Chosen Few Summer Montage
Write-up and edit by Quinn Feldman
Photos by Jonathon Labez, Richie Saile, Claudio Antonelli & Sam Cooper
Tyler Hester
2nd place (90 pts) at the Chosen Few RK Street Comp
1st place (200 pts) at the Chosen Few Santee Street Comp
2nd Place (90 pts) at the Chosen Few We Are One Skate Park Comp
Best trick (50 pts) at the Chosen Few We Are One Skate Park Comp
Points earned: 430
Tyler Hester is proving himself to be at the top of anybody’s list. After a grueling year of filming for his Chosen Few profile we added him to The Chosen Few and since then he has been placing at all the competitions he goes to including 2nd place in the AM comp at Bittercold Showdown, 1st at the Chosen Few finals last year and our leader so far this year. Although Tyler is one of the most fun people to have a session with or just hang around with, when he is in a competition he is there for 1st place.
Anthony Luna
5th place (60 pts) at the Chosen Few RK Street Comp
3rd place (160 pts) at the Chosen Few Santee Street Comp
Best Trick (50 pts) at the Chosen Few Santee Street Comp
Points earned: 270
Anthony Luna has always been a killer on his skates. His negative trick vocabulary has been big for quite a while and he continues to progress every time he skates. He is already 31 years old and still places high at street comps on a regular basis. He is the guy you won’t see coming at a competition. You think you’ve won but then he comes out of the dark with a negative makio on a kink rail and your left wondering what to do next.
Russell Day
3rd place (80 pts) at the Chosen Few RK Street Comp
2nd place (180 pts) at the Chosen Few Santee Comp
Points earned: 260
Russell Day was one of those skaters who you remember because of his unique style or that he can hold himself up on pud slide sess slides. But now it’s way more then just his style that gets you. Now you may remember him because of his new love for TTP’s up huge ledges. Russell has always been a good skater for as long as I can remember. He has been filming for his Chosen Few profile for around 4 months now and soon ‘good’ won’t be a word used for Russell. ‘Amazing’ will be a more accurate replacement.
Cyril Daniel
1st place (200 pts) at the Chosen Few Germany Street Comp
Best trick (50 pts) at the Chosen Few Germany Street comp
Points earned: 250
Cyril Daniel has now made a name for himself as the man who has done some of the craziest, most dangerous and most difficult stunts in the history of our sport. Lacing disaster hurricane top soul on the 10 flat 8 kink rail during the finals of the Chosen Few Germany street comp was unexpected by all. Having fallen and taken a break in the early part of the round with no thought from anyone he was gonna get up to do a trick that will be engraved in our memories forever. Cyril is also in the process of filming his Chosen Few profile. If you ever say “Remember the guy who did that crazy stunt?” but you can’t think of the name – it was probably Cyril Daniel.
Daniel Henderson
1st Place (200 pts) Chosen Few A-Town Stomp ‘Twothless’
Points earned: 200
Daniel Henderson may seem like a new name to some but he’s been around for a while. I remember watching an edit of him in 2004-2005 where he did a 180 I was not expecting. Not knowing him personally I always saw Daniel surrounded by such good skaters it seemed as if he didn’t stand out to other people as much as he did in a skate dork’s mind like mine. He has done some good stuff and anyone would probably just presume he is good. But the A-Town Stomp made that presumption into a cold hard fact and gave him the spotlight he deserves.
Lucas Landthaler
2nd place (180 pts) at the Chosen Few Germany Street Comp
Points earned: 180
Lucas Landthaler is a skater who imprints his name into your mind because of his fast paste unique style. His signature trick in my mind would be the back royal budget ttp which in general is not a very difficult trick. However, you don’t think that while you watch him do it. I just wonder how he can make a simple switch up look so amazing. He was able to take that style to the final spot and preform more difficult tricks on bigger obstacles earning him 2nd place at the Chosen Few Germany Street Comp and the respect he deserves.
