Jani Laitiala Wins Vans Downtown Showdown
What, Yani, that guy who has a cd out that your Mom puts on every time she makes love to your Dad? Uhh, no, Jani Laitiala is a pro from Europe who beat some heavies at Paramount Studios at the corner of Melrose and Gower in Hollywood, CA. According to Jani you pronounce his name like Yaw-nee; he said “don’t even worry about the last name”. No Ryan Sheckler or Chris Cole were not there but the list of riders was long and deep on talent anyway. Long and deep being especially relevant terms since the contest venue was a set of New York city located less than a dozen blocks from Laurel Canyon, where the porn industry basically started.
So what is the Vans Downtown Showdown anyway? Basically Vans and partners arrange to take over the New York set at Paramount and throws a huge contest/party. Skateboard companies build 4 obstacles of their choice and teams compete for the overall prize. Seeing as the sport is skateboarding, some teams get into it and others are basically drunk the whole time (guess which teams win). It is a contest but is one of the loosest pro contests on the circuit. You can shoot wherever, there were free drinks (with alcohol) free food, good seats for everyone that was 21 and lucky enough to get in. It was kind of like if you threw a giant party in your backyard with the worlds best pros, lots of friends, security and a movie set I guess. Anyway it was a lot of fun and really amazing to see pros of this level in such a casual atmosphere, in California. Now that I think of it, pretty much all the Vans contests are kinda like this – big names, little rules.
Girl Three Pump Dump
The first obstacle consisted of 3 hip wedges set on a slightly downhill street with a jump ramp at the end. Scores were based on performances that hit all three hips. Even though the atmosphere was casual, once the 30 minute jam started it was all go. Things got hectic as 27 of the worlds top pros hit the wedges.
Welcome to the Vans Downtown Showdown, welcome to Hollywood, welcome to Paramount studios, land of dreams. Even though Rick McCrank hails from Canada he is legend enough to start things off here. Rick was killing it all night. He is over thirty and could sit back and enjoy what he has accomplished in his career but no once a ripper, always a ripper
Here is McCrank killing it
Bam! Start off with the winner of the Three Pump Dump, Jani doing a backside flip I think. You could get so close to the skaters it was so easy to get a board in the face here. Fortunately no one did, just some boards to the shins
Girls newest pro Andrew Langi was banging it all night, I am pretty sure he deserved to be in the top three, unfortunately it was a team event and they only gave prizes for the #1 individual performances. Tre Flip with style
Let me introduce you to Jamie Tancowny. This kid tore shit up. I used to see him at Black Box when I had a friend that worked there. Jamie was always ripping and smoking, same thing he did at the Showdown as he got the award for top am
Someone from web land asked “who is the guy with the white dress and black hat” That would have been Grant Patterson who is part of the Blind winning team. According to Blind’s website it said Grant is an am, of course that was updated in like 2006. It also says he is from Canada, likes to smoke and hang out with his girlfriend, sounds pretty emo. Since when is it cool to smoke, that is idiotic, if your gonna smoke, at least smoke weed like David Gravette
Billy Marks smokes too, and gambles and rips
Girl Three Pump Dump Results
1 Jani Laitiala $2,500
2 Billy Marks $1,500
3 Rick McCrank $1,000
4 Andrew Langi
5 Alex Olson
Girl Three Pump Dump Team Results
1 Blind
2 Toy Machine
3 Girl
The next 30 minute jam took place on the Black Label Dive bar which was basically two wedge jumps placed with a bar you grind or many across. Some chose to go slow and tech while others went balls out and flew over the bar. Most went the middle route and did some sort of grind or slide on the grinder bar. This was maybe the scariest of the obstacles. One wrong step and your face would drop maybe 8 feet to the asphalt, with speed. Luckily the worlds best know where to put there feet, do not try this at home
Jamie Krooks on the dive bar. This was one f-ing hard obstacle
Holy Jake Duncombe! Jake freakin ollied the whole kit and landed lipslide on the jump ramp, which was about one foot in front of my face – fuhhh doot, gnar. There was camera – skater contact at this obstacle. Josh Harmony slammed his face into someone’s lens and it looked like it hurt
Sean Malto backside over crooks in a gnarly spot
Black Label Dive Bar Results
1 Jamie Tancowny $2,500
2 Sean Malto $1,500
3 David Gravette $1,000
4 Colin Provost
5 Rob Loriface
Black Label Dive Bar Team Results
1 Zero
2 Girl
3 Blind
The Creature Pentagram was the favorite. The tranny and bank masterpiece had so many lines, anyone could find stuff from tech to a vert skater. Not many did transfers, those that did scored well. All the top three did transfer lines
The Creature 5 points of Evil obstacle from up above
Omar Hassan cock blocks Eric Koston’s attempt to transfer. Stefan Janoski and Tyler Mumma were not so lucky, they later had a full on collision that took Mumma out for a bit
Johnny Layton krooks through a corner while Josh Harmony back tails to 180 out
Clank! Al Partenen airs to truck via transfer over one of the 5 points of the pentagram
Jake Duncombe was the only one to succeed at a big transfer. Alex Olson and John Ponts tried some bigger transfers but never made em
Or you could get tech like Rick McCrank demonstrates
Alex Olson hits eject on a giant transfer ollie attempt
Creature Pure 5 Points of Evil Results
1 Jake Duncombe $2,500
2 Rick McCrank $1,500
3 Al Partenen $1,000
4 Jani Laitiala
5 Andrew Langi
Creature Pure 5 Points of Evil Team Results
1 Blind
2 Girl
3 Creature
Street skaters only came out for the Eclipsy. After three previous jams, things slowed a little bit but not much. Most skated opted for the star. Very few hit the curved rail. Everyone had fun as the crowd got drunk and night got cold
The Nuge
The Foundation Lunar Eclipsy obstacle
Don Nguyen demonstrates how to nollie off a set of steps, up and over a sketchy and small star shaped obstacle, bonk the front wheels on it and proceed to land and roll away
That Yanni guy switch heel flips the fosko obstacle
Billy Marks does a kickflip foot plant, anyone doubt why he won this obstacle?
Nollie inward heel anyone? Billy Marks bets on orange and says I will take that
The sole member of the Habitat team at the Showdown, Stefan Janoski and they (he) did not even get last
Foundation Lunar Eclipsy Results
1 Billy Marks $2,500
2 Jani Laitiala $1,500
3 Ethan Fitzpatrick $1,000
4 Josh Harmony
5 Devin Appelo
Foundation Lunar Eclipsy Team Results
1 Toy Machine
2 Blind
3 Girl
Like the set of Seinfeld in LA?
Sean Malto, Jamie Tancowny and David Gravette. David said he wanted to buy a bunch of weed with the money, at least he has goals he can achieve
Jani Laitiala and Jamie Tancowny, top pro and top am. Jani was a super nice guy
Team Blind, l-r, Grant Patterson, Jake Brown, Jani Laitiala, Morgan Smyth, Jake Duncombe and Kid Rock, no wait Rob Loriface. Sorry Rob, you did not get to bang Pam Anderson with hep C, no wait Rob maybe it is good you did not do that like Kid Rock
Overall Team Results
1 Blind $30,000
2 Girl $15,000
3 Toy Machine not sure like 5 k or something
4 Zero
5 Creature
6 Element
7 Black Label
8 Habitat
9 Foundation
Top Pro
Jani Laitiala $10,000? Maybe
Top Am
Jamie Tancowny $5,000
Full results
www.skateparkoftampa.com
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