Candy Jacobs Creams Competitors in Women’s Street Quarter Final at Dew Tour Long Beach 2019
Twenty-eight women skated in, only 12 skate out to advance to the Semi Final.
Bright sunshine and blue skies welcomed fans and professionals alike to the Women’s Street Quarter Final as the first event open to the public at Dew Tour Long Beach 2019. The day began with a buzz of excitement as it began with women working to earn valuable Olympic qualifying points on the street course, but that buzz quickly turned into a roar with every stomped trick.
While friends and families were piling into the grandstands from the street to watch the event for free, VIPs were also lining the railings of the multi-leveled tower to get their own view of the action. Leaning over from the second-floor war street skateboarding legend Fabrizio Santos taking in the event with his 13 and 14-year-old daughters, Maria and Laura.
Previously, during the Open Qualifier, skaters shared the course as part of a jam session with two others. Now, and going forward for the remainder of the weekend, skaters would take to the course solo. For Quarter Final each woman was allowed two 45-second runs, with only their best score counting toward their overall ranking. In the end, only 12 skaters would advance to the Semi Final.
Twenty-eight women (representing 16 different countries) made up the roster, and the flow of the competition required them to be broken out into two heats.
In the first heat it was the Momiji Nishiya of Japan show. Momiji wowed everyone from the fans to the judging panel with her two nearly flawless runs. The show-stopper, though, was her frontside crooked grind down the 6-stair hubba.
Following the halfway mark, it was onto heat two and the next 14 women. It wasn’t until the last lady dropped in from the second heat that the crowds were truly treated. Candy Jacobs, riding for Netherlands, had a perfect run from start to finish.
Beginning with a feeble on the Boost Mobile 8-stair rail, it was clear she was in a league of her own. Candy went on to stomp a back 50-50 on the bump to bar in a line to a crooked grind on the low hubba, and for her final trick before the buzzer she gapped out to a 5-0 from a bump to a hubba.
Watching on from the athlete staging area, her fellow competitors erupted as her score of 46.13 dropped and she moved into first place. High fives and congratulations were given from all around, even Chad Muska was hanging out, stoked to watch the action and camaraderie.
“It feels insane!” said Candy between runs when asked how it feels to jump to the top of the leaderboard. “I was wondering if my run was going to be enough to make top 12, but getting first is insane.” Candy was modest, sure. When asked if she saw it coming once she landed her last trick on the course, she responded, “hell no!”
Candy also spoke about the atmosphere at the event with regard to Olympic qualifying points being on the line.
“It feels 100 percent different. There are more people, the level of skating is increasing at a super quick rate… so, I’ve got to hustle. But I’m here. I’m hustling.”
Watch the Women’s Street Semi Final take place on Friday at 12pm PT on DewTour.com/LIVE.
Women’s Street Quarter Final Results
1.) Candy Jacobs, USA 46.13
2.) Momiji Nishiya, JPN 45.60
3.) Alana Smith, USA 42.73
4.) Hayley Wilson, AUS 36.93
5.) Rayssa Leal, BRA 35.63
6.) Vitoria Mendonca Eugenio Da Silva, BRA 32.00
7.) Isabelly Avila Da Silva, BRA 41.00
8.) Nanaka Fujisawa, JPN 53.00
9.) Margielyn Arda Didal, PHI 33.23
10.) Kaya ISA, JPN 32.50
11.) Ana Maria Rendon Castano, COL 34.66
12.) Funa Nakayama, JPN 50.00
Sound off in the comments below!