A Recap of The Razor Exposed Tour Stop # 2

August 28th was the date of the second stop of the Razor Exposed Tour, it was also a day that for a lot of people won't soon be forgotten. Before we talk about the day of the competition, let's rewind to the day before..

When I arrived at the Battleground Skatepark it was already full of riders that would be competing the following day. Team riders from companies like Eagle-Sport, Lucky Scooter parts, Inward-Scooters, MaddGear, ScooterZone and a lot more were all there warming up and it was obvious that they were ready to compete. Some riders were having a tough time adjusting to the park, while others seemed to have no problem at all. All of these differences and factors were shaping this competition up to be really interesting.

It was a long day and as it began to wind down, most people had a pretty good idea on how things could possibly play out the next day. But as with all competitions there was no way to tell until the competition began just who was going to be able to turn it on. One of the main things a lot of riders were waiting for was the arrival of the seemingly unstoppable Tyler Bonner. Who would be competing in the competition with his previous 5 competitions being all First Place showings in the Pro Division. However, Tyler never did make an appearance which shocked quite a few people and left them wondering if he would be able to get two solid runs together on the day of the contest.

As I left the skatepark it was off to the Best Western Hotel where most riders that weren't local happened to be staying at. I walked into the lobby and ran straight into Team Razor. It took all of three seconds to notice the shirts they were wearing. After talking with them for a bit I was pretty beat, and had to be up early the day of competition so it was straight up to my room, and I passed out shortly after.

I woke up the day of the competition and upon arriving at the skatepark you could cut the tension with a knife. Riders had shown up early to get some more practice time in and to perfect their runs. There was movement everywhere you looked. Whether it was the guys riding the park, or the various sponsoring companies that were busy setting up their displays.

Before the comp started, I took some time to walk around and check out all of the different companies that were set up at the skatepark. So let's take a look at some of there booths.



Ambush


MADD


Dominator Scooter Accessories


Lucky Scooter Parts


Scooter Zone

TSI


All amazing companies and all showcasing and selling some of their awesome products. Not shown in the pictures was also Phoenix Scooters, who had almost their whole Team there competing that day. Northwest Scoot was also present, and were a big help during the entire day.

As soon as I was done walking around, I noticed that there was something going on over by the judges tower. I walked over and realized that it was a product toss. Kids were going nuts trying to get their hands on some T-Shirts. These products tosses are one of many reasons to try and get out to the Razor Exposed Tour.

It wasn't too long after that the beginner division began. I sat up top the judges tower watching each run closely. As I watched these kids take their runs, and noted each land and bail, my mind wandered a bit and it became clear again that these kids are the future of the sport. While some of them clearly had a long way to go, there were those select few that showed a lot of talent and potential. It was those three that on this day, would be the top three winners in the beginner division. You can see a picture of 1st Bayley Maxcey, 2nd Ian Freelich, 3rd Paxton Swygard to the left.

Next up was the Intermediate division. Where the two riders to beat would prove yet again to be, Cameron Ward (13) and Corey Funk (14). While they are both really young, they are also both extremely talented. Don't be surprised if you find them competing in the Pro Division next year among some of the worlds best in the sport. Cameron would go on to take 1st place with a great first run, and an even better second run. Followed by Corey who put together two really solid runs, and threw one of the biggest fingerwhips I've seen in a while. Third place went to local Fuzzy Gross, who was throwing down extremely hard the day before, and during both of his runs. It was a great competition for the intermediates.

The whole feeling changed after the intermediate division ended...because everyone knew what was coming, The Pro Division. I think one of the factors that led to this extreme change was the arrival of Tyler Bonner during the intermediate division. With Tyler arriving so late, it became clear in a lot of riders heads that he would be taking his runs today with little to no practice at all. Warm ups for the Pro Division continued for a while and suddenly I heard a loud smack, followed by the sound of multiple “gasps”...When I turned to see what happened, I saw David Fross holding his face, and the blood was already pouring from his nose...and then I looked to my left and saw Jake O Donnell holding his head in excruciating pain. As David took off to the bathroom to check the damage, I ran to Jake's side. I sat him down and let him know that he was going to be all right, and that he just had to take it easy. David showed up and apologized to Jake for the collision and within seconds realized that during the crash had bit his tongue almost clear off. He immediately left for the hospital, while Jake sat down still dealing with a lot of pain. I stayed with Jake until finally hearing my name being called back to the Judges tower...I told Jake he'd be all right, and left to do my job...in the back of my head I was pretty bummed, because both Jake and David were set to compete in the Pro Division and were riding really good up until the crash.

