Numbers were half of what they were in 2010, but the competition was as stiff as ever at the Sandor’s and Boardstiff Canada Day Skate Comp at the Second Heaven skate park in Riverdale.
Fourteen boarders took part in the event that doubles as the Yukon skateboarding championship.
Though competition was fierce, it wasn’t enough to dethrone Whitehorse’s Max Melvin-McNutt and Jerry Miller.
Melvin-McNutt won the advanced freestyle division for the second straight year and Miller repeated in intermediate.
“Last year I felt there wasn’t much competition - people didn’t plan their runs and it wasn’t very competitive,” said Melvin-McNutt. “But this year, a couple guys who weren’t in it last year were really good. They all motivate each other and it gets competitive. This year, the level of riding was definitely higher.”
It was Melvin-McNutt’s third advanced title. The 18-year-old also won the beginner division as a 12-year-old and then the intermediate a year later.
Putting him on top of second-place’s Patrick Robinson and third’s Noah Hutchinson was a backside lipslide down the six-step handrail on his first run and a hard flip (a front side shove-it with a kickflip) in his second run.
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“It’s always fun,” said Melvin-McNutt. “I like the session before the contest because everyone is here - all the skaters are here - and everyone is just skating around. It’s really fun and part of the whole experience.”
Miller, 14, won the intermediate division in front of second’s Dusty Knorr and third’s Harold Risby.
“I love getting out here, man,” said Miller. “It’s all about setting the bar.”
Miller set the bar high with some flip tricks on the quarter pipe and a boneless foot-plant over the pyramid.
“I just learned those yesterday,” said Miller, who admits he was surprised he pulled them off. “Those were a few big ones for me.”
He then clinched the top spot with a backside melon grab out of the bowl.
“The comp was so stiff this year,” said Miller. “Dusty just got back into town from Kelowna and I remember thinking back to when he and I used to skate together in this comp ... he used to win it every single year.
“I’m so surprised that I got the upper hand on him today.”
Whitehorse’s Cameron Sas didn’t place in the freestyle competition, but he nonetheless showed himself as a force to be reckoned with.
Sas won both Best Trick competitions - on the six-step and the pyramid. The 20-year-old landed a varial heelflip down the six-step and a kickflip boardslide on the pyramid.
“I have them on lock, pretty much,” said Sas of his winning tricks.
“I’m just having fun - that’s what I came out here for. It’s fun hanging out with my friends, skating with them.”
In the two-person, beginner division, Talen Dolan outperformed Trevor Brown for the win.
This past winter Melvin-McNutt became the first-ever Yukoner to make it on to the B.C. provincial freestyle snowboard team.
Before a broken collarbone took him out of action, he finished second out of 68 athletes - first for the men’s 15-18 age category - at the BCSA Provincial Slopestyle event at Big White in January. He then placed fourth overall - second in the 15-18 age group - at a BCSA Provincial Slopestyle competition in Sun Peaks, B.C.
He will be back on the team this winter as well.
Providing musical entertainment on Saturday were local bands The Weight and Cervexecution. The event was hosted by the Boys and Girls Club of Whitehorse and B.Y.T.E (Bringing Youth Towards Equality).
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com