Arsenio Patterson
2nd place (180 pts) Chosen Few A-Town Stomp ‘Twothless’
Points earned: 180
Arsenio Patterson is a new name to most of the new kids coming into the sport but he is a known name to anyone who has been skating for a good amount of time. Known for his fast feet and his back slide switch up skills Arsenio Patterson is a hard person to get lost in the crowd. Having left the skate scene for a while people usually praised his name in the past tense but that proved to be a mistake as he took second place at the A-Town Stomp and shows no sign that he ever slowed down.
Mark Wojda
3rd place (160 pts) Chosen Few A-Town Stomp ‘Twothless’
Points earned: 160
Mark Wojda, the one name you hear and you automatically think of as one of the best. A skater who has been pro in our eyes since his video part in ‘Orange’. Mark’s raw style and endless vocabulary of tricks mixed with his fearless attitude and his knack for overcoming pain will always put him above mostly anyone else in the world.
Shane Thompson
3rd place (160 pts) Chosen Few A-Town Stomp ‘Twothless’
Points earned: 160
A name familiar from the Southern Scum crew and from the state of my favorite skater and one of the best to ever live, Mr. Rob Thompson. Hopefully Shane is related somehow which should half explain the crazy disaster back unity he did at the final spot during the A-Town Stomp.
Eugen Enin
3rd place (160 pts) Chosen Few Germany Street Comp
Points earned: 160
This guy’s name is hard to pronounce but not hard to remember in since his skill in undeniable. He was lacing so many different tricks throughout the entire Chosen Few Germany Comp that I must have messed up his name over fifty times on the mic. But his name is crystal clear when I’m not saying it. Eugen Enin is all you need to see to know sick skating is on it’s way.
Adrian Deck
4th place (70 pts) at the Chosen Few Switzerland Street Comp
8th place (60 pts) at the Chosen Few Germany Street Comp
Points earned: 130
Man, do not get in the way of Adrian Deck. This guy skates with some serious force. Going 40 miles per hour to back roys on double kinks or doing back torque to gaps on out rails you’re always in for a treat when you get to watch Adrian Deck. Especially if it’s live. His skating is exciting and entertaining.
Beat Schillmeier
1st place (100 pts) at the Chosen Few Switzerland Street Comp
Best trick (25 pts) at the Chosen Few Switzerland Street Comp
Points earned: 125
Beat Schillmeier was the last person we added to The Chosen Few. Everyone of us as well as most who mention him look at Beat Schillmeier as being one of the best in the world. He has the talent and skill to skate any obstacle he wants to. He can kill a ledge or a rail but he is truthfully enjoying himself the most when he skates the things he is famous for skating. The things that very few in the history of our sport would look at. His control is what makes him special. He goes up to these death defying stunts knowing he can land them. The huge 25 stair steep ledge at the final spot of the Switzerland competition was just him having a good time.
Iain McLeod
1st place (100 pts) at the Chosen Few RK Street Comp
Best Trick (25 pts) at the Chosen Few RK Street Comp
Points earned: 125
A man that needs no introduction. Iain Mcleod is possibly the best street skater of all time. Pro wheels, pro frames, pro skate, touring around the world, Iain Mcleod has had it all. Past conversations about the top 5 best skaters in the world have almost always included Iain’s name from all parties of the argument. Iain has filmed so many sections in his career and he is far from done. We are proud to have him as a part of The Chosen Few. Because of Iain’s schedule he only made it to one of the Chosen Few comps this year, but he was unstoppable at the RK competition. Expect to see him tearing up the finals in Los Angeles September 3rd.
Alex Burston
1st Place (100 pts) Chosen Few UK COMP
Points earned: 100
Alex is a fairly new name in most peoples eyes but has made quite the impact in the last few years. His skating is full of style and difficulty. The tricks he pulled off at the UK competition he pulled off with incredible control. His attitude is also what makes him shine. Always down to skate and always just there to have a good time. Despite his hard fall at the competition he was still in great spirits for the rest of the day. You never know what’s coming next with this kid except that you can expect progression every time you see him.
