Takeshi Yasutoko takes the gold

An Epic Climax for Inline Vert
September 11, 2004

Inline vert was a who’s who of rollerblading champions. Fabiola da Silva showed up, fresh off yesterday’s park victory. Marco de Santi came in with the heat barely cooled from his X Games silver medal, and, of course, the Yasutokos were all over the ramp as soon as the half pipe opened. To make it even more exciting, rumors were circulating that Marc Englehart and Shane Yost Shane Yost had new double flat spins that they were looking to unleash.

As a special twist, the competition director decided to stage a bonus round for the top five competitors after the first two rounds. The top five skaters would get one more run to pull their biggest tricks, come what may.

Sven Boekhorst showed off the same technical lip tricks that helped him place 6th in yesterday’s park comp. Borja Fernandez threw a few double grabbed airs and did half his run fakie but couldn’t hold his spins together, going down on an inverted 720 to take 9th.

Fabiola had the support of the crowd as she threw her corkscrew 900 and fakie 900. And Cesar Mora showed off a new drifted 540 and an abstract fakie 900 with an off-axis back flip. But couldn’t quite get above Hawaiian rider, Thumper Nagasako, who showed off a true spin topside acid, a flat spin 720 and a smooth 900.

Unfortunately, Eito Yasutoko threw his back out two days ago and didn’t skate yesterday. He started his first run strong, with a California Roll 1080, a double back flip 180 and a double back flip but fell on a topside soul and couldn’t get back up to speed. “It was my fault,” he insisted after the competition, but he was holding his back.

Marc Englehart threw down three 540 variations before getting down to the business of a 1080, a fakie 900 and a zero spin pornstar. In his bonus round, he threw his first ever (in competition) double flat spin. “I tried to play it safe,” he said. “But by the time I had a chance to throw the double flat spin, it was too late. My legs were gone.”

Shane Yost Shane Yost took the bronze medal with a 1080, a corkscrew 900 and his first ever double flat spin. “It was six years in the making,” said Shane. “One torn groin, many bruises, but I finally landed the double flat spin in a comp.”

Marco de Santi came to the ramp today with a trick so new that nobody even knew what to call it. Although Arlo tried to call it a “double custard chucker”, halfway through the comp, Marco decided to call it a double flat 360. He put it together with a double flat spin, a switch 540 and a double back flip.

And the gold went to Takeshi Yasutoko whose fourteen foot airs had the crowd on their feet. He sailed a Viking Flip into a double Viking Flip, then pulled a corkscrew 900 before slamming down his ultra-progressive lip tricks: an alley oop topside acid and a backslide to alley oop topside soul.

So many firsts, so much progression. Who would have thought, after so many months of intense competition, these guys would still have the energy to bring the crowd to their feet!

» back to main Inline Event Coverage page

» back to Event Coverage for all sports