Vans Park Series

[SHAQUEEFA]

Any of you guys watch this? If you know me, you know I work for The Boardr and we run these events behind the scenes. I was just wondering what you guys thought, good or bad. Fire away.

[Sold Out]

Is it true it's going to be a qualifier for the Olympics?

[SHAQUEEFA]

That is a goal. Currently, no one has managed to be officially aligned with the IOC, but if you are paying attention, the entire industry is scrambling to find potential Olympians from foreign countries. On the other side, we as contest organizers are trying our hardest to represent an international field so when the time comes, we are ready. Shit, our next 3 events on the calendar are in China, Singapore, and China with the previous few being Portugal, Denmark, Chile, Columbia, Sweden, and Brazil. Lots of companies trying to hit international markets. Thanks for the question.

[grimcity]

Is THC still a banned substance?

I bet Gary Ream's got his pre-fab skate ramp marketing people churning out "Woordword Ramps, the Official Ramps of the Olympics" crap on hyperdrive.

I'm glad that some skaters are going to get some endorsement deals and whatnot, but now our local parks are going to be full of hometown skoaches that'll make Nyjah's old man look like a saint. No hate on Boardr, but as an older skate rat, seeing the gentrification of what we do blasted through the media is getting really tiresome and has been for some time. I know it's unstoppable at this point, and it has no effect on my own skating, but "did you see the Olympics" is going to be the new "hey brah, u saw Tony pull that 900?"

[Joust Ostrich]

Nike polos make me hate children.   

[shred42O]

Would Ben Hatchell actually get the win he deserved if Clements was managing him and getting a cut?

[SHAQUEEFA]

Yes, THC is still a banned substance. Skaters are gonna have to decide if they want to be Olympians, or watch their boys skate the olympics while smoking weed on the couch.

As far as Ben Hatchell goes, you would have to ask head judge Jason Rothmeyer. He chimes in on the boards from time to time, and is a total professional when it comes to judging. I sit at a registration desk and dont get to see much of what goes down.

I met Tom's agent over the weekend, and his name is NOT Ryan Clements.

[D.O.T. DIY]

If you could get Grosso or Fred Gall to be an announcer for every stop, I don't think there would be any complaints.

[coreaf]

Yes, THC is still a banned substance. Skaters are gonna have to decide if they want to be Olympians, or watch their boys skate the olympics while smoking weed on the couch.

As far as Ben Hatchell goes, you would have to ask head judge Jason Rothmeyer. He chimes in on the boards from time to time, and is a total professional when it comes to judging. I sit at a registration desk and dont get to see much of what goes down.

I met Tom's agent over the weekend, and his name is NOT Ryan Clements.

[Roisto]

I've watched these for about a year now. At first I thought it was really enjoyable but now it's getting more and more repetitive and boring. Tom Schaar 540 and a bunch of other tricks: 90 something points, victory. Meh.

The iPhone app also really sucks. I get notifications for all the events but the red bubble on the app icon with the number won't go away no matter what. The number just keeps increasing and the only way to get rid of it is deleting the app and reinstalling. Also I usually can't watch this shit live cuz I have somewhat of a life every now and then and due to time zones also and if I open the app to check the videos I am blasted with the results. There's pretty much no way to avoid seeing the results beforehand, which kinda ruins the fun of watching it for a bit.

Last year on the Huntington beach event you could watch the prelims also I think. I remember those being much more interesting than the finals or the semis. A lot of insane stuff going on and interesting skaters and more of a laid back session vibe even if they all didn't manage to pull off full runs to advance to the semis.

Also the announcers could tone down the Yankee style overhyping a bit. I've never liked watching the X-games or Street League or any of that shit but I have enjoyed watching Vans Park Series, so at least you've done something right IMO. Also fuck the Olympics. There is absolutely no reason for that. It is going to water down skateboarding just like it did with snowboarding and everyone involved is to blame.

[Cherb]

I've watched these for about a year now. At first I thought it was really enjoyable but now it's getting more and more repetitive and boring. Tom Schaar 540 and a bunch of other tricks: 90 something points, victory. Meh.

