Summer X Games 2012: it's over! :-( What went down in skateboarding? Read here! (Photos)

Los Angeles, CA - June 29, 2012 - Mitchie Brusco competing in Skateboard Big Air Final during X Games Los Angeles 2012.Los Angeles, CA - June 29, 2012 - Lincoln Ueda competing in Skateboard Big Air Final during X Games Los Angeles 2012. Los Angeles, CA - June 29, 2012 - Bob Burnquist spins a 720 to fakie towards victory during Skate Big Air Finals during X Games Los Angeles 2012.5 photosView the full slideshow »
Los Angeles, CA - June 29, 2012 - Mitchie Brusco readies to drop into the Mega Ramp during the Skate Big Air Finals at the X Games Los Angeles 2012.

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In 2012, The Summer X Games celebrated 18 years of limits breaking and envelope pushing. Evidently, the action sports festival already came of age, shattering records, setting trends and establishing household names year after year. By now, it all must be legal, right?

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The event wrapped up yesterday and since we're dealing with adulthood status, best to break down the skateboarding competitions in a series of reports and examine (of course) the contests and the skate side of the things in a bit more depth.

View slideshow: Summer X Games 2012 - Skateboard Big Air

Big Air

On the huge stage that is the Megaramp, this year, one movement was evident: a new generation of rippers has arrived and is already threatening to dethrone many of the old-time veterans.

Young guns Tom Schaar and Mitchie Brusco pulled top scoring runs with enviable skills, transforming the previously elusive 900 into an almost compulsory maneuver in this discipline.

View of the Megaramp, the stage for Skateboard Big Air during the 2012 Summer X Games in Downtown Los Angeles, CA
View of the Megaramp, the stage for Skateboard Big Air during the 2012 Summer X Games in Downtown Los Angeles, CA
Photo credit: 
Luiz Calado

Although 12-year old Schaar did not land the anticipated 1080, he finished on a strong sixth; 15-year old Brusco pulled an 18-foot high 900 with cheerful confidence and took home the silver. It is undeniable that the talent these grommets showed is proof that they will be around the podium for many years to come.

I could not be prouder of all my fellow Brazilian comrades; five of them qualified for the finals: Rony Gomes, Edgard “Vovô” Pereira, Italo Penarrubia, Lincoln Ueda, alongside defending gold medalist Bob Burnquist.

Bob took a hard fall during practice on Tuesday and his presence was uncertain until Saturday’s semi-finals. Even then, with missed tricks and more bails, it was obvious that the competition took a big bite out of him. Still, he managed to pull one strong run, dropping switch into a sketchy backside 180 ollie over the 65-foot gap and next sticking (and squatting) a forward-to-fakie indy grab 720 on the 27-foot quarter pipe, earning him a score of 94.3 and his 9th gold medal (a record 4th in this event alone). Nolan Munroe rounded up the podium with the bronze.

Skateboarding Big Air Final Results

RANK NAME BEST SCORE
1 Bob Burnquist 94.33
2 Mitchie Brusco 93
3 Nolan Munroe 91
4 Jake Brown 90
5 Rony Gomes 90
6 Tom Schaar 89.33

Check out the slide show and don’t miss the next article, recapping the Vert competition.

;-)

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, LA Skateboarding Examiner

Like other fellow Brazilian skaters living in SoCal these days, before coming to US, Luiz paid his dues in his home country. After publishing his own fanzine, he got hired by local Yeah! magazine as a photographer and writer. A year later, he got picked up by Skatin' and soon became its award...

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