Back on top the judges tower it was back to business. It was clear that some riders were struggling a bit to get it together. But one of the riders who wasn't...was Dakota Schuetz. From the previous day up to his actual runs, he was clearly ready there to compete and after his first run he had made it obvious to all other riders competing in the division that he was looking for 1st place. Lucky Riders Blake Bailor and Mike Montgomery came out hard with some amazing runs. Also riding really well with some crazy hang 5 stuff was Capron Funk. Cary Mosbrucker stuck to his signature Cary style throwing some huge transfers, and some signature Cary style tech tricks that are always big crowd pleasers. Trying to judge this division was clearly not going to be easy. Especially when Eagle-Sport and Phoenix rider Chris Gascoigne took his runs which both turned out to be almost flawless. However, Tyler doesn't have more first place's in the world for nothing. With little to no practice, he took his runs and was throwing down hard. A few small mess ups in his first run, and followed up with an amazing second run. With Dakota matching his first run with an extremely solid second run, it became clear to all judges that this was going to be close. In the end Dakota ended up beating Tyler Bonner by a 6th of a point for first place, and Chris Gascoigne took 3rd. Really solid riding from these guys.

The only thing left was the Best Trick Contest, which we at Inside-Scooters were putting up 100 dollars cash for. Everyone was trying hard to land their tricks, and the first successful landed trick was Chris Gascoigne's 360 back scooterflip to superman. Now during the best trick competition, a skateboarder decided that he didn't care about us renting out the park...and he dropped in and started skating. Well a few of us weren't having that, and as Myself, Dustin Nooner, and Twan made our way over to him, a small altercation ensued. We then remembered that the cops were there to ensure that stuff like this wouldn't happen, and it didn't take long before he was being escorted out, which you can see to the right. And the contest went on. With Dakota trying 720 Bri Flip Whips, and Tyler Bonner getting soooo close on a 1080 barspin. The winner would go to Inward-Scooters and Phoenix rider, Josh Kish. For a hugee frontflip double tailwhip.

This competition was an eye opener for all who attended. It really showed that this sport is growing and will continue to grow as long as we have people like Dave Ward and Kimberly Funk putting together competitions like the Razor Exposed Tour. Dave and Kimberly have invested countless hours of time into planning the Razor Exposed Tour, and when this tour ends will both have made no profit from it at all. So why did they do it you ask? To promote and push the sport of Scootering. They stepped up and did what no other company or person has done in the past 10 years in this sport, and fully planned a four stop contest, and did it without seeking profit. This is something we all should be admiring and thanking them for. Although, it's also safe to say that without all of the sponsoring companies this tour would not have been as successful as it has been and will continue to be for the next two stops. A lot of these companies don't simply show up the day of the competition, set up a booth, and sell their products. Most of them are helping out in any ways that they can to help make this competition series a success.

The Razor Exposed Tour is setting the bar for all other competitions in many ways. Whether it's the two people behind it, the companies that are involved and sponsoring it, the riders that show up and compete, the prizes, or the events and tricks that you might only ever see landed at these competitions. All are part of what set it apart from all others. There are only two stops left, Arizona, and finally the finale at Skatebarn West. Get out there, and be a part of history at The Razor Exposed Tour. See you there.



You want to see some amazing photos from the competition and the day before? Then head to Richard Robbins website by clicking the link below...Some really great stuff there.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS


Written by Steven Tongson




And don't forget the 3rd stop of The Razor Exposed Tour is right around the corner. This time they're heading to Glendale, Arizona! Some of the locals out there kill it, so I think it's safe to say that it's going to one hell of a competition. Check out the flier below for more details, and keep checking Inside-Scooters for any updates regarding the Razor Exposed Tour.