WORDS | CAVIN BRINKMAN @PLASTICPUSHERS
PHOTOGRAPHY | ADAM SZYMANSKI @ADAMSKAJ
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS | NIELS BAZELMANS @NIELSONWHEELSTILBURG | DENNIS EVERS @DENNIS_EVERS
The idea of doing a street comp started when Dominik Wagner and I were getting a tea after PP2 (Plastic Pushers 2) had been out for around a month. Since Amsterdam is THE birthplace of real street contest and therefore the famous IMYTA contest, I knew I needed to think hard about this so it wouldn’t flop.
Months went by and I decided to pull the trigger. Picked a date. Struggled with spots since we had 10 real street contests already. I decide on a redo of the final spot of a sadly failed SHRED DA GROUND contest from 2019.
I gathered a thousand Euros in prize money from sponsors, printed and passed out flyers, did online promotion. Not knowing how many people would show up, I was really happy with the outcome. There were attendees from France, Germany, UK, Belgium, and of course the Netherlands.
I had the Dutch speaker, Max Fesunenko, to host the event, Remy Cadier to film it, and Lucas Spenle (of Shred Da Ground) and [an injured] Victor Daum judge.
SPOT 1. THE WARM-UP SPOT.
This is usually a bit blurry since everyone is hyped and fresh. So many things to see and miss, everybody arriving at different times, and you have to say hi to everyone. You’re bound to miss some things here and there.
What was supposed to be a ledge spot turned into an unexpected surprise when Robin Lupo (from France) started to skate a long rail that for once was not fully capped by parked bikes.
Eugen Enin showed up just in time (due to a long traffic jam) and jumped on first go with a backside and cleared the whole rail. That was just the warm up!
SPOT 2.
This spot gives you the option to skate it like a balance rail, an up rail or jump off half way and grind the down rail on the side. The run-up is a bit sketchy, some slams happened before people got their bearings, but hey it’s a street comp. It needs to be rough. haha.
Davie Nijenbrink laced the easiest alley oop soul all the way and was just him getting started. It did catch up to him later when he fell during a switch up and (probably) dislocated his shoulder.
Rob Dalton did 7/8 variations from a top porn to whatever down the down part, and it was just a guess what he would switch up to next.
SPOTS 2.1
The down rail next to the other spot was a nice warm-up for the end spot. I wish I had told the skaters, so they could hold back a bit for the finals.
Gilles, Eugen, Robin, and Jo Zenk went all in and the crowd enjoyed the show!
Jessy Johan Gosenslanden hit his first handrail on street ever and the crowd went wild. This won him a pair of brand new Chris Farmer Sways for the ‘most motivated skater of the day’.
SPOT 3. THE CLASSIC DOWN RAIL ENDER SPOT.
I choose this spot because it’s a perfect battle spot. It also had a balcony for the crowd to watch (an important consideration).
My favorite skater of the day (and until this spot winner of the comp) fell early in the battle on this spot and got taken out of the running. It was now it was up to Gilles, Jo, and Eugen to decide who will go home with 1st place.
These three put on a back to show, keeping us all in suspense! You didn’t know what they were going to do and they kept upping the stakes.
In the middle of their 3 way, Harmen put his skates back on and surprised everyone with a first try backside down the rail, shaking the floor when he landed and rolled away.
Eugen opened his bag of unusual tricks — fish to neg makio, Sweaty to neg mizou, and his new favorite the new shin soul.
Jo top Bin souled, 270 backside 270 out, disaster top souled it and channel grinded the rail.
After they both laid down a serious beating, I had to call it! As I was about to thank everybody for coming out, Gilles rolled up and laced THE MOST PERFECT full cab KG to revert full cab out. What a trick to end the day for ‘best trick of the day!’
THE RESULTS
After the comp, Lucas, Victor, and myself tallied everything up and made our choices. We met everyone up at This Is Soul Skate Shop for the awards. Thank you Ivo for hosting us, it was the perfect place to host it!
Shout out to everyone who helped, participated, and attended. Hope you had a blast! You guys made this event a success and because of that, we’ll See you next year.
5TH PLACE — GILLED BUELENS
4TH PLACE — ROB DALTON
3RD PLACE — ROBIN LUPO
2ND PLACE — JO ZENK
1ST PLACE — EUGEN ENIN
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