Michael “Gumby” Braud
1st place (100 pts) at the O-Town Throwdown added to the Chosen Few Street Comp Series
Points earned: 100
Gumby is more known for his insanity on and off rollerblades than anything else but you can’t just be crazy to land a lot of the tricks he’s pulled over his career. Beyond the layer of insanity which makes his skating unique from anyone else is an extreme amount of talent. Gumby has done some of the rawest stunts in skate history. The obstacles he’s skated despite their size a lot of the time don’t even look fun. It looks like landing the trick may hurt more than falling on them. That aspect alone shows that Gumby brings something special to rollerblading.
Dylan Hopp
1st place (100 pts) at the Rhode Island Comp added to the Chosen Few Street Comp Series
Points earned: 100
Dylan Hopp is a new name to the skating lime light and well deserving of it too. This guy only gets better and better every time I see him. He lives at the Hopp ranch which is one hell of a training ground. Dylan seems to be getting much more comfortable lately as you can catch him jumping huge gaps and opening his trick repertoire even more. Dylan Hopp will be a name you will be hearing a lot of in the future.
Bartek Zgrzeblak
1st place (100 pts) at the East Side Jam added to the Chosen Few Street Comp Series
Points earned: 100
Bartek Zgrzeblak has some powerful skating. I have seen skating from this guy over the past 5 or 6 years he gets better in some way every time you see him. Whether it’s his style or tricks or new outlook on the obstacles he skates. He is always keeping it fresh.
Jon Erickson
1st place (100 pts) at the Chosen Few We Are One Competition
Points earned: 100
Jon Erickson is a skater I was not too familiar with until recently which is a rare thing. Described by some as a true rail skater he proved that rumor by killing the We Are One comp. He can kill more then just rails too. He is working on a Chosen Few section right now which we are looking forward to giving you a peak at soon.
Chris Murphy
1st Place (100 pts) at the Chosen Few NYC Comp
Points earned: 100
Chris Murphy is a talented skater. 3 soul both ways in spin and out spin. He can jump gaps, has got the spin tricks on lock and misty flips are just another way for him to get from point A to point B. I watch edits and sections of this guy over and over and am always excited to see what type of heat he is coming with next.
Jose Henriquez
2nd place (90 pts) Chosen Few NYC Street Comp
Points earned: 90
Jose Henriquez, a local killer from New York, took second place at our NYC event. From what I’ve seen of this kid he’s always happy having a great time skating. Even when he falls he seems to have a smile on his face. His skill seems to get more and more solid with every new appearance he makes.
Dan Mclaren
2nd place (90 pts) at the Chosen Few UK Street Comp
Points earned: 90
Dan Mclaren is a name not familiar to most outside of the UK. I have known Dan for years now and his skill and style have been undeniable for quite some time. Dan Mclaren never quite got the attention he has deserved but he will now. Especially after the truespin soyal he laced on the 20 stair final spot of the UK comp after it had started raining.
Robin Weber
2nd place (90 pts) at the Chosen Few Switzerland Street Competition
Points earned: 90
Robin Weber is a skater no one has probably heard of. Uncluding myself until he competed June 25th at the Switzerland competition. I don’t think Robin had any idea that he would place at this competition but he did when he was the only other skater to hit the final huge 25 stair down ledge. Congrats!
Russell Dineen
2nd place (90 pts) at the East Side Jam added to the Chosen Few Street Comp Series
Points earned: 90
Russell Dineen is not only a good skater but seems to be down to try big stunts over and over again. I noticed this in a video I saw of him about 4 years ago. Russell was trying to roll this skinny ledge then 180 a huge gap. Since then this Scottish skater has made a name for himself in his part of the world and it’s only a matter of time before Russell Dineen is known everywhere in the world.