The iPhone app also really sucks. I get notifications for all the events but the red bubble on the app icon with the number won't go away no matter what. The number just keeps increasing and the only way to get rid of it is deleting the app and reinstalling. Also I usually can't watch this shit live cuz I have somewhat of a life every now and then and due to time zones also and if I open the app to check the videos I am blasted with the results. There's pretty much no way to avoid seeing the results beforehand, which kinda ruins the fun of watching it for a bit.

Last year on the Huntington beach event you could watch the prelims also I think. I remember those being much more interesting than the finals or the semis. A lot of insane stuff going on and interesting skaters and more of a laid back session vibe even if they all didn't manage to pull off full runs to advance to the semis.

Also the announcers could tone down the Yankee style overhyping a bit. I've never liked watching the X-games or Street League or any of that shit but I have enjoyed watching Vans Park Series, so at least you've done something right IMO. Also fuck the Olympics. There is absolutely no reason for that. It is going to water down skateboarding just like it did with snowboarding and everyone involved is to blame.

I agree with everything you said. The qualifiers and the semi finals are better than the finals. It's literally the same repetitive shit except for like Kevin Kowalski and Jack Fardell doing different shit. I thought Zion killed it too but they all got mediocre scores because they aren't judging the shit on the most important thing. Style and creativity.

[noileum]

another vote for how much more interesting the prelims and heats etc are. 

I much prefer watching people actually having fun and trying to work out their lines rather than the prescribed runs in the finals

[Ghost Face]

Do you think you could get Vic Ramano and Kenny Blankenship from MXC to announce the Olympic events? It is in Japan after all.

[lk130]

Its not random at all . .I skate for a rush of a few things

[Francis Xavier]

Weed>The Olympics

[Hevonen]

Semis at least should be 3 or 4 dude sessions imo. More chance to see some gnarly shit from dudes like GT, Greyson and the rest who can't be bothered to put together a proper contest run. Now it's pretty much all about the vert kids that grew up skating a megaramp doing the same shit all weekend.


Take notes from this, kinda been downhill ever since

[Thrash-trash]

Ive been watching it a bit. Im not super hyped on the format. 40 sec run unless you fall would work better on a jam session style. I also dont like the highest scored run wins. That def takes away from the guy who has been killing it all day/week and not even make it to the finals.

Saw the live webcast for the girls. Seemed liked they were already going to let the 13 year old win before the contest even started. She had the highest scored run with a bail 3/4 through her run and still won? Nora had the best speed, style and mix between airs and lip tricks. She definitely should have won.

Maybe a session jam style for prelims (not a snake session) and then a more structured finals. But in all honesty, Im not a contest promotor or organizer, but you did ask for some opinions...

Also, I really like the idea of an actual skatepark like Hasting being used other than building something and tearing it down. Seems like that'll promote real parks and could do a possible park profile/ history. Give some of the park builders some recognition like Team Pain, Grindline, Dreamland and others than just California Parks.

[Chuck Gender]

That is a goal. Currently, no one has managed to be officially aligned with the IOC, but if you are paying attention, the entire industry is scrambling to find potential Olympians from foreign countries.

This is so incredibly lame. Sitting behind a fucking desk and thinking about a way to get a piece of the Olympic shitcake.

[wheelies]

why is trophies shaped like cups?

[Tracer]

If Tokyo does a street, park, and vert event my guess is park will get the best ratings. Tokyo doesn't have any big bowl parks so I'm guessing this will all be in some indoor arena, that would suck.

What's with this place making the Olympics about ganja? It's a fucking skate contest bros. Just take a month off!

Weed is super fucking illegal in Japan anyways, so stay at home if it's that important.

[JAesop]

I've watched these for about a year now. At first I thought it was really enjoyable but now it's getting more and more repetitive and boring. Tom Schaar 540 and a bunch of other tricks: 90 something points, victory. Meh.

Last year on the Huntington beach event you could watch the prelims also I think. I remember those being much more interesting than the finals or the semis. A lot of insane stuff going on and interesting skaters and more of a laid back session vibe even if they all didn't manage to pull off full runs to advance to the semis.

Also fuck the Olympics. There is absolutely no reason for that. It is going to water down skateboarding just like it did with snowboarding and everyone involved is to blame.

