The Grotto Lotto Contest 2018 Photos

During the long Portland winter months, many nights are spent in our skatepark, The Grotto, as a refuge from the persistent rain. Deck chatter often turns to talk of out-of-town rippers who would enjoy the park and sessions we would like to see go down. These talks sparked the idea of doing an invitational contest with some of our favorite skaters. As we all know, skateboard contest can be equal parts awesome and suck. We see The Grotto Lotto as a non-test, an extended practice, per se—a chance to do some ripping with some of your buds in a unique park without the distractions of self-obsessed kids and energy-drink chicks.

 

When we compiled our list we expected a very heavy session and some awesome vibes, but we had no idea the level of skating that was possible in our park. The variety of skaters combined with the communal hype brought top-notch maneuvers to every obstacle. The energy was through the roof and everyone was cranking it up and without the distraction of posting tricks and checking the feed—camaraderie and focus were at a level rarely seen in our social media-obsessed age.

 

This weekend was about as epic as it gets—a warehouse packed with friends smiling, shouting and smashing boards. I am very thankful that skateboarding is full of so many amazing humans and I feel honored to have had some of them in our home, giving their all in our skatepark. Thank you to those who came and shared this weekend with us; you’ve created some cherished memories. —Silas Baxter Neal


FullSize SilasContestPhoto 1The brains and brawn behind the contest: Matt Irving, Silas Baxter-Neal, Nikhil Thayer and Joey Pepper.

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 2Grotto grab-bag sponsors: Thrasher, adidas, Poler, Stumptown Roasters, Spitfire, Stance, Bones Swiss, Levis, Sizzle Pie, pFriem beer, Tactics, Kool Pool, Yeti Yoga, Skateboard Veteran, Maple OX, Thunderbird, Habitat and Drink water. Jeez… usually you just get some free stickers, a koozie and a trucker’s hat

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 3Young MCs, Rob Welsh and Sal Barbier

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 4Neighbor, key holder and Fixer’s finest, Ultimate Phil and his son Silas

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 5Rattray and Ivor doing an eco-friendly drive-by, Oregon style

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 6Sucui, hair check

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 7Nailed it

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 8McCrank was a little under the weather, unfortunately

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 9Kenny A, the perfect man is the perfect judge for the event

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 10411 friends but basketball foes, Kurt Hayashi and Vern Laird

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 11DLX vans mean, “here comes trouble”

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 12Jalden and Daan 18

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 13Milo and Justin—rad dad!

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 14Biebel, we need a little help here. Get Janoski on a program in LA stat!

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 15Dan Plunkett, all-around ripper and epic human

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 16The judges: Kenny A, Parts, Cairo Foster and Karl Watson

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 17Austyn Gillette coming in hot, Mach-10 back Smith

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 18Welsh and Sal on deck .    Photo: Morford

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 19Busenitz always going for broke

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 20Textbook back lip upstream

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 21Robbie Russo, nosegrind pop in hella far north of Pedro

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 22Mickey, double carb recharge

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 23Sizzle Pie keeping everyone fueled for the weekend

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 24Janoski, switch crooks on the China Banks obstacle

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 25Wes and Zenith in the house

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 26Heartbreaker Joan Wilder and her handlers

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 27Josh Matthews, nonchalant kickflip crooks

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 28Brad Cromer, clockwork-like precision on a frontside 360 kickflip

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 29Matt Gottwig, kickflip back tail

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 30The squad live streaming the Vans Pool Party. Thought they wouldn’t?!

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 31Pier 7 alumni: Nikhil, Wu-Welsh and Cairo

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 32Jake Anderson breaking the ice the hard way     Photo: Morford

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 33Grotto Lotto shirt details    Photo: Morford 

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 35Silas popping bottles, serving up some Sunday-morning mimosas

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 36Semifinalists—major firepower!

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 37Vincent, heavy-duty switch bluntslide.

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 38Busenitz, back tail over the “bench”

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 39Joey approves of the park annihilation

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 40Austyn, savage back lip from the QP to the vert wall

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 41Parts showing his love for the Big Dog!

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 42Zered, chink-chink grind off the quarter onto the vert wall     Photo: Morford   

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 43Austyn was a force to be reckoned with! Switch back noseblunt      Photo: Morford


FullSize SilasContestPhoto 44Raney is no stranger to the vertical terrain     Photo: Morford

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 45VA, switch frontside tailslide     Photo: Morford

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 46Wes, lipsliding his life away      Photo: Morford

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 47Zenith getting his shred on during the practice runs

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 48Hi, Jim. Bye, Jim

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 495Boro alumni, Andy Pitts and Ben Wall

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 50Huf team power meeting

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 52Zered and Frank, it must be an East Coast thing

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 53Barker Barrett and Ryan Wilburn—legends

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 54Kids gone wild! Matt Milligan tries to wrangle his daughter

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 55Kaspar and Jascha Muller

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 56Master lensmen, Scott Pommier and Bryce Kanights

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 57Hunter, Janoski and Brent Atchley

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 58New rule: filmers only wear white Ts

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 59Tailgate party: Scott Johnston, Nikhil and the fam

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 60 2xNW local and masterlensman, Jon Humphries and his son Arro. Nice shirt, kid

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 61“Only if it was a guitar”

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 63Hewitt’s new shape. What a nightmare…

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 78Finals list

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 79Daan taking a breather…

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 80…before dishing out this front crooks to fakie. Daan absolutely destroyed the vert wall both days

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 81Raney, TX-sized backside boneless off the wall     Photo: Morford

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 82Sucui, kickflip backside noseblunt. You know he landed it    Photo: Morford

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 83Austyn, fakie flip    Photo: Morford 

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 84Lindsey Holmes from MapleXO made the contest trophies out of recycled skateboards

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 85Spanky got an award for all-around shredding

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 86Daan won the best trick

FullSize SilasContestPhoto 87Top-three: Raney took third, Sucui scored second and Austyn grabbed the first place spot. Congrats, guys. Can’t wait for next year’s Grotto Lotto!

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