Tom Burch
2nd place (90 pts) Rhode Island Street Comp added to the Chosen Few Street Comp Series
Points earned: 90
Tom Burch is somewhat of a new face that has begun to shine on the east coast. I remember him doing a disaster unity at a street comp about 5 years back and I have seen some other edits of him since that trick. His skating is powerful, you don’t want this guy to crash into you. He’s got a smooth tight style to him which seems to work well since he placed second at the Rhode Island comp. We expect to see even bigger things from Tom in the future.
Jon Fromm
2nd place (90 pts) O-Town Throw Down added to the Chosen Few Street Comp Series
Points earned: 90
Jon Fromm is a name that the majority of the skate world probably knows by now, and for good reason. Jon Fromm’s progression has been noticed throughout the past few years especially because it is so well documented. Jon’s skating has always been solid his tricks are done the way you would imagine doing them in your head. His clean and precise style is one of the reasons he stands out during competitions.
Bartek Kasprzycki
3rd place (80 pts) at the East Side Jam added to the Chosen Few Street Comp Series
Points earned: 80
I know a skater with this last name but his first name does not ring a bell and since there was no edit of the East Side Jam real street comp. So third place at it will have to be enough proof that this guy is good. Still wish I knew who he was.
Pat Curran
3rd place (80 pts) at the Rhode Island Street Comp added to the Chosen Few Street Comp Series
Points earned: 80
Pat Curran has been around for quite some time. I know him from some of the crazy misty flips he has done over the years. The one that sticks out in my mind the most though was when he misty flip’s over what looked like a chest high gate at a skate park. This guy seems pretty crazy when he skates and I say that in the best of ways.
Blake Taylor
3rd place (80 pts) at the O-Town Throw Down added to the Chosen Few Street Comp Series
Points earned: 80
Blake Taylor is one of Florida’s old school skaters who is still killing it to this day. Blake has been all over the east coast competing and filming. Many skaters know him as ‘Uncle Blake’. If you ever say your getting too old for rollerblading then just take a look at Blake Taylor and you can immediately retract your statement.
Cameron Card
3rd place (80 pts) at the Chosen Few We Are One Comp
Points earned: 80
Cameron Card is a skater everyone knows. He has done some of the biggest disasters in skating. He has been killing it for a very long time. Competing, traveling and filming sections as well as overcoming various serious injuries. This coping killer is a skater the world is perfectly familiar with.
Elliot Stevens
3rd place (80 pts) at the Chosen Few UK Street Comp
Points earned: 80
Elliot Stevens is a skater recently praised for his disaster 540 true soul he landed perfectly 3 times in a row on the disaster rail at the Chaz Sands Invite. Elliot is mostly known for skating park but he has a lot more to offer then just his talent for skate parks. He is able to do things many skater can not. Like top soul to 3 soul on 20 stair steep rails. It looks to me that Elliot has a special type of control when he skates. There is just something so sick about the way he skates an indescribable thing that just makes it work.
Danny Figgs
3rd place (80 pts) at the Chosen Few NYC Street Comp
Points earned: 80
If I remember correctly, Danny Figgs has been around for a fairly long time. I remember seeing some footage of him in the early 2000s and have not seen much since then. I don’t have the in depth knowledge of his skating but I do know the clips from back in the day were really good and he took third at the NYC competition so he must still be getting crazy.
Stephane DeFreitas
3rd place (80 pts) at the Chosen Few Switzerland Street Comp
Points earned: 80
Stephane DeFreitas is one the nicest people I have ever met. Always a smile on his face. This guy lives the dream in Geneva. When it comes to his skating he has raw skill. In his most recent edit he just went out looking around the city for spots and nailed tricks on different obstacles everywhere. But he can get down on a rail, skate park or ledge, too. Before I knew Stephane I saw a picture of him doing a sweatstance on a huge 11 flat 11 drop kink rail and in the bio it read first time ever doing a sweaty on a kink. “So yeah he can do it all.”
The Chosen Few 2011 Finals will go down on September 3rd in Los Angeles, California. Check the event post on Be-Mag here.
