The Concrete Rodeo contest series tours through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah. 2004 brought the series to Airspeed's newly completed Reedsport skate park and the first ever "Loop Challenge" anywhere. Last year's event was a blast. The contest was heated, but the main event was definitely the loop challenge. Four people tried it, but for the most part, nobody came close except Josef Hefner, who managed to slam repeatedly after clearing it to around the 4:00 mark. The judges gave him some extra time, but he couldn't claim the $1000 purse. They did give him $500 as a consolation. So it would remain that Red would be the first and only person to make the loop, as seen in the highly entertaining Thrasher video Beer Helmet. Well that is until a week or two later that 17 year old Lance Leisher from Roseburg made it. A couple of months later, a 15 year old Rion Linderman would also make the loop, remaining the youngest ever to complete a loop. Take that Duane Peters. In late spring of 2005 Hefner, now calling himself Lindstrom made the loop on four consecutive tries. Then rumors surfaced about a young guy from the East coast who was throwing loops in his regular runs. 2005 looked to be a short loop contest.

Contest day. Yes there was a regular contest going on the same day, but the buzz was for the loop. That is until your average spectator and/or contestant walked up to the park and saw that Josh "Screech" Sandoval had driven up from California and learned the loop in one day, and was throwing multiple loops in the same run. He even looked like he was contemplating a double loop. Also present was the mystery East coast guy who turned out to be Packy Fancher riding for Outlook Skateboards. He made a few loops in the practice but was missing more than he was succeeding. Airspeed's own Geth Noble, the guy designed and built the park was also present, trying to make the loop so that the industry would have no more Red vs. Geth gossip to perpetuate.

A little background, in case you aren't familiar, Reedsport's loop is funnel shaped, so in a way it's kind of like the turning point ramp instead of a straight full pipe. This doesn't mean it's easy at all. It's not even like the various Tony Hawk purpose-built loop contraptions that you roll into like a Hotwheels track. You have to carve out a speed line in the park to get an approach. Different people try it from different sides.

So the day progressed, there were a ton of kids in various age brackets of the regular contest. During warm up runs Josh would casually throw in a couple of loops, easily doing 30 before the proper loop contest. Rion Linderman made a couple of attempts and then quit practicing to avoid injury. Hefner/Lindstrom made did the same. Packy wasn't feeling it, and Geth wasn't either. Leisher, taking a break from the Skatepark Guide tour was burnt out and chose to concentrate on the regular contest. He came in second to stylish ripper named Steven Reeves who looks like a cross between a young T.A. and TnT. The always underrated Mason Huggins came in third. The contest was long and drawn out, as most contests are. Mixing of all the age groups made it irritating for the spectators and riders alike, but none of the little kids feelings got hurt because everyone was forced to stick around for the whole thing. The top competitors were giving it good, but the crowd was there for the loop.

Last year's loop contest was as follows. Four competitors were each given one chance to make it, splitting the purse if more than one did. Failing that, it was a 30 minute open jam with the prize going to the first guy to make it in the ensuing free for all. This year, after everyone got one chance, the purse would go to the guy who made it the most consecutive times. Well, it still looked like the odds were in Screech's favor. Geth hadn't made it yet, Rion and Joesf hadn't tried ince earlier in the day, and Packy wasn't making it anymore.

Out of the gates, Josh, Packy, and Geth made it on their first run, but Linderman and Hefner/Lindstrom didn't. The crowd cheered for Screech, but erupted for Packy and especially local hero Geth. It wasn't that they didn't like Josh, it was just that they'd already seen how easy it was for him, and everyone loves an underdog. The contest was no longer a foregone conclusion, and enthusiasm was high. Although technically out of the money, Rion and Josef got caughtup in the excitement and kept at it. Rion made three attempts before they both dropped out to let the others have their day.

This is where it got ridiculous. Josh, Packy, and Geth battled head to head, often on each others heals trying to rack up the loops. Josh began to get cramps and began to fall behind after while. Packy began to continue his lines after making the loop, throwing in a rock and roll on the exit wall. Ultimately, age and experience prevailed. Geth, having saved himself exclusively for the loop event, was able to outlast the other two and claim the $1000 purse plus lat year's $500 roll over, all fronted by the businesses of Reedsport. It got to the point where loops looked as effortless as a backside carve. Familiarity breeds contempt, and the crowd was barely paying attention anymore. Josh had to carried out of the bowl after each run, eventually dropping out. Poor kid, I've seen him blow his load early in a couple of contests, skating like a fiend all day long only to be too worn out at competition time. Way to go Otto. Way to get fired from your job in a big way.

Final Toll: Geth at 32, Packy at 22, and Josh at 19. That's consecutive successful loops, not age. If you went by the day's total, Screech would have won hands down. Josh collapsed on a table, and Geth took a break before helping to break down the extra benches brought in for spectators. The loop contest is still on for next year, but the format needs to be changed to something less brutal now that mere mortals are making the loop. Switch loop? Frontside and backside? (Rion did it frontside, everyone else was backside.) Who will be the first female? First to double loop? All signs point to Reedsport for the next loop milestone in history. One loop picture pretty much looks like any other, so enjoy!

OK, these results are a little wacky. They had points to determine who met in the finals brackets with two skaters going head to head in a what they call a "Joust". The jousts weren't scored, so it was possible for a skater to advance farther in the joust than his point score would reflect, and they didn't hold jousts to determine any place lower than 4th. Who are the real winners? If you say "All of us!" I'm going to have to smack you.

photo © Skate And Annoy