8.6.08 KAREN WINS GOLD AT X GAMES 2008!
WOMEN’S VERT RECAP
X Games 14 took place last weekend in Los Angeles, CA. In true southern California fashion, the scorching sun was beating down hard as the best pro athletes in women’s skateboarding threw down for medals and prize money in the biggest competition of the year. In the women’s vert final, newest member of the Osiris Girls team, Karen Jones, battled out the best of the best in the 30 minute jam style format which included skate legend Cara-Beth Burnside and last year’s gold and silver medalists Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins and Mimi Knoop. Despite Lyn-Z’s awesome kickflip indy and huge boosts, Karen’s technical tricks including a varial mute, a finger flip, and a lolli-pop shuv-it gave her the edge over the competition and landed her in 1st place, bringing home her first X Games gold medal. Talk about making a grand entrance….congrats and welcome to the team Karen!
Osiris Girls team riders Annie Sullivan and Allysha Bergado also held it down on the massive vert ramp….great job girls! At age 12, Allysha is the youngest female to ever compete in the X Games, be sure to keep your eye out for this talented young grom in the years to come. Check out more pictures in the gallery below:
Women’s Vert Final Results:
1. Karen Jones (Santo Andre, Brazil)
2. Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.)
3. Mimi Knoop (Chesapeake, Va.)
4. Cara-Beth Burnside (Encinitas, Calif.)
5. Gaby Ponce (Tenafly, N.J.)
6. Julie Kindstrand (Santa Ana, Calif.)
7. Allysha Bergado (El Segundo, Calif.)
8. Annie Sullivan (San Diego, Calif.)
WOMEN’S STREET RECAP
As for the women’s skateboard street finals, the level of riding was truly amazing to say the least. Street legend Elissa Steamer, came back to claim her title, after winning gold 3 years in a row and then taking 2nd after Marissa Dal Santo last year in 2007. Steamer skated consistently throughout the three heats and during the second heat she stuck a lofty, kick flip over the China gap with less than three seconds on the clock, bringing the crowd atop the LA Live Event Deck to an uproar. In the third and last heat of the final, it was second place finisher Dal Santo and bronze medalist Amy Caron’s time to shine as they both landed tough kick flips over the double set of stairs and nose slides down the handrail. Osiris girls team skater, Leticia Bufoni, gave a solid performance coming in a respectable 5th, ollieing the huge staircase, landing a kickflip and a tuck knee over the china gap as well as landing clean fs and bs boardslides down the rail.
Women’s Street Final Results:
1. Elissa Steamer (San Francisco, Calif) 87.83
2. Marisa Dal Sonto (Chicago, Ill.) 81.50
3. Amy Caron (Huntington Beach, Calif.) 80.00
4. Rachel Reinhard (Colorado Springs, Colo.) 78.00
5. Leticia Bufoni (Sao Paulo, Brazil) 77.00
6. Vanessa Torres (Silver Lake, Calif) 65.08
7. Evie Bouilliart (Huntington Beach, Calif.) 60.33
8. Lorena Lima (Sayreville, N.J.) 46.83
9. Lauren Perkins (Huntington Beach, Calif.) 42.83
10. Sophie Poppe (Destelbergen, Belgium) 23.25
Check out video highlights via www.thesideproject.com:
Photos c/o www.anapaulanegrao.com
