Epicly Laterd - Arto Saari

[mipe]

is such a big deal for americans to see other guys dick in the sauna?

i always imagine american saunas with people crossing their legs, awkwardly staring at the floor and yelling "NO HOMO NO HOMO" all the time.

you guys really get into the saunas, eh...

so what happens if a woman wants to get in?

Usually ladies go by themselves. But in the heat of summer it's not extraordinary if everyone goes at the same time. Except girls normally have a towel as a cover.

[Mccauly]

I'd totally forgotten about how important the Euro contest circuit was back then. It was such a good summer always of 3 big contests in a row with every amazing pro attending and then the 411 Euro video covering it all. Shame that's gone. What killed it off? Recession? Street League/Maloof?

i remember always being so stoked whenever the 411 europe contest videos would come out in the mid to late 90s. it was those and tampa when you would see who the next "big" guys were. was 98 the year BA got SOTY? i think the munster contest was where everyone decided "hell yeah, this is the guy."


there was some interview or video or something, and i forget who said it, but they basically said everyone was over going to those contests because the guy who organized them was a dick and ripping everyone off. there was basically one guy who ran the circuit and he was blowing it and pissed a lot of people off. something to that extent.

Yeah there was the boycott in '96, dudes were super bummed when they showed up and it was the exact same layout as the year prior, same ramps, a really weak prize purse, meanwhile the one dude running it showed up in a lamborghini diablo or something.  There was a video piece on this somewhere, but I can't for the life of me, remember what it's from.  Maybe Mike V's greatest hits or something?  There was also something about Greg Carroll fighting someone on the course, I think.

I so miss those days.  The Europe contests were the true test of who was killing it harder.  No politics, no selective entry, just whoever can pull the best runs, straight up.  Slam City Jam was fucking killer too, so bummed they don't have it anymore. 

I tried to bring this up in that BA hater thread a while ago.  If you were around for those days, there's no fucking possible way you could hate on BA.  He wasn't ever some sort of competition skater that practiced runs and played it safe just to get on the podium.  Dude's a straight up street skater and comes and takes the Munster Mastership two fucking years in a row with really groundbreaking runs.  Switch nosegrind half cab in a run was just unheard of for that shit at the time.  It was unbelievable. 

Of course, Arto coming just behind him as barely an AM was ridiculous.  I could never understand his clear the flat to front board at the '98 Munster.  Holding the shifty for that long and high on your feet solid enough to lock the front board just blew my mind at the time.  Gnar boots!

Yeah that was what was so exciting about the Euro summer contests - it was this intense window where everyone travelled together and if you skated amazingly then you won - that simple. None of the mafia like family it seems to be now, I doubt an unknown Am could charge into 2nd place against pros so easily now. I think the same year Arto blew up was when Rodrigo TX destroyed the czech contest and basically turned pro from that one line
Rodrigo TX Prague Contest 1999 perfect line
Probably quite a simliar story to Artos in a way

Very true.  Same story just a year later and at the Prague comp. 

I remember that run distinctly from VHS over 10 years ago, haha.  Ending that super, super, super long flawless run with the huge nollie bs heel, must have been completely finished and exhausted after that.  There was the thing about Og de Souza too, really rad.

Those were the days.  It seems TX just kinda faded outta the contest thing after that.  I don't recall him even entering after that.

Arto winning the Cali contest at "Skate Street" with the criss-cross-crash course shortly after that Euro circuit just totally cemented him into super stardom.  Comes and WINS a comp. right in the heart of Cali when he's still just an am, just beating out McCrank, also just AM at that time.  Jaw dropper.  Templeton put it best, "This contest made it painfully evident the new generation is among us and pros need to get their acts together.  Top three in the finals were two ams (Arto & McCrank, 1st & 2nd) and one Rookie Pro (Kerry Getz, 3rd). 

I remember visiting that munster contest in 98 and everyone was like "who's that kid with the long hair?" those gap to frontboards and kf front boards were really gnarly, but the most awesome thing about that contest was Mccrank who didn't make the cut for the finals. In the practice session, just seconds before the final started, he made a nosegrind on the rail from the halfpipe to the bank and continued skating the whole course and made like at least 10 gnarly tricks in one line. one pro after another stopped skating to watch mccrank and when he finished his run, everybody was just standing there with his jaw dropped.

It was clear to everyone in there that this was the run of the weekend and even before the finals started everybody knew that nobody would be capable of doing a run like this. It was really weird to see mccrank just watching the finals because inofficial he had just won the whole thing.

I always wondered that nobody seemed to film that whole run, because you only see single tricks from that in the videos, like that nollie hardflip.

Theres a great clip of that contest circuit in 411  #30

[darrin lee]

I'd totally forgotten about how important the Euro contest circuit was back then. It was such a good summer always of 3 big contests in a row with every amazing pro attending and then the 411 Euro video covering it all. Shame that's gone. What killed it off? Recession? Street League/Maloof?

i remember always being so stoked whenever the 411 europe contest videos would come out in the mid to late 90s. it was those and tampa when you would see who the next "big" guys were. was 98 the year BA got SOTY? i think the munster contest was where everyone decided "hell yeah, this is the guy."


there was some interview or video or something, and i forget who said it, but they basically said everyone was over going to those contests because the guy who organized them was a dick and ripping everyone off. there was basically one guy who ran the circuit and he was blowing it and pissed a lot of people off. something to that extent.

