Thrasher Magazine

Back to Paramount for the Vans Downtown Showdown

It's just like a real neighborhood over there. Dads on the stoop...

Good lookin' young people ...

Mustachioed guys and their gals ...

Legends around every corner.

First up: the Pretzel Grip racetrack.

Camel hump in the middle

It was a time-trials affair. Dane sucks at math.

Garcia!

Mumma!

Steve Reeves, just a blur of hair!

Tony practically invented this shit.

This was Tony's debut pro event. Congrats, dude!

Omar, never slow-mar.

This was the first time I almost got hit in the face.

Berle gets airbourne.


A few more inches and he mighta lost a nip!

Over to the next event, through the generous snack area. Hi, Jake and Vixie.

'I never knew Andrew Dice Clay had a Thrasher cover.'

The Meza men

John and Shuriken

Dan Lu! You made it!

Alfaro, of The Mars Volta.




Next up: the Black Label street zone.

Master lensmen, at the ready.

Picked out a sweet spot ...

Oh. Sorry, Gilbert.

Back in the trenches

This was Vincent's first US pro event too. He was definitely a crowd fave.

Merlino hustles.

Cole heads North.

Bjorn - switch feeble.

All of these obstacle ended by crashing into the camera men.

Just gettin back up to the top was hectic. You had to be careful not to muss your party dress.


Hoffart!

Matt B spins to win.

Here we go.

Burman, 180 to switch crooks.

The other crowd fave, Pfanner, blasted over the back to grinder. Strong showing.

He didn't land this, but what if he had?!!!! Definitely had to heat.

Grubbin' with Griff and Sinner.

Hollywood broads, everwhere.

As well as wholesome, kid-sister types.

Groton's finest.


I climbed onto the roof of one of the fake buildings to shoot the Zero volcano thing. Might have been a mistake.

Our guy, Schmitty, covered it from the alternate rooftop. Who says we're not pros?


Reeves, blunting nose style.

Merlino hucks 'hana.

TNT, not quite-proper frontal.

Hella-grassed out!

Knucks from Dimitch.

Daniel Lutheran rides that snake.

Cervantes - 180s a melon.

Merlino plants the hand.

Showmar.

Tony boosts the mush pit.

Alvarez indy 180.

Some accidental doubles with Lil' Shane and a Euro dude.

Everyone was fine, thank God.


Pushing through to the next obstacle was like barging through the club.


It's Hollywood, after all.

'Quit creepin' around, Burnett'

Pedro crew, lookin' tough.

Joey Buttafuco hosted the final obstacle.

The F'ed up Foundation leg breaker.

Elijah got some straight out the gate with a little wallie flight.

F-Trooper, Marquise, kf 50.

Trapasso with a kickflip. F'sho, F'sho, F'sho.

Cole kf 50s the center piece. Very dangerous.

The Element team plots strategy.


First plan: Operation Varial Flip!

It was a clusterfuck. Dudes were gettin' served left and right.

Even if you did land something, you had about eight feet until you crashed into this.

Didn't stop Vincent. He's pro, after all.

Merlino, fs flip.


This switch 180 by Aldrin Garcia zinged out and nailed the dude right next to me in the face. That's when I knew it was time to move.

'Smart move.'

Chris Troy, blunt slide.

Every finals, Cole has a habit of abandoning his radical moves and pursuing, instead, horrible tricks like this 360 champion grab. I guess it's working for him.

One of the real highlights was Duncombe's bs nbs. Totally awesome.

They were all sure he'd won.


Awards time. First up: Fastest carvers.

Volcano exploders.

Street style masters.

Merlino gets emotional accepting his top am honors.

Top pro - Vincent Alvarez! Time to get a bank account.

Pretzel Grip team waits with baited breath to find out who the big winner is.

It was between Powell-Peralta, Zero and Pretzel.

Hoffart's Army in a respectable third. Zero, second.

The crowd erupted! 'Pretzel! Pretzel! Pretzel!' they chanted. Congrats, everyone.

And good night.