Sheckler Takes the First Win of the 2009 Dew Tour

By Beau Lambert

You couldn’t pick just one word to describe the finals of the Skate Open ISF Skateboarding World Championships, but the most often comment heard in the crowd was “What!?!” Two hot & heavy heats of runs and jams that included 12 of the best skateboarders in the world, plus a super final of the top six gave the crowd their fill of street skating for at least the rest of the summer.

We had a great mix of styles, with Chris Cole going after the big double, mixed with the likes of Ortiz and Sheckler charging the Celtics gap hard at the buzzer with back to back frontside lips, boardslides, 5-0’s and coming at it backwards with huge kickflips. More than worth a mention is the unmistakable debut of Ryan Decenzo as a pro with a huge nollie heel to flat that backs up the huge amount of coverage he is getting recently. In the end, Cole’s consistency, and Decenzo’s hard charge helped them secure 3rd and 2nd. Sheckler came out on top, earning a top spot in the Dew Tour standings going into the next stop, as well as the title of ISF Skateboarding World Champion. Sheckler’s exclamation was his fakie heel down the double that he stomped in the closing seconds.

Some of the highlights of Heat One:

Dave Bachinsky killed the rail with a mix that included a 270 on boardflip off and a frontside lipslide tossed in with a 360 flip up the gap – he might not have advanced to the final jam session, but his selection of Johnny Cash as music should have won something.

Chis Mendes pulled a 360 flip to noseslide plus a kickflip front board down the rail.

Greg Lutzka’s 270 ollie backlip

Rodolfo Ramos was the first to hit the jersey barrier with a krooky. He also tossed in a hardflip up the Euro and a frontside bluntslide on the ledge.

Carlos De Andrade represented the old guard, and with nearly a decade of big contest experience, he didn’t hold back. He destroyed the 6.0 rail and ledges, and nailed a huge ollie 360 transfer up and across the euro gap and a 270 nollie

Peter Ramondetta’s frontside smith across the ledge and down the euro, frontside tailslide and a heartbraking missed frontside 360 to flat at the buzzer.

And from the second Heat:

In case you didn’t know it, Busenitz means skatefast, which makes everything from Dennis’ backside smith, to his frontside flip that much sweeter.

Chris Cole’s 270 lipslide and huge heel down the double

P-Rod’s 360 kickflip to flat down the double

Everything Ryan Decenzo did.

Chaz Ortiz’s crazy kickflip to frontside board to kickflip off the rail and a frontside feeble on the hoop