Joe Brook from California favored the harbor of Rotterdam and shot the photographer's, skateboarder's and public's favorite picture.
Congrats to Joe Brook from SLAP Magazine and his team for winning the WSR07 photo contest. Second place went to Davi Chami and third place to Rotterdam's local Marcel Feldman.
After a week of build up and plenty of wood and great help from all the volunteers and helpers, the street course -built and designed by IOU ramps- was standing in the Ahoy Stadium.
Prequalifications were on the schedule all day Friday and with a international line up on the street course, the judges were pretty busy. Saturday started with the qualification for street.
Sunday started with the semis still in a jam format and a cut to 40, as well as the Vert Finals outdoor. Ten finalists took the risk of the windy conditions to skate in two jams of five men at the finals. Each jam was ten minutes long. In the second jam Sandro Dias from Brazil and Rune Glifberg from Denmark battled it out and first place went to Rune! Congrats to Denmark!
There are no words for the Final on Sunday. With the best ten skateboarders, chosen from the semis, the Final took place in a new pioneering system: the 10th place rider started with two minutes on his own. This time it was Fredrik Austbo from Norway with frontside 360s over the boat. After two minutes the 9th place Ondrej Leskoviansky from Slovenia drops in and they skated together for one minute. After three minutes it was time to go for Fredrik Austbo with a backside lipslide. Ondrej had now the minute of his life on his own with perfect 50/50 and crooked grinds until the 8th placed Anthony Schultz from USA started his time of three minutes.
Number eight was Dominik Dietrich from Austria with frontside bluntslide down the big rail and big spins over the boat until 11-year old Axel Cruysberghs from Belgium drops in and starts his three minutes. Placed 5th in the semis was Arto Saari from and heeled flipped up the stairs in his three minutes continuing with smooth backside lipsslides and tail slides kickflips over the pyramide and perfect crooked grinds.
Tim Zom from the Netherlands not only placed fourth for the Finals, he also indy aired through the boat and skated his last minute together with David Loy from the USA, who did frontside 270s and nice transfers in his three minutes of fame, which he shared also with Chris Pfanner from Austria, who place 2nd in the semifinals. And then it was time for the last three minutes for the first place of the semis and that was David Gonzalez from Columbia doing beautiful smith grinds and nollies up the stairs.
Winner of this Final is Arto Saari from Finland. Best Trick was done by newcomer Curren Caples, 11-year old from Ventura, California with a 360s Varial Mute Grab over the boat.
We would love to continue, but it is time to thank all the people who helped this event happened and all the skateboarders, which made their way to the city of Rotterdam.
Hope to see you at the WSR08!
Results and pictures and souvenirs are available at www.wsr07.com
Results Street
1 Arto Saari 25 FIN
2 Ondrej Leskoviansky 20 SLO
3 Dominik Dietrich 22 AUT
4 Axel Crysberghs 12 BEL
5 David Gonzalez 16 COL
6 Chris Pfanner 23 AUT
7 David Loy 10 USA
8 Anthony Schultz 18 USA
9 Freddy Austbo 19 NOR
10 Tim Zom 19 NED
Best Trick
Curren Caples 11 USA
360 Varial Mute Grab
Results Vert
1 Rune Gliffberg 33 DEN
2 Sandro Dias 32 BRA
3 Neal Hendrix 33 USA
4 Renton Millar 32 AUS
5 Terence Bougdour 29 FRA
6 Jurgen Horrwarth 31 GER
7 Trevor Ward 29 AUS
8 Sam Beckett 25 GBR
9 Nicky Guerrero 39 DEN
10 Sascha Muller 29 GER