FOURTH STOP OF 2008 AST DEW TOUR

The fourth stop of the 2008 AST Dew Tour kicked off yesterday in Salt Lake City, and we’re actually witnessing a neck-and-neck race. Paul Rodriguez, Ryan Sheckler, and lil’ Chaz Ortiz all have legitimate shots at the overall crown, so you best tune in. We’ll have photos and videos up with the quickness. Keep on reading for the Toyota Challenge press release…

It’s Make or Break Time for Dew Cups at This Week’s Toyota Challenge

NEW YORK – Sept. 10, 2008 – The race for the coveted Dew Cups heats up at this weekend’s AST Dew Tour’s Toyota Challenge. With only two events left to climb to the top of the point standings, the world’s top action sports athletes need to bring out their best performances at Salt Lake City’s EnergySolutions Arena to stay in the hunt for action sport’s only season-long championship.

The 2008 season has brought some of the tightest races in Dew Tour history. Here’s how the chase for the Dew Cups break down in the six disciplines:

Skateboard Park:

MTV reality TV star and fan favorite Ryan Sheckler is in an unfamiliar position coming into Salt Lake’s Toyota Challenge: looking up in the skateboard park points standings. The three-time defending Dew Cup champ currently sits 17 points behind leader and fellow Southern California native Paul Rodriguez. The skaters’ performances this weekend could either make or break their season