by: Donal Glackin
FRIDAY: I headed to the SOFD to meet some of the local skaters. The Scottish lads and Joey were in Clongriffen skatepark having a session while the sun was still out. Myself and a few others headed there to meet them. Unfortunately, when we arrived it began to rain, making the hour long round trip in rush hour traffic a waste of time. So we headed back to the SOFD for the late night session. Everyone had a great skate that night and it was good to see so many new faces in the park. The younger skaters were handling the obstacles just as well as any of the older generation which promised for a good days skating on Saturday.
SATURDAY: things kicked off early at noon. It was a lovely sunny day as it always is for the competition and Ciaran, the skatepark chef, put on a excellent barbeque. Before long the Under 14 comp started. All the lads skated hard (and some hard slams were had with Big Willy coming down hard on his knee after slipping out of a sick AO Fish), but in the end first place went to Jack Woodruffe who skated solidly throughout the comp. He also won the U14’s best trick with a Top Acid to True Mizou along the coping. The Over 14 comp was just as entertaining with the standard of skating set very high. In the end first place went to Jay Gorman after a number of very tech tricks on the coping and box.
The Best Trick Content followed next and the level of skating was incredible with so many hammers being landed on tricks which most people would of thought impossible. Cammy blew everyone away by Wallriding high over the 14ft vert wall and Flatspinning gaps that had only been previously straight gapped. Joey Egan displayed his vert skills with a huge Rewind Flatspin from the vert wall into the quarter and Russell Dineen amazed everyone with a Zero Spin Fishy on the high girder at the back of the quarter which had never been stalled before. Albert and Cammy launched Disasters from the quarter over the partition wall between the street course and the mini, onto a wall beside the mini ramp. Cammy laced Soul 360 out, and Albert amazed everyone with a number of tricks such as Fishy and True Mizou 360 out. In the end, first place went to Cammy after he Launched from the quarter – Back Royaled up the girder – and Gapped into the flat bank.
SUNDAY: Things started of early again on Sunday with everyone meeting at noon at the recently uncapped portabello ledges. A 53-seat bus was there to meet everyone and bring them from spot-to-spot for the day. After a quick session on the ledges we headed to the Sandyford marble ledges. There are so many long ledges here which makes for a great session. Tricks were going down everywere, but before long secuity came along and moved us on, so we headed to the next spot.
After that we headed on to the Stilorgan disaster ledge. Some of the highights included Albert’s Soul to Gap the triple set which most people would be happy to just 180, and Johnny’s Disaster 450 Back Royale. Ivan did one of the cleanest Disaster 360 Souls I have ever seen as well.
As we finished up here, the Garda (Irish police) arrived to move us along, which was perfect timing as everyone got their tricks. We went on to the infamous Stillorgan black rails for a short while, but with time running out on the day we got everyone on the bus and headed to Greystone’s industrial estate to a steep chrome rail for the last spot. Before the comp I had only ever seen anyone Backside this rail. The standard was raised with Giles Mulligan pulling a Half-Cab Soul and Ivan getting ripped off with a Kind Grind and hitting his knee. Johnny Mulligan stole the show with a Full Cab Back Royale and then a 450 Front Royale. The Garda came to move us on after a pedestrian called. But when they saw Johnny trying the 450 they watched and let him get the trick and even congratulated him for landing it; thanks Garda!
1st – Johnny Mulligan (third year in a row)
2nd – Keir Lindsay
3rd – Albert Hooi
Special thanks to Conor Manweiller and Eoin “Lynch” Prendergast, for organising the whole event as well as Frank Manweiller and Mike Keane at SOFD for a great park comp. Thanks for ciaran for the great food as well. And a big thanks to all the sponsers: Conor at Kaltik Clothing, Grant at Wreckless Skateshop, Keir at Skullfuck Clothing, all the guys at Hedonskate, BHC, Fix Bearings, TG4, and the SOFD.
Images:
– Johnny Mulligan, Disaster 450 Back Royale
– Albert Hooi, Soul to Gap
– Disaster True Mizou
– Albert Hooi, Disaster AO Top Acid
– Albert Hooi, Disaster Switch Pornstar
– Dano Gorman, Fishbrain
– Eoin Prendergast, Misty Flip
– Gordan Macallion, True Mizou
– Johnny Mulligan, 450 Front Royale
– Johnny Mulligan, Back Royale
– Johnny Mulligan, Back Royale
– Johnny Mulligan, 1st Place,
– Paul Kennedy, Front Flip
– Russell Dineen, True Savannah
– On The Bus