Yeah there was the boycott in '96, dudes were super bummed when they showed up and it was the exact same layout as the year prior, same ramps, a really weak prize purse, meanwhile the one dude running it showed up in a lamborghini diablo or something.  There was a video piece on this somewhere, but I can't for the life of me, remember what it's from.  Maybe Mike V's greatest hits or something?  There was also something about Greg Carroll fighting someone on the course, I think.

I so miss those days.  The Europe contests were the true test of who was killing it harder.  No politics, no selective entry, just whoever can pull the best runs, straight up.  Slam City Jam was fucking killer too, so bummed they don't have it anymore. 

I tried to bring this up in that BA hater thread a while ago.  If you were around for those days, there's no fucking possible way you could hate on BA.  He wasn't ever some sort of competition skater that practiced runs and played it safe just to get on the podium.  Dude's a straight up street skater and comes and takes the Munster Mastership two fucking years in a row with really groundbreaking runs.  Switch nosegrind half cab in a run was just unheard of for that shit at the time.  It was unbelievable. 

Of course, Arto coming just behind him as barely an AM was ridiculous.  I could never understand his clear the flat to front board at the '98 Munster.  Holding the shifty for that long and high on your feet solid enough to lock the front board just blew my mind at the time.  Gnar boots!

Yeah that was what was so exciting about the Euro summer contests - it was this intense window where everyone travelled together and if you skated amazingly then you won - that simple. None of the mafia like family it seems to be now, I doubt an unknown Am could charge into 2nd place against pros so easily now. I think the same year Arto blew up was when Rodrigo TX destroyed the czech contest and basically turned pro from that one line
Rodrigo TX Prague Contest 1999 perfect line
Probably quite a simliar story to Artos in a way

Very true.  Same story just a year later and at the Prague comp. 

I remember that run distinctly from VHS over 10 years ago, haha.  Ending that super, super, super long flawless run with the huge nollie bs heel, must have been completely finished and exhausted after that.  There was the thing about Og de Souza too, really rad.

Those were the days.  It seems TX just kinda faded outta the contest thing after that.  I don't recall him even entering after that.

Arto winning the Cali contest at "Skate Street" with the criss-cross-crash course shortly after that Euro circuit just totally cemented him into super stardom.  Comes and WINS a comp. right in the heart of Cali when he's still just an am, just beating out McCrank, also just AM at that time.  Jaw dropper.  Templeton put it best, "This contest made it painfully evident the new generation is among us and pros need to get their acts together.  Top three in the finals were two ams (Arto & McCrank, 1st & 2nd) and one Rookie Pro (Kerry Getz, 3rd). 

I remember visiting that munster contest in 98 and everyone was like "who's that kid with the long hair?" those gap to frontboards and kf front boards were really gnarly, but the most awesome thing about that contest was Mccrank who didn't make the cut for the finals. In the practice session, just seconds before the final started, he made a nosegrind on the rail from the halfpipe to the bank and continued skating the whole course and made like at least 10 gnarly tricks in one line. one pro after another stopped skating to watch mccrank and when he finished his run, everybody was just standing there with his jaw dropped.

It was clear to everyone in there that this was the run of the weekend and even before the finals started everybody knew that nobody would be capable of doing a run like this. It was really weird to see mccrank just watching the finals because inofficial he had just won the whole thing.

I always wondered that nobody seemed to film that whole run, because you only see single tricks from that in the videos, like that nollie hardflip.

Theres a great clip of that contest circuit in 411  #30

Wow, really?  I remember that rail.  The only other things I recall on it B.A.'s smith starting off his finals run, Gonz 50'd it, and Lance Mountain also pulled off a sketchy boardslide.  A nosegrind would be sketchy as hell, the bank was super steep and the rail super skinny.  Even B.A. got the wobbles riding out of the smith, plus Crankers had the best nosegrind/overcrooks in the biz at that time.  I'm damn disappointed I never saw footage of it.  I do remember the nollie hardflip over the flat, most pros stuck with a kickflip the flat and then came back for something a little more tech over the hip. 
Crank is still so damn underrated.  I believe it was the same contest, but got no coverage, he was doing padless switch kickflip indy's above the coping over the vert ramp, fucking ridiculous- a little known secret he had them on lock for even years before that.  There was a small photo of it in a TWS and only video was shown in Canada's only video mag "Skate Canada", issue 2.  Just unheard of for a street skater, like the equivalent of Heath's 360 over the mega at the time.  I'm sure he'll kill it in the new girl/choco video, despite approaching middle age. 

[David Schwimmer]

Real talk gentlemen, did Arto get divorced?

[c. 1995]

Munster - Europe95	Small | Large

All star summer

[DaSk8D00D]

is such a big deal for americans to see other guys dick in the sauna?

i always imagine american saunas with people crossing their legs, awkwardly staring at the floor and yelling "NO HOMO NO HOMO" all the time.

we mostly just wear clean towels while in the sauna. personally i wouldnt give no fuck but i can see why one wouldnt wanna sit ina small room next to a bunch of men with their dicks hangin out.



ayo those euro contests had some dope courses. everything was big and steep. like, it COULD'VE been some bullshit course had they overdone but it was just the right amount gnarliness.  handrails into 8 foot banks? i likes dat!

[gutterhead.]

patrick is clearly scared that his paltry u.s phallus is no match for arto's mighty viking sword

CLEARLY!  Clothing in a sauna is just stupid.  Clearly something to hide/homophobe.  Ever been to a gym O'Dell?

Seriously? Isn't O'Dell gay?

[Made In China]

I've never really watched any of his stuff, but he seems like a super rad dude from this episode

Do you mean Arto or O'Dell? Cause if you're a skateboarder and have never seen an Arto part... That's just fucking weird.

