Words by Wesley McDonald
Photos by Hunter Gonzalez
Saturday, May 25, while some would be floating the river, others were getting down at the Bentonville Skatepark. Skaters descended upon the park for the first stop of the Arkansas Crown Skateboarding Competition. Before the event even kicked off people were already dropping hammers.
The Northwest Arkansas Skateboarding Foundation came through with a list of planned events, and even an unplanned event that turned out to be somewhat of a hit. Keep scrolling to get the skinny on the event details and some super rad photos.
The whole thing popped off with a beginner jam, where skaters in the early stages of learning showed off their skills for all to see. 3rd place went to Fabian, who slayed on his Pickle Rick shred sled. 2nd place went to Deason, the young gun. And coming in 1st was none other than Niccy, who went hard with tricks like this epic boardslide.
The event then moved on with a high ollie contest, long ollie contest, and game of S.K.A.T.E. Garrett "Sheep" Gonzalez walked away with a win in all 3 of those categories, but everyone gave it their all in each of them. Peep the snaps.
Following the game of S.K.A.T.E. and highest/longest ollie activities, the Arkansas Crown main event kicked off. There were definitely too many bangers to list, and it was surely a difficult decision for the judges.
After the high fun and games, it was time to get serious. The Arkansas Crown heat started with competitors dropping so many hammers it was hard to keep up. 3rd place was Ethan, young gun who came in strong and killed it all day long. 2nd place was Garrett, with his massive pop and effortless style. 1st place was Anthony, the steezy wonder of Northwest Arkansas who's awesome boneless combos and unmistakable style were no doubt a big influence in his overall position.
Overall, Stop 1 was a great time with great friends. Everyone came together and enjoyed themselves on a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon. In closing, I'd like to give a huge thanks to Northwest Arkansas Skateboarding Foundation, The Path Skateshop, Stash Skate Supply, Hardcore Cases and everyone else who helped make this event possible. This was the first of 6 stops in the Arkansas Crown. The rest of the events will only get better from here, and with more points up for grabs, who will take the lead at the next stop?