Vans Downtown Showdown '09: Foundation wins best team, Laitiala takes best pro again

On Creature's Hesh Cross, Geoff Rowley (right) blunts and Johnny Layton bails
  during the Vans Downtown Showdown '09. (Photo: Luiz Calado)

The New York-style city block inside the Paramount Studios in L.A was the backdrop for the fifth edition of the Vans Downtown Showdown, this past Saturday, September 26.

• Check the slide show for more photo highlights

Although the buildings are just a make-believe movie set, there was nothing fake about the astounding level of skills demonstrated by all teams competing in the street style challenge.

This year’s event featured four custom-made obstacles:

– Girl's replica of San Francisco’s Chinatown banks (aka, Little China Girl);

– Flip's Extremely Sorry, a combo including a semi-hollowed pyramid, a bottle-shaped ledge and a drum-like cylinders;

– Creature's Hesh Cross, a four-sided quarter-pipe connected to a cross-shaped pyramid; and...

– Black Label's Drunk Tank, a 12-stair set with a steep rail, a banked hubba on one end and a jail cell rooftop on the other. 

Young gun Louie Lopez ripping the Little China Girl.
(Photo: Luiz Calado)

Each of the obstacles were jam-sessioned for 30 minutes by members of nine different company teams: Black Label, Blind, Creature, Flip, Foundation, Girl, Sk8mafia, Toy Machine and Zoo York.

Each company was required to enter a team of three (with at least one being a pro), and the scores of the top two skaters counted. 

Angel Ramirez's blesses the Hesh Cross with a noseblunt.
(Photo: Luiz Calado)

With this many shredders ripping at once, the judges definitely had a tough job. 

However, it wasn’t that much easier for the skaters either, primarily on Girl’s and Creature’s obstacles where the approaching was arbitrary and the lines were unpredictable.

Billy Marks over the Flip pyramid. (Photo: Luiz Calado)

The format may also have contributed to make the contest a hectic bail mayhem. At times, it was almost painful to watch, but with a $85,000 prize purse on the line, complaints were unheard of.

Felipe Ortiz had to break in a new set up in mid contest.
(Photo: Luiz Calado

The Fuel TV crew was at hand, handling the live webcast (video footage of the event is now available on their web site) and mingling with prominent types.

During breaks in between one obstacle and the next, the crowd of spectators had a chance to snack on free burgers and hot-dogs by chef Steve Van Doren or shop for Vans tees and other gear.

Ultimately, Foundation went home with the top team award, with Nick Merlino also taking honors (and additional cash) as the best amateur.

The Blind team came in second and its member Jani Laitiala winning the best professional prize check for the second year in a row.

As usual, Vans pulled off another entertaining event and it was possible with the support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Mitsubishi Motors and Epiphone. 

Check the slide show below for more photo highlights of the event. 

;-)

Elijah Berle tailsliding the steep rail of Black Label's Drunk Tank. (Photo: Luiz Calado)