Ryan Decenzo Lands Best Trick

By Nick Lipton – The deal was money for tricks. Land a trick and cash in. The bigger the trick the bigger the paycheck, and eventually a declared winner would take home $2500. Transworld Skateboarding held the best trick contest on a modified 11-stair handrail behind the Rose Garden. It took some work, but eventually the previously unskateable rail had been given a facelift by the Dew Tour operations crew, complete with a smoothed out runway. Even post-construction a haggard asphalt landing, unforgiving concrete stair set, and pit of screaming kids left a hefty danger factor.

Regardless of all that, a large pile of Transworld cash was on the line and the skaters began to drop. Ryan Decenzo, who had just finished 5th in the Skate Park final, showed freakish skills scoring him both bragging rights and the win.

Wild man Adam Dyet came up big scoring cash on at least two occasions. Dyet cashed in on a front blunt and an amazing kickflip 5-0 before deciding a fingerflip noseslide would be fun to try. The competition definitely picked up as the boys started landing tricks and gaining confidence. Jordan Hoffart and Tyler Hendley landed a slide or two, and the Australian Jake Duncombe put down a back blunt and frontside 5-0.

As time wound down Ryan Decenzo, who had already landed a kickflip 50-50 and a kickflip crooks, landed bolts on an unreal nollie back noseblunt. The cheer alone meant best trick, and after $180 bucks was slapped into Ryan’s hand it was obvious who had won.

Before time ran out skaters began chucking themselves down the stair set. The buzzer sounded but certain skaters had no interest in calling it quits. Flip tricks kept coming, Dyet kept messing around, and Jordan Hoffart decided to go for broke. Sliding a new handrail, that bottomed out into a concrete ledge, Hoffart’s multiple bails bloodied his t-shirt and stole the crowds attention. After several close calls Hoffart rode away and the audience erupted.

With the contest officially over Ryan Decenzo was handed the big check after a landslide victory. While signing autographs a grinning Ryan admitted his banger trick was scary, “That trick is the scariest for me. I knew I had to go fast or I’d crash.”