Exactly right. Especially the watered down part. It happened with surfing, it happened with downhill mountain biking, and it happened with snowboarding. It's already become generic.   I want to see guys like Greyson, Sky, Ronnie, Grant, Kevin, Jimmy, Oski and Ben Hatchell/ Ben Raybourn any day.  There needs to be something that rewards creativity and adaptation, not just the same ten tricks from the same 8 guys. Fuck it, put some of the series stops at parks that require the ability to adapt like Burnside, San Pedro, Lincoln City, Marginal Way, FDR...

[SodaJerk]

If Tokyo does a street, park, and vert event my guess is park will get the best ratings. Tokyo doesn't have any big bowl parks so I'm guessing this will all be in some indoor arena, that would suck.

What's with this place making the Olympics about ganja? It's a fucking skate contest bros. Just take a month off!

Weed is super fucking illegal in Japan anyways, so stay at home if it's that important.

[Donald Rump]

Fuck the Olympics.

[ttching!]

Van's could get 99% of the SLAP market share if they change their slogan to 'Of the Wall'

[SodaJerk]

Van's could get 99% of the SLAP market share if they change their slogan to 'Of the Wall'

[madtragic]

Van's could get 99% of the SLAP market share if they change their slogan to 'Of the Wall'

this

[Fecal Fury]

Expand Quote

I've watched these for about a year now. At first I thought it was really enjoyable but now it's getting more and more repetitive and boring. Tom Schaar 540 and a bunch of other tricks: 90 something points, victory. Meh.

Last year on the Huntington beach event you could watch the prelims also I think. I remember those being much more interesting than the finals or the semis. A lot of insane stuff going on and interesting skaters and more of a laid back session vibe even if they all didn't manage to pull off full runs to advance to the semis.

Also fuck the Olympics. There is absolutely no reason for that. It is going to water down skateboarding just like it did with snowboarding and everyone involved is to blame.

[close]

Exactly right. Especially the watered down part. It happened with surfing, it happened with downhill mountain biking, and it happened with snowboarding. It's already become generic.   I want to see guys like Greyson, Sky, Ronnie, Grant, Kevin, Jimmy, Oski and Ben Hatchell/ Ben Raybourn any day.  There needs to be something that rewards creativity and adaptation, not just the same ten tricks from the same 8 guys. Fuck it, put some of the series stops at parks that require the ability to adapt like Burnside, San Pedro, Lincoln City, Federal Way, FDR...

The park series would struggle to gain the attendance at any of those stops as they currently do piggybacking off the Vans US Open.

That 2013 vid posted above was awesome from a true Skating perspective, but is far from Olympics friendly.

Also the Olympics hasn't watered down shit in Snowboarding; it's simply widened the gap between the elite athletes who strive for repetitive consistency (Shaun White) and the drop kicks who do interesting shit (Scott Stevens).
Not so long ago there wasn't much separating the two...

Surfing hasn't even been affected by the Olympics yet either although I'm not holding my breath.
The WSL is already an impressive format that people say dumbs down the true essence of surfing but to see guys throw themselves over the ledge at Teahupoo, Pipe or Cloudbreak when it's maxxing out is fucking awesome.

[lurka lurka]

In regards to the Olympics - If you're trying to use it as a qualifier for the olympics then i would personally like to see another event or series used. The US open since Vans took it over at least has felt like it's been representative, or at least willing to be representative of a side of skateboarding that the general public doesn't see too often where you get dudes that normally wouldn't be anywhere near a contest, much less a podium skating in a finals and getting some bit of general public shine for 15 minutes. Personally, I think there are plenty of current or recently defunct contests that are cut from the olympic cloth, I don't feel like there's a need to co-opt a more organic feeling event to do so.

On the event itself, I take my little dude to the HB comp every year and this year felt more sterile and like any other whitewashed contest than in years past. I don't know if that was the course layout, it seemed like dudes were losing steam towards the end - or the malibu skatepark club that made up the finals, hell maybe it was the barricades, the police lookout towers and the curfew signs this year that seemed more pronounced this year and just made the event in general just seem a little tamped down. Whatever the reason, each year for the last 3 years it's felt like the event has moved farther away from the fun and looseness that made it a more unique event/series and I feel the skating itself has been weaker or at least less diverse. There's still an interesting mix of dudes invited to the events and it's not like the event has fundamentally changed much, but for whatever reason those dudes don't seem to be advancing and there's more emphasis on tricks than flow.