I was talking about Arto. I've only been skating for a little over 2 years, that might explain it.

[David Schwimmer]

I've never really watched any of his stuff, but he seems like a super rad dude from this episode

Do you mean Arto or O'Dell? Cause if you're a skateboarder and have never seen an Arto part... That's just fucking weird.

I was talking about Arto. I've only been skating for a little over 2 years, that might explain it.

You probably have more posts on Slap than ollies up curbs. Which is sad..Sad like 8th season of F.R.I.E.N.D.S sad.

[Suit Up!]

I've never really watched any of his stuff, but he seems like a super rad dude from this episode

Do you mean Arto or O'Dell? Cause if you're a skateboarder and have never seen an Arto part... That's just fucking weird.

I was talking about Arto. I've only been skating for a little over 2 years, that might explain it.

You probably have more posts on Slap than ollies up curbs. Which is sad..Sad like 8th season of F.R.I.E.N.D.S sad.

HAHAHA... Well said Dave.

[Ronald Wilson Reagan]

is such a big deal for americans to see other guys dick in the sauna?

Yes. Its a huge deal. HUGE.

I'd totally forgotten about how important the Euro contest circuit was back then. It was such a good summer always of 3 big contests in a row with every amazing pro attending and then the 411 Euro video covering it all. Shame that's gone. What killed it off? Recession? Street League/Maloof?

i remember always being so stoked whenever the 411 europe contest videos would come out in the mid to late 90s. it was those and tampa when you would see who the next "big" guys were. was 98 the year BA got SOTY? i think the munster contest was where everyone decided "hell yeah, this is the guy."


there was some interview or video or something, and i forget who said it, but they basically said everyone was over going to those contests because the guy who organized them was a dick and ripping everyone off. there was basically one guy who ran the circuit and he was blowing it and pissed a lot of people off. something to that extent.

Yeah there was the boycott in '96, dudes were super bummed when they showed up and it was the exact same layout as the year prior, same ramps, a really weak prize purse, meanwhile the one dude running it showed up in a lamborghini diablo or something.  There was a video piece on this somewhere, but I can't for the life of me, remember what it's from.  Maybe Mike V's greatest hits or something?  There was also something about Greg Carroll fighting someone on the course, I think.

I so miss those days.  The Europe contests were the true test of who was killing it harder.  No politics, no selective entry, just whoever can pull the best runs, straight up.  Slam City Jam was fucking killer too, so bummed they don't have it anymore.  

I tried to bring this up in that BA hater thread a while ago.  If you were around for those days, there's no fucking possible way you could hate on BA.  He wasn't ever some sort of competition skater that practiced runs and played it safe just to get on the podium.  Dude's a straight up street skater and comes and takes the Munster Mastership two fucking years in a row with really groundbreaking runs.  Switch nosegrind half cab in a run was just unheard of for that shit at the time.  It was unbelievable.  

Of course, Arto coming just behind him as barely an AM was ridiculous.  I could never understand his clear the flat to front board at the '98 Munster.  Holding the shifty for that long and high on your feet solid enough to lock the front board just blew my mind at the time.  Gnar boots!

Yeah that was what was so exciting about the Euro summer contests - it was this intense window where everyone travelled together and if you skated amazingly then you won - that simple. None of the mafia like family it seems to be now, I doubt an unknown Am could charge into 2nd place against pros so easily now. I think the same year Arto blew up was when Rodrigo TX destroyed the czech contest and basically turned pro from that one line
Rodrigo TX Prague Contest 1999 perfect line
Probably quite a simliar story to Artos in a way

Very true.  Same story just a year later and at the Prague comp.  

I remember that run distinctly from VHS over 10 years ago, haha.  Ending that super, super, super long flawless run with the huge nollie bs heel, must have been completely finished and exhausted after that.  There was the thing about Og de Souza too, really rad.

Those were the days.  It seems TX just kinda faded outta the contest thing after that.  I don't recall him even entering after that.

Arto winning the Cali contest at "Skate Street" with the criss-cross-crash course shortly after that Euro circuit just totally cemented him into super stardom.  Comes and WINS a comp. right in the heart of Cali when he's still just an am, just beating out McCrank, also just AM at that time.  Jaw dropper.  Templeton put it best, "This contest made it painfully evident the new generation is among us and pros need to get their acts together.  Top three in the finals were two ams (Arto & McCrank, 1st & 2nd) and one Rookie Pro (Kerry Getz, 3rd).  

I remember visiting that munster contest in 98 and everyone was like "who's that kid with the long hair?" those gap to frontboards and kf front boards were really gnarly, but the most awesome thing about that contest was Mccrank who didn't make the cut for the finals. In the practice session, just seconds before the final started, he made a nosegrind on the rail from the halfpipe to the bank and continued skating the whole course and made like at least 10 gnarly tricks in one line. one pro after another stopped skating to watch mccrank and when he finished his run, everybody was just standing there with his jaw dropped.

It was clear to everyone in there that this was the run of the weekend and even before the finals started everybody knew that nobody would be capable of doing a run like this. It was really weird to see mccrank just watching the finals because inofficial he had just won the whole thing.

I always wondered that nobody seemed to film that whole run, because you only see single tricks from that in the videos, like that nollie hardflip.

