the basketball game "H-O-R-S-E." One skater attempts a trick. If successfully executed, a second competitor must complete the same maneuver or be awarded a letter. The process repeats until a participant is eliminated with S-K-A-T-E. It is an international contest staged in 19 cities throughout the U.S. and 60 international locations.
The competition was held on one of Hill Street Park's roller hockey rinks. Six competitive lanes were laid out on the concrete surface. No ramps, rails or other obstacles were employed. It was an old school layout.
"It's what every kid does everyday," éS event organizer Mark Waters said. "The kids like it. You don't have to be great to come out and have fun. If you know 10 tricks you can possibly come out here and win a round. A lot of contests are based on all eyes on [one person]. There are a lot of guys going at once and it's not as much of a pressure situation for an individual kid."
After taking second three times before, Beers outlasted 230 skaters from around the region. Making his way through the field, he was joined in the finals by Jason Bundy (Baltimore), Corey Huber of Waynesboro, Pa. and Tristan Mass (Winchester, Va.).
Bundy was the first to be knocked out. A few tricks later, with just an S to his name, Beers eliminated both Huber and Mass with his preferred maneuver to claim the victory.
The next stop for Beers is Houston's éS Game of SKATE Amateur World Championships during the Johnny Romano Make-A-Wish Skate Jam. Beers and 23 other winners will fly to Texas, courtesy of éS, in November for the competition.
This was the seventh year éS has returned to Frederick. Waters said they keep returning due to the enthusiastic turnout and their relationship with Pitcrew skateboard and snowboard shop in Frederick.