Nothing better to kick off the new skateboarding year than a nice and high quality skatecontest at Belgium’s best park, Zumiez Wevelgem. Some 70-80 sponsored skaters participating from Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxemburg, France…For a slamming first prize of 1500 euros, and a still very reasonable 1000 euros for the roller-up.

All park-obstacles repaired to mint condition, the all new bank to bank-rainbowcurb-redflashy handrail combo anxious for what tricks it would have the pleasure of popping and a crowd of some 400 people, friends, foes, moms and dads, sweethearts and groupies to be looking out for the glorious winner.

The double Belgian/Dutch jury just back from a fourteen day workshop focussing on perfect trickery and super skatestyles were ready to judge like no one has ever judged before. Their decisions are most final and thoroughly binding, helped along by early morning partying and crystal clear roll-vision. MC Steve Chief made sure every skater knew when he had to skate and made sure the jury knew when a run was finished. And in all honesty, first rounds are always quite boring. It’s sometimes quite unimaginable how even some sponsored skaters can suck incredibly when under pressure or what fun it can be to see some random dude do the simplest nosetap with the greatest of pride – even look to the jury to make sure they do have seen his incredible move- and roll by handstanding on his board a second later.

There sure were some letdowns from guys we expected better of but bigger pleasures are always to see kids ripping like you’ve never seen em rip before. Kevin Vu was one of those, 360 flips bank to bank, solid runs, going all out in the final heats with an endless crooked on the Carharrt ledge and best tricks to boot. A local you should keep your eyes on and who, if the jury knew who he was, might’ve even gotten a better result. Phil Zwijsen’s another kid working his way up the ranks, nearly clean runs every time, add a little more diversity and impact and he’s got himself a topspot.

The top ten is, and sorry but we are proud to say, fully populated with Belgians. Even though there were 28 Dutch, 10 french and even 7 skaters from Luxembourg against a reasonable 46 Belgians mostly zumiez locals really put their signature on the contest. James Ghekiere -Zumiez flow by the way- impressed with huge ollies and truly beautiful style, this kid is still just fifteen! Fries Taillieu skated rows of tricks on end and knows this park by heart. He got lucky that one of the final 12 bummed out of the contest cause Fries first landed on spot 13. With the enthousiasm that comes from being a wildcard final skater he finally had that one push extra to jumble his bag of tricks, both tech, fly and rail. Good run and all out railmastery in his final heat, a well-deserved and bigsmiled fourth spot, Adio represent! If there’s one trick that got Leander Geelhoed third place it sure as hell is his very own-styled backside 180’s to fakie nosegrinds on the rainbow curb. Pity we couldn’t see more of Bas Janssens beautiful riding, somewhere in the semis his board messed up

Both Jelle and Fabian were very anxious to come out and win this show. They had been practising their runs like true professionals, and keeping most of it pretty obscure till contest-day. Fabian, last year’s winner, presented an even higher level of skating once more, transfer lipslides, transfer melongrabs backlips on the new redrailed obstacle, 360 flips over the pyramid, salads on the long low rail, backside melon transfers, clean and flawless though several runs and a wopping transfer nosebluntslide in the final heat. Why didn’t he get first place with this run then you wonder?

The reason is…sunglasses. Somewhere during the afternoon Jelle met up with a nice pair of very rock ‘n rollish sunglasses a couple of redcanned Jupilers and a skater above this all was born. Jelle skated this contest in unbeatable mode, fully selfconfident flash. I won’t talk about the tricks he did, they didn’t matter. This was skating speaking for itself and a clear statement on the beauty of skating. The jury didn’t matter, the audience didn’t matter, just the rolling of the board and the simple pop and tick when tricks began and ended. Sure this is all Belgian level, nevertheless this was a little demo within a contest, flowing through a course, predestined to win, a good comeback after last year’s disjointed thumb.

Oh yeah, definitely no congratulations to Piratepunk Swa. Seriously, this years music was probably the worst ever, one too many bottles o rum and no deadman’s chest! Aye matey, me ears! But huge congratulations and thanks to all skaters, audience, jury, Zumiez, all sponsors, the pizzagirl, the drinkspeople, the prizepeople, the losers, the winners, the drinkers, photographers, filmers, companypeople…and you. See you next issue!(LAD)