Theres a great clip of that contest circuit in 411  #30

Wow, really?  I remember that rail.  The only other things I recall on it B.A.'s smith starting off his finals run, Gonz 50'd it, and Lance Mountain also pulled off a sketchy boardslide.  A nosegrind would be sketchy as hell, the bank was super steep and the rail super skinny.  Even B.A. got the wobbles riding out of the smith, plus Crankers had the best nosegrind/overcrooks in the biz at that time.  I'm damn disappointed I never saw footage of it.  I do remember the nollie hardflip over the flat, most pros stuck with a kickflip the flat and then came back for something a little more tech over the hip.  
Crank is still so damn underrated.  I believe it was the same contest, but got no coverage, he was doing padless switch kickflip indy's above the coping over the vert ramp, fucking ridiculous- a little known secret he had them on lock for even years before that.  There was a small photo of it in a TWS and only video was shown in Canada's only video mag "Skate Canada", issue 2.  Just unheard of for a street skater, like the equivalent of Heath's 360 over the mega at the time.  I'm sure he'll kill it in the new girl/choco video, despite approaching middle age.  

Some 14 year old french kid kickflip frontboarded it to fakie in the  best trick contest. His name was Bastien something...

[Kristi Yamaguchi]

Speaking of saunas...

Lil B - 3 Stacks *MUSIC VIDEO* ONE OF THE REALIST SONGS EVER MADE JUST LISTEN

[GatorsGhost]

is such a big deal for americans to see other guys dick in the sauna?

Yes. Its a huge deal. HUGE.

I'd totally forgotten about how important the Euro contest circuit was back then. It was such a good summer always of 3 big contests in a row with every amazing pro attending and then the 411 Euro video covering it all. Shame that's gone. What killed it off? Recession? Street League/Maloof?

i remember always being so stoked whenever the 411 europe contest videos would come out in the mid to late 90s. it was those and tampa when you would see who the next "big" guys were. was 98 the year BA got SOTY? i think the munster contest was where everyone decided "hell yeah, this is the guy."


there was some interview or video or something, and i forget who said it, but they basically said everyone was over going to those contests because the guy who organized them was a dick and ripping everyone off. there was basically one guy who ran the circuit and he was blowing it and pissed a lot of people off. something to that extent.

Yeah there was the boycott in '96, dudes were super bummed when they showed up and it was the exact same layout as the year prior, same ramps, a really weak prize purse, meanwhile the one dude running it showed up in a lamborghini diablo or something.  There was a video piece on this somewhere, but I can't for the life of me, remember what it's from.  Maybe Mike V's greatest hits or something?  There was also something about Greg Carroll fighting someone on the course, I think.

I so miss those days.  The Europe contests were the true test of who was killing it harder.  No politics, no selective entry, just whoever can pull the best runs, straight up.  Slam City Jam was fucking killer too, so bummed they don't have it anymore.  

I tried to bring this up in that BA hater thread a while ago.  If you were around for those days, there's no fucking possible way you could hate on BA.  He wasn't ever some sort of competition skater that practiced runs and played it safe just to get on the podium.  Dude's a straight up street skater and comes and takes the Munster Mastership two fucking years in a row with really groundbreaking runs.  Switch nosegrind half cab in a run was just unheard of for that shit at the time.  It was unbelievable.  

Of course, Arto coming just behind him as barely an AM was ridiculous.  I could never understand his clear the flat to front board at the '98 Munster.  Holding the shifty for that long and high on your feet solid enough to lock the front board just blew my mind at the time.  Gnar boots!

Yeah that was what was so exciting about the Euro summer contests - it was this intense window where everyone travelled together and if you skated amazingly then you won - that simple. None of the mafia like family it seems to be now, I doubt an unknown Am could charge into 2nd place against pros so easily now. I think the same year Arto blew up was when Rodrigo TX destroyed the czech contest and basically turned pro from that one line
Rodrigo TX Prague Contest 1999 perfect line
Probably quite a simliar story to Artos in a way

Very true.  Same story just a year later and at the Prague comp.  

I remember that run distinctly from VHS over 10 years ago, haha.  Ending that super, super, super long flawless run with the huge nollie bs heel, must have been completely finished and exhausted after that.  There was the thing about Og de Souza too, really rad.

Those were the days.  It seems TX just kinda faded outta the contest thing after that.  I don't recall him even entering after that.

Arto winning the Cali contest at "Skate Street" with the criss-cross-crash course shortly after that Euro circuit just totally cemented him into super stardom.  Comes and WINS a comp. right in the heart of Cali when he's still just an am, just beating out McCrank, also just AM at that time.  Jaw dropper.  Templeton put it best, "This contest made it painfully evident the new generation is among us and pros need to get their acts together.  Top three in the finals were two ams (Arto & McCrank, 1st & 2nd) and one Rookie Pro (Kerry Getz, 3rd).  

I remember visiting that munster contest in 98 and everyone was like "who's that kid with the long hair?" those gap to frontboards and kf front boards were really gnarly, but the most awesome thing about that contest was Mccrank who didn't make the cut for the finals. In the practice session, just seconds before the final started, he made a nosegrind on the rail from the halfpipe to the bank and continued skating the whole course and made like at least 10 gnarly tricks in one line. one pro after another stopped skating to watch mccrank and when he finished his run, everybody was just standing there with his jaw dropped.

It was clear to everyone in there that this was the run of the weekend and even before the finals started everybody knew that nobody would be capable of doing a run like this. It was really weird to see mccrank just watching the finals because inofficial he had just won the whole thing.

I always wondered that nobody seemed to film that whole run, because you only see single tricks from that in the videos, like that nollie hardflip.