That being said I work for skate and BMX companies and know many of the riders in BMX and skate say the whole park series (and the Open in particular) are some of the more fun and comfortable contests out there and they like coming out to them. I think If you start attaching things like qualifiers to the olympics you're going to shift the skaters that are both invited and attracted to it and it's going to change the dynamic that's made it that fun environment.

[Francis Xavier]

In regards to the Olympics - If you're trying to use it as a qualifier for the olympics then i would personally like to see another event or series used. The US open since Vans took it over at least has felt like it's been representative, or at least willing to be representative of a side of skateboarding that the general public doesn't see too often where you get dudes that normally wouldn't be anywhere near a contest, much less a podium skating in a finals and getting some bit of general public shine for 15 minutes. Personally, I think there are plenty of current or recently defunct contests that are cut from the olympic cloth, I don't feel like there's a need to co-opt a more organic feeling event to do so.

On the event itself, I take my little dude to the HB comp every year and this year felt more sterile and like any other whitewashed contest than in years past. I don't know if that was the course layout, it seemed like dudes were losing steam towards the end - or the malibu skatepark club that made up the finals, hell maybe it was the barricades, the police lookout towers and the curfew signs this year that seemed more pronounced this year and just made the event in general just seem a little tamped down. Whatever the reason, each year for the last 3 years it's felt like the event has moved farther away from the fun and looseness that made it a more unique event/series and I feel the skating itself has been weaker or at least less diverse. There's still an interesting mix of dudes invited to the events and it's not like the event has fundamentally changed much, but for whatever reason those dudes don't seem to be advancing and there's more emphasis on tricks than flow.

That being said I work for skate and BMX companies and know many of the riders in BMX and skate say the whole park series (and the Open in particular) are some of the more fun and comfortable contests out there and they like coming out to them. I think If you start attaching things like qualifiers to the olympics you're going to shift the skaters that are both invited and attracted to it and it's going to change the dynamic that's made it that fun environment.

Even the Tempster was sort of bored this year at the open. Ever since the riot the open has watered down,especially the skate contest with this new breed of kids and their 540s haha

[lurka lurka]

Expand Quote

In regards to the Olympics - If you're trying to use it as a qualifier for the olympics then i would personally like to see another event or series used. The US open since Vans took it over at least has felt like it's been representative, or at least willing to be representative of a side of skateboarding that the general public doesn't see too often where you get dudes that normally wouldn't be anywhere near a contest, much less a podium skating in a finals and getting some bit of general public shine for 15 minutes. Personally, I think there are plenty of current or recently defunct contests that are cut from the olympic cloth, I don't feel like there's a need to co-opt a more organic feeling event to do so.

On the event itself, I take my little dude to the HB comp every year and this year felt more sterile and like any other whitewashed contest than in years past. I don't know if that was the course layout, it seemed like dudes were losing steam towards the end - or the malibu skatepark club that made up the finals, hell maybe it was the barricades, the police lookout towers and the curfew signs this year that seemed more pronounced this year and just made the event in general just seem a little tamped down. Whatever the reason, each year for the last 3 years it's felt like the event has moved farther away from the fun and looseness that made it a more unique event/series and I feel the skating itself has been weaker or at least less diverse. There's still an interesting mix of dudes invited to the events and it's not like the event has fundamentally changed much, but for whatever reason those dudes don't seem to be advancing and there's more emphasis on tricks than flow.

That being said I work for skate and BMX companies and know many of the riders in BMX and skate say the whole park series (and the Open in particular) are some of the more fun and comfortable contests out there and they like coming out to them. I think If you start attaching things like qualifiers to the olympics you're going to shift the skaters that are both invited and attracted to it and it's going to change the dynamic that's made it that fun environment.

[close]

Even the Tempster was sort of bored this year at the open. Ever since the riot the open has watered down,especially the skate contest with this new breed of kids and their 540s haha

you know and from the organizers perspective with good reason to some extent, so I don't pretend to know the right mix, but i do know even my 11 year old was ready to duck out and go skate at any point rather than hang around. They've had 2 separate years that have come with some after hours nonsense and obviously for an event to continue you have to limit that stuff as much as possible. But it did feel overly bland, especially the riding.