Brazil just dropped this bomb on you all – Windy City Riot 2008 Vidcast! If you loved last years event and edit I’m sure you will love this one as well. Yes there has been a lack of audio shows on Revival but people just are not listening in like they are tuning into the videos so for now we are focusing on vidcasts – but we are not going anywhere. Keep reading after the jump for a write up on the event.

You can also check it out on our youtube page if you so desire. Thanks again to Brazil for the sick edit!

Windy City Riot 2008

Those who came to the Windy City Riot this year got exactly what they’d expect. Interesting spots, run-ins with the police, sticky weather, amazing skating, wild after-parties –”all things blade”. Seven years running, the WCR has once again proven to be one of the best street contest to attend every summer in North America. The purse totaled just under a whopping $500.

This year the WCR returned to a two-day format. On the first day, everyone joined in a celebration of all things strange. The flatland contest was won by Justin “Jefferson” Augustus from Iowa. You may remember Jefferson as being one of the “most innovative” winners from years past. Then comes Antone. Anthony “Antone” Anderson (Chicago, IL) stole the high-jump title from the previously undefeated Paul John (cleared 53″ clean and 55.5″ with a brush on the pole), dunk contest (cannot explain in words) and tied the long jump contest with Matt Strobot (Cary, IL) at 223″. After all was said and done, the pre-contest proved to be one of the most exciting collection rollerblading moments of my life. We finished off the first day by skating a launch to metal planter. Too many kids to name skated amazingly however, it seems that Kruise Sapstein tore this spot harder than anyone else–especially after landing a fakie 540 topsoul to gap out. Many props to Kruise.

The beginning of day two was a “chest”. It was pouring rain and a huge event took place right near the meeting spot with forced the contest to be moved to, that’s right, lower wacker–Chicago’s depths of hell. We fashioned a launch ramp made of plywood to skate a high handicap rail. This was a great time until the biker cops rolled up and started giving everybody (myself included) $60 parking tickets. We, of course, moved on to the next spot. Walt Disney Magnet Elementary was a good solid spot with many skaters lacing tricks and many spectators yelling “Aaaaahhhh!”’s…as you should find in any good street contest. The nicest police officer in Chicago politely asked us to move on so we did. The final spot allowed for some interesting tricks to be done. This kink rail next to a ledge wrecked some and made a hero of others. Casey Bohrnell broke his ankle and John Adams may have broken his wrist. The contest proved to be a battle between Jeph Howard and Derek Larson. Derek landed the best trick of the contest by stalling the fence, dropping to a fakie roll on the ledge then dropping blind to top soul on the rail. For a better idea of what happened at the final spot, you’d have to see the footage. Here are the results:

1st – Jeph Howard (MN)
2nd – Derek Larson (MN)
3rd – Kruise Sapstein (IL)
4th – Logan Clark (IA)
5th – Brian Bruno (IL)

Best Trick- Derek Larson
Best Style- Kruise Sapstein
Worst Fall/Scariest to Watch- Dave Depew
Most Innovative – John Adams
Way Cool- Aaron Peterson
Biggest Chest- Tony Wolak
Should Have Skated- Kruise Sapstein
Biggest Baby- Mike Froemling
Most Flamboyant- Brian Bruno

– Colin Martin

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (72.2MB)

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