Theres a great clip of that contest circuit in 411  #30

Wow, really?  I remember that rail.  The only other things I recall on it B.A.'s smith starting off his finals run, Gonz 50'd it, and Lance Mountain also pulled off a sketchy boardslide.  A nosegrind would be sketchy as hell, the bank was super steep and the rail super skinny.  Even B.A. got the wobbles riding out of the smith, plus Crankers had the best nosegrind/overcrooks in the biz at that time.  I'm damn disappointed I never saw footage of it.  I do remember the nollie hardflip over the flat, most pros stuck with a kickflip the flat and then came back for something a little more tech over the hip.  
Crank is still so damn underrated.  I believe it was the same contest, but got no coverage, he was doing padless switch kickflip indy's above the coping over the vert ramp, fucking ridiculous- a little known secret he had them on lock for even years before that.  There was a small photo of it in a TWS and only video was shown in Canada's only video mag "Skate Canada", issue 2.  Just unheard of for a street skater, like the equivalent of Heath's 360 over the mega at the time.  I'm sure he'll kill it in the new girl/choco video, despite approaching middle age.  

Some 14 year old french kid kickflip frontboarded it to fakie in the  best trick contest. His name was Bastien something...

I remember being stoked on Oggy 5050ing that thing as well.  I'm also pretty sure McCranks nosegrind is in the 411 Europe from that year, but I can't find it online.

Edit:  Found it   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip_a6dx5gto
	Small | Large

[Ronald Wilson Reagan]

The legged man gets screwed again by affirmative action. Life isn't fair for us people with legs. This whole thread gives me a nostalgia for the Euro contests I never even realized I had. This contest was clearly 2000, as arto and Rodrigo are already on ?s, but I think Fabrizio and Bastien kind of got noticed from these contests. Its crazy to think about how many pros got their start there. Didn't Penny blow up after his performance at like radlands or something. I'm pretty sure almost all of the international pros on American teams in the 90's-early 2000's got on that way. I wonder if the downfall of the Euro contests had to do with the fact that companies just started going to places like Barcelona anyway to get footage, so the excuse of going to Europe for those contests was gone.

One later appearing Euro circuit contest must get its mention too. Marseilles....

Classics - Marseille 1999	Small | Large

John Cardiel - Bs Melon 360 - Marseille Bowlriders 2000	Small | Large

I don't care if people say Jaws transfer was bigger, at wasnt at the contest with a broken board.

[slappyslap]

is such a big deal for americans to see other guys dick in the sauna?

Yes. Its a huge deal. HUGE.

I'd totally forgotten about how important the Euro contest circuit was back then. It was such a good summer always of 3 big contests in a row with every amazing pro attending and then the 411 Euro video covering it all. Shame that's gone. What killed it off? Recession? Street League/Maloof?

i remember always being so stoked whenever the 411 europe contest videos would come out in the mid to late 90s. it was those and tampa when you would see who the next "big" guys were. was 98 the year BA got SOTY? i think the munster contest was where everyone decided "hell yeah, this is the guy."


there was some interview or video or something, and i forget who said it, but they basically said everyone was over going to those contests because the guy who organized them was a dick and ripping everyone off. there was basically one guy who ran the circuit and he was blowing it and pissed a lot of people off. something to that extent.

Yeah there was the boycott in '96, dudes were super bummed when they showed up and it was the exact same layout as the year prior, same ramps, a really weak prize purse, meanwhile the one dude running it showed up in a lamborghini diablo or something.  There was a video piece on this somewhere, but I can't for the life of me, remember what it's from.  Maybe Mike V's greatest hits or something?  There was also something about Greg Carroll fighting someone on the course, I think.

I so miss those days.  The Europe contests were the true test of who was killing it harder.  No politics, no selective entry, just whoever can pull the best runs, straight up.  Slam City Jam was fucking killer too, so bummed they don't have it anymore.  

I tried to bring this up in that BA hater thread a while ago.  If you were around for those days, there's no fucking possible way you could hate on BA.  He wasn't ever some sort of competition skater that practiced runs and played it safe just to get on the podium.  Dude's a straight up street skater and comes and takes the Munster Mastership two fucking years in a row with really groundbreaking runs.  Switch nosegrind half cab in a run was just unheard of for that shit at the time.  It was unbelievable.  

Of course, Arto coming just behind him as barely an AM was ridiculous.  I could never understand his clear the flat to front board at the '98 Munster.  Holding the shifty for that long and high on your feet solid enough to lock the front board just blew my mind at the time.  Gnar boots!

Yeah that was what was so exciting about the Euro summer contests - it was this intense window where everyone travelled together and if you skated amazingly then you won - that simple. None of the mafia like family it seems to be now, I doubt an unknown Am could charge into 2nd place against pros so easily now. I think the same year Arto blew up was when Rodrigo TX destroyed the czech contest and basically turned pro from that one line
Rodrigo TX Prague Contest 1999 perfect line
Probably quite a simliar story to Artos in a way

Very true.  Same story just a year later and at the Prague comp.  

I remember that run distinctly from VHS over 10 years ago, haha.  Ending that super, super, super long flawless run with the huge nollie bs heel, must have been completely finished and exhausted after that.  There was the thing about Og de Souza too, really rad.

Those were the days.  It seems TX just kinda faded outta the contest thing after that.  I don't recall him even entering after that.

Arto winning the Cali contest at "Skate Street" with the criss-cross-crash course shortly after that Euro circuit just totally cemented him into super stardom.  Comes and WINS a comp. right in the heart of Cali when he's still just an am, just beating out McCrank, also just AM at that time.  Jaw dropper.  Templeton put it best, "This contest made it painfully evident the new generation is among us and pros need to get their acts together.  Top three in the finals were two ams (Arto & McCrank, 1st & 2nd) and one Rookie Pro (Kerry Getz, 3rd).  

