Eito Yasutoko grins big over his gold medal.
	Photo courtesy Gravity Games

Ever since Eito Yasutoko added the double back flip 180 to his repertoire in Spring 2003, he has been unbeatable. Top American vert rider, Marc Englehart has tried and failed. Brazilian Marco de Santi has been inconsistent. And both France’s Taig Kris and Australia’s Shane Yost Shane Yost have been plagued by injuries. But Eito’s younger brother, Takeshi Yasutoko showed up at the Gravity Games with a new trick – a double flat spin – which, at ten feet above the coping, looked ready to give Eito a run for the gold.

On the day of the vert finals, everybody was in top form. Arlo signaled the start of the comp and immediately, everything went to pieces. Borja Fernandez went down on his first air. Cesar Mora slid into the flat bottom less than halfway into his run. Marc Englehart went down, Takeshi went down trying his double flat spin. When Eito crashed and couldn’t stand up, it looked like it was going to be a dismal competition for everybody except the consistent Sam Fogarty, who stood in first place after the initial round.

In the second round however, most of the skaters stayed on their feet. A notable exception was Takeshi, who still could not nail the double flat spin, and ended in 8th place. Marc Englehart pulled out a series of masterful spins to end in 3rd place. Marco de Santi flaunted his double flat spin and a double back flip and grabbed the silver while Eito executed a California Roll 1080, a double back flip and a double back 180 over the channel to take the gold.

The medals were awarded by a Naval Color Guard.

The Park comp was a Best Trick contest that was divided into four heats. 2003 four time gold medalist, Brian Aragon won the first heat with a 180 degree curved wall ride. He beat out Carlos ‘Hardcore Brazil’ Pianowski, who never quite got on top of his rail switch-up.

This gap jump earned Richie Velasquez "Best Trick" honors.
Photo courtesy Gravity Games

Camp Woodward’s own Richie Velasquez won the second heat with an inverted 540 quarter pipe to quarter pipe over a 15 foot gap.

The third heat featured French powerhouse Wilfried Rosignol who pulled a backside royale over a gap of death followed by a 540 into a 6 foot quarter pipe.

The fourth heat was a difficult call: Carl Hills' 1260 over the launch box or Stephane Alfano’s 12 foot gap to disaster soul. In the end, it was decided that Stephane would go on to the final heat.

For the final Wilfried unveiled a backside farfergnugen to unity revert on the rail to take fourth. Brian Aragon did an acid drop 540 off a fifteen foot deck for the bronze. Stephane repeated his gap to disaster soul for silver. And Richie took the gold with a never before seen quarter pipe to quarter pipe transfer that drifted ten feet and changed directions twice in mid air.

Richie’s wife, Pam and son, Johan, were very excited for him.