Monster Energy’s Nyjah Huston Wins Second Place at Stop One of the 2015 Street League Skateboarding Nike SB World Tour in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) July 12, 2015 -- The action was off the charts at USC’s sold-out Galen Center as the world’s best street skateboarders battled it out at stop one of the 2015 Street League Skateboarding Nike SB World Tour. After a down-to-the-wire final that came down to last Best Trick attempts, Monster Energy’s Nyjah Huston walked away with $20,000 for a strong second place finish.
Stakes were high in the first big arena stop of the 2015 SLS tour with $255,000 total in price money and a Golden Ticket sending the winner straight to the SLS Nike SB Super Crown World Championship in Chicago.
Adding to the challenge, the street course designed by Brazil’s Luan Oliveira featured none of the big stairs and handrails that usually account for most of the big points in Street League. Instead, the course put the focus on technical moves and consistency with a large centerpiece obstacle offering a variety of banks, rails, ledges, and a tall bump for catching big flip tricks.
While only one single trick of the contest surpassed the 9-point benchmark, the recipe for success in Los Angeles was to build an early lead with two solid Runs, boosted by creative tech-moves in the Best Trick section.
No stranger to technical consistency, reigning Super Crown World Champion Huston followed this strategy to the ’T: His perfect finals run covered the entire course with nollie nosegrind on the bump to ledge, kickflip to fakie over the quarter pipe channel, bigspin frontside boardslide fakie down the rail, long frontside feeble across the flat rail, and a kickflip frontside nosegrind on the bump to hubba for 8.4 points.
When the action moved to Best Trick attempts, Huston edged ahead with a frontside 180 the hard way to backward nosegrind revert and backside 180 to switch frontside crooked down the bump to Hubba, a huge caballerial kickflip over the centerpiece bump, and an extra long backside overcrook across the entire flat rail plus kink for a 34-point first place score.
Ultimately, Oliveira had the last word on the course he himself had designed: On the final trick attempt of the contest, he landed a switch frontside heelflip bigspin off the centerpiece bump for an 8.9 score – besting Huston's total by a fraction of a point for the win.
Also skating strong in the finals, Monster Energy’s Chris Cole put down a flawless run featuring frontside bluntslide down the gap ledge, fakie 5-0 revert on the rail, and perfect backside 360 ollie over the centerpiece bump, followed by Best Trick standouts like backside 180 nosegrind revert on the rail, and frontside halfcab kickflip off the bump.
Following the awards ceremony, the SLS pros brought out their A-Game for the #DIAMONDLIFE Afterparty best trick session. When the dust settled, Monster Energy’s Matt Berger took first place and $5,000 for a highly technical backside bigspin to switch front crook on the bump to Hubba.
“DiamondLife Best Trick is just like skating with your homies, everyone’s trying to get theirs, and I guess it worked out for me today. I’m super stoked!” said Berger upon winning.
The Prelims turned into a trial by fire, as the field of 25 SLS Pros, including four newly added SLS Pro Rookies, fought for only 8 spots in the finals. No Semi Finals, no second chances – only 7 attempts in two 45-second Runs and five Best Tricks, counting the best 4 scores.
Closely missing the final 8, Monster Energy’s Ishod Wair landed strong moves like a nollie frontside 180 kickflip off the center bump, and extra difficult nollie backside kickflip from the deck into the quarterpipe. His teammate Shane O’Neill also brought difficult moves to the challenging course, including nollie backside bigger spin and switch 360 kickflip off the big bump and crooked grind to nollie flip on the wedge Hubba.
Also making a strong showing was Berger – last season’s biggest underdog story as a rookie qualifier on the SLS tour – with a long frontside smithgrind to pop over frontside boardslide down the rail, and backside 270 to boardslide down the rail. His teammate Peter Ramondetta flowed across the course with backside bluntslides on the gap ledge and a huge backside heelflip over the bump.
With Huston already pre-qualified for the Nike SB Super Crown Championships in October – he won the Golden Ticket at the Barcelona Pro Open – all eyes are on Stop Two of the 2015 Street League Skateboarding Nike SB World Tour on August 23 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Stay tuned and follow the live broadcasts on streetleague.com. Thanks for following Monster Energy during the 2015 Street League Skateboarding season!
Next stops on the 2015 Street League Skateboarding Nike SB World Tour:
- August 23 SLS Nike SB World Tour: Stop Two | Prudential Center | Newark, NJ
- October 4 SLS Nike SB Super Crown World Championship | UIC Pavilion | Chicago, IL
About Monster Energy:
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer and distributor of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it’s the way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at http://www.monsterenergy.com
Kim Dresser, Indie Agency Inc., http://www.indiepragency.com, +1 (949) 300-5546, [email protected]
Share this article