I remember visiting that munster contest in 98 and everyone was like "who's that kid with the long hair?" those gap to frontboards and kf front boards were really gnarly, but the most awesome thing about that contest was Mccrank who didn't make the cut for the finals. In the practice session, just seconds before the final started, he made a nosegrind on the rail from the halfpipe to the bank and continued skating the whole course and made like at least 10 gnarly tricks in one line. one pro after another stopped skating to watch mccrank and when he finished his run, everybody was just standing there with his jaw dropped.

It was clear to everyone in there that this was the run of the weekend and even before the finals started everybody knew that nobody would be capable of doing a run like this. It was really weird to see mccrank just watching the finals because inofficial he had just won the whole thing.

I always wondered that nobody seemed to film that whole run, because you only see single tricks from that in the videos, like that nollie hardflip.

Theres a great clip of that contest circuit in 411  #30

Wow, really?  I remember that rail.  The only other things I recall on it B.A.'s smith starting off his finals run, Gonz 50'd it, and Lance Mountain also pulled off a sketchy boardslide.  A nosegrind would be sketchy as hell, the bank was super steep and the rail super skinny.  Even B.A. got the wobbles riding out of the smith, plus Crankers had the best nosegrind/overcrooks in the biz at that time.  I'm damn disappointed I never saw footage of it.  I do remember the nollie hardflip over the flat, most pros stuck with a kickflip the flat and then came back for something a little more tech over the hip.  
Crank is still so damn underrated.  I believe it was the same contest, but got no coverage, he was doing padless switch kickflip indy's above the coping over the vert ramp, fucking ridiculous- a little known secret he had them on lock for even years before that.  There was a small photo of it in a TWS and only video was shown in Canada's only video mag "Skate Canada", issue 2.  Just unheard of for a street skater, like the equivalent of Heath's 360 over the mega at the time.  I'm sure he'll kill it in the new girl/choco video, despite approaching middle age.  

Some 14 year old french kid kickflip frontboarded it to fakie in the  best trick contest. His name was Bastien something...

I remember being stoked on Oggy 5050ing that thing as well.  I'm also pretty sure McCranks nosegrind is in the 411 Europe from that year, but I can't find it online.

Edit:  Found it   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip_a6dx5gto

Can't wait for street league

[stephendedalus]

John Cardiel - Bs Melon 360 - Marseille Bowlriders 2000
I don't care if people say Jaws transfer was bigger, at wasnt at the contest with a broken board.

Hadn't seen this in a long time, so good.

I think I would have called it a day and opened a beer after slamming like that for the first time. That was unreal.

[Citizen on Patron]

Munster - Europe95

All star summer

Dude Mike V's kickflip up that pyramid was so beast

[Dr Steve Brule]

That Cardiel video makes me think one thing: it's a fucking shame what happened to him.

[LOU.502]

Anyone know when the new ep goes up?

[sluggers]

http://www.vice.com/epicly-later-d/arto-saari-part-2

[LOU.502]

http://www.vice.com/epicly-later-d/arto-saari-part-2

Much obliged doll

[darrin lee]

is such a big deal for americans to see other guys dick in the sauna?

Yes. Its a huge deal. HUGE.

I'd totally forgotten about how important the Euro contest circuit was back then. It was such a good summer always of 3 big contests in a row with every amazing pro attending and then the 411 Euro video covering it all. Shame that's gone. What killed it off? Recession? Street League/Maloof?

i remember always being so stoked whenever the 411 europe contest videos would come out in the mid to late 90s. it was those and tampa when you would see who the next "big" guys were. was 98 the year BA got SOTY? i think the munster contest was where everyone decided "hell yeah, this is the guy."


there was some interview or video or something, and i forget who said it, but they basically said everyone was over going to those contests because the guy who organized them was a dick and ripping everyone off. there was basically one guy who ran the circuit and he was blowing it and pissed a lot of people off. something to that extent.

Yeah there was the boycott in '96, dudes were super bummed when they showed up and it was the exact same layout as the year prior, same ramps, a really weak prize purse, meanwhile the one dude running it showed up in a lamborghini diablo or something.  There was a video piece on this somewhere, but I can't for the life of me, remember what it's from.  Maybe Mike V's greatest hits or something?  There was also something about Greg Carroll fighting someone on the course, I think.

I so miss those days.  The Europe contests were the true test of who was killing it harder.  No politics, no selective entry, just whoever can pull the best runs, straight up.  Slam City Jam was fucking killer too, so bummed they don't have it anymore.  

I tried to bring this up in that BA hater thread a while ago.  If you were around for those days, there's no fucking possible way you could hate on BA.  He wasn't ever some sort of competition skater that practiced runs and played it safe just to get on the podium.  Dude's a straight up street skater and comes and takes the Munster Mastership two fucking years in a row with really groundbreaking runs.  Switch nosegrind half cab in a run was just unheard of for that shit at the time.  It was unbelievable.  

Of course, Arto coming just behind him as barely an AM was ridiculous.  I could never understand his clear the flat to front board at the '98 Munster.  Holding the shifty for that long and high on your feet solid enough to lock the front board just blew my mind at the time.  Gnar boots!

Yeah that was what was so exciting about the Euro summer contests - it was this intense window where everyone travelled together and if you skated amazingly then you won - that simple. None of the mafia like family it seems to be now, I doubt an unknown Am could charge into 2nd place against pros so easily now. I think the same year Arto blew up was when Rodrigo TX destroyed the czech contest and basically turned pro from that one line
Rodrigo TX Prague Contest 1999 perfect line
Probably quite a simliar story to Artos in a way

Very true.  Same story just a year later and at the Prague comp.  

I remember that run distinctly from VHS over 10 years ago, haha.  Ending that super, super, super long flawless run with the huge nollie bs heel, must have been completely finished and exhausted after that.  There was the thing about Og de Souza too, really rad.

Those were the days.  It seems TX just kinda faded outta the contest thing after that.  I don't recall him even entering after that.

Arto winning the Cali contest at "Skate Street" with the criss-cross-crash course shortly after that Euro circuit just totally cemented him into super stardom.  Comes and WINS a comp. right in the heart of Cali when he's still just an am, just beating out McCrank, also just AM at that time.  Jaw dropper.  Templeton put it best, "This contest made it painfully evident the new generation is among us and pros need to get their acts together.  Top three in the finals were two ams (Arto & McCrank, 1st & 2nd) and one Rookie Pro (Kerry Getz, 3rd).  

I remember visiting that munster contest in 98 and everyone was like "who's that kid with the long hair?" those gap to frontboards and kf front boards were really gnarly, but the most awesome thing about that contest was Mccrank who didn't make the cut for the finals. In the practice session, just seconds before the final started, he made a nosegrind on the rail from the halfpipe to the bank and continued skating the whole course and made like at least 10 gnarly tricks in one line. one pro after another stopped skating to watch mccrank and when he finished his run, everybody was just standing there with his jaw dropped.

It was clear to everyone in there that this was the run of the weekend and even before the finals started everybody knew that nobody would be capable of doing a run like this. It was really weird to see mccrank just watching the finals because inofficial he had just won the whole thing.

I always wondered that nobody seemed to film that whole run, because you only see single tricks from that in the videos, like that nollie hardflip.

Theres a great clip of that contest circuit in 411  #30

Wow, really?  I remember that rail.  The only other things I recall on it B.A.'s smith starting off his finals run, Gonz 50'd it, and Lance Mountain also pulled off a sketchy boardslide.  A nosegrind would be sketchy as hell, the bank was super steep and the rail super skinny.  Even B.A. got the wobbles riding out of the smith, plus Crankers had the best nosegrind/overcrooks in the biz at that time.  I'm damn disappointed I never saw footage of it.  I do remember the nollie hardflip over the flat, most pros stuck with a kickflip the flat and then came back for something a little more tech over the hip.  
Crank is still so damn underrated.  I believe it was the same contest, but got no coverage, he was doing padless switch kickflip indy's above the coping over the vert ramp, fucking ridiculous- a little known secret he had them on lock for even years before that.  There was a small photo of it in a TWS and only video was shown in Canada's only video mag "Skate Canada", issue 2.  Just unheard of for a street skater, like the equivalent of Heath's 360 over the mega at the time.  I'm sure he'll kill it in the new girl/choco video, despite approaching middle age.  

Some 14 year old french kid kickflip frontboarded it to fakie in the  best trick contest. His name was Bastien something...

That was Europe 2000, Gipper.  We were talking about '98, the Arto intro year. 

Yeah Bastien got second for that kf front board just behind Og de Souza's hand feeble.

You're one of the best posters on here, Gip...  I am more than a little proud to have the honour of correcting you here, .

[tuque]

The legged man gets screwed again by affirmative action. Life isn't fair for us people with legs. This whole thread gives me a nostalgia for the Euro contests I never even realized I had. This contest was clearly 2000, as arto and Rodrigo are already on ?s, but I think Fabrizio and Bastien kind of got noticed from these contests. Its crazy to think about how many pros got their start there. Didn't Penny blow up after his performance at like radlands or something. I'm pretty sure almost all of the international pros on American teams in the 90's-early 2000's got on that way. I wonder if the downfall of the Euro contests had to do with the fact that companies just started going to places like Barcelona anyway to get footage, so the excuse of going to Europe for those contests was gone.

One later appearing Euro circuit contest must get its mention too. Marseilles....
Classics - Marseille 1999

John Cardiel - Bs Melon 360 - Marseille Bowlriders 2000
I don't care if people say Jaws transfer was bigger, at wasnt at the contest with a broken board.

"For me its just crazy to be there,  skating with those guys "

[Citizen on Patron]

Is it weird I got all giggly like a school girl the first time I watched this?

[lalala]

Old rowley and penny footy, I'm so happy right now. The flatground switch flip looked so good.

[MattMacker]

so sick they talked about penny.. i think the dude is ALOT smarter than people think he is. dude just picks up other another language in a year lol. crazy shit

[zecumbe]

so sick they talked about penny.. i think the dude is ALOT smarter than people think he is. dude just picks up other another language in a year lol. crazy shit

Actually I wouldnt be surprised if he was a genious, in terms of skateboarding IQ i guess in is prime he was at the highest level, said by Geoff Rowley himself, the dude could skate ANY type of terrain with incredible ease and effortless style.

All that whille making it seem like he wasnt even thinking, just mind tripping into outter space or something...

[Ronald Wilson Reagan]

is such a big deal for americans to see other guys dick in the sauna?

Yes. Its a huge deal. HUGE.

I'd totally forgotten about how important the Euro contest circuit was back then. It was such a good summer always of 3 big contests in a row with every amazing pro attending and then the 411 Euro video covering it all. Shame that's gone. What killed it off? Recession? Street League/Maloof?

i remember always being so stoked whenever the 411 europe contest videos would come out in the mid to late 90s. it was those and tampa when you would see who the next "big" guys were. was 98 the year BA got SOTY? i think the munster contest was where everyone decided "hell yeah, this is the guy."


there was some interview or video or something, and i forget who said it, but they basically said everyone was over going to those contests because the guy who organized them was a dick and ripping everyone off. there was basically one guy who ran the circuit and he was blowing it and pissed a lot of people off. something to that extent.

Yeah there was the boycott in '96, dudes were super bummed when they showed up and it was the exact same layout as the year prior, same ramps, a really weak prize purse, meanwhile the one dude running it showed up in a lamborghini diablo or something.  There was a video piece on this somewhere, but I can't for the life of me, remember what it's from.  Maybe Mike V's greatest hits or something?  There was also something about Greg Carroll fighting someone on the course, I think.

I so miss those days.  The Europe contests were the true test of who was killing it harder.  No politics, no selective entry, just whoever can pull the best runs, straight up.  Slam City Jam was fucking killer too, so bummed they don't have it anymore.  

I tried to bring this up in that BA hater thread a while ago.  If you were around for those days, there's no fucking possible way you could hate on BA.  He wasn't ever some sort of competition skater that practiced runs and played it safe just to get on the podium.  Dude's a straight up street skater and comes and takes the Munster Mastership two fucking years in a row with really groundbreaking runs.  Switch nosegrind half cab in a run was just unheard of for that shit at the time.  It was unbelievable.  

Of course, Arto coming just behind him as barely an AM was ridiculous.  I could never understand his clear the flat to front board at the '98 Munster.  Holding the shifty for that long and high on your feet solid enough to lock the front board just blew my mind at the time.  Gnar boots!

Yeah that was what was so exciting about the Euro summer contests - it was this intense window where everyone travelled together and if you skated amazingly then you won - that simple. None of the mafia like family it seems to be now, I doubt an unknown Am could charge into 2nd place against pros so easily now. I think the same year Arto blew up was when Rodrigo TX destroyed the czech contest and basically turned pro from that one line
Rodrigo TX Prague Contest 1999 perfect line
Probably quite a simliar story to Artos in a way

Very true.  Same story just a year later and at the Prague comp.  

I remember that run distinctly from VHS over 10 years ago, haha.  Ending that super, super, super long flawless run with the huge nollie bs heel, must have been completely finished and exhausted after that.  There was the thing about Og de Souza too, really rad.

Those were the days.  It seems TX just kinda faded outta the contest thing after that.  I don't recall him even entering after that.

Arto winning the Cali contest at "Skate Street" with the criss-cross-crash course shortly after that Euro circuit just totally cemented him into super stardom.  Comes and WINS a comp. right in the heart of Cali when he's still just an am, just beating out McCrank, also just AM at that time.  Jaw dropper.  Templeton put it best, "This contest made it painfully evident the new generation is among us and pros need to get their acts together.  Top three in the finals were two ams (Arto & McCrank, 1st & 2nd) and one Rookie Pro (Kerry Getz, 3rd).  

I remember visiting that munster contest in 98 and everyone was like "who's that kid with the long hair?" those gap to frontboards and kf front boards were really gnarly, but the most awesome thing about that contest was Mccrank who didn't make the cut for the finals. In the practice session, just seconds before the final started, he made a nosegrind on the rail from the halfpipe to the bank and continued skating the whole course and made like at least 10 gnarly tricks in one line. one pro after another stopped skating to watch mccrank and when he finished his run, everybody was just standing there with his jaw dropped.

It was clear to everyone in there that this was the run of the weekend and even before the finals started everybody knew that nobody would be capable of doing a run like this. It was really weird to see mccrank just watching the finals because inofficial he had just won the whole thing.

I always wondered that nobody seemed to film that whole run, because you only see single tricks from that in the videos, like that nollie hardflip.

Theres a great clip of that contest circuit in 411  #30

Wow, really?  I remember that rail.  The only other things I recall on it B.A.'s smith starting off his finals run, Gonz 50'd it, and Lance Mountain also pulled off a sketchy boardslide.  A nosegrind would be sketchy as hell, the bank was super steep and the rail super skinny.  Even B.A. got the wobbles riding out of the smith, plus Crankers had the best nosegrind/overcrooks in the biz at that time.  I'm damn disappointed I never saw footage of it.  I do remember the nollie hardflip over the flat, most pros stuck with a kickflip the flat and then came back for something a little more tech over the hip.  
Crank is still so damn underrated.  I believe it was the same contest, but got no coverage, he was doing padless switch kickflip indy's above the coping over the vert ramp, fucking ridiculous- a little known secret he had them on lock for even years before that.  There was a small photo of it in a TWS and only video was shown in Canada's only video mag "Skate Canada", issue 2.  Just unheard of for a street skater, like the equivalent of Heath's 360 over the mega at the time.  I'm sure he'll kill it in the new girl/choco video, despite approaching middle age.  

Some 14 year old french kid kickflip frontboarded it to fakie in the  best trick contest. His name was Bastien something...

That was Europe 2000, Gipper.  We were talking about '98, the Arto intro year. 

Yeah Bastien got second for that kf front board just behind Og de Souza's hand feeble.

You're one of the best posters on here, Gip...  I am more than a little proud to have the honour of correcting you here, .

I know, but I was referring to the contest with McCrank nosegrinding down the rail off the ramp into the bank. The signals seem to have crossed a while back

[BarcelonaCEO]

are you guys forgetting copenhaguen pro? last year they killed the bowl, watch the thrasher vids

[exlurker]

I am so hyped on these episodes. This era of flip had so much mystique to me when i was a kid, it's rad to see all of this shit discussed. Epicly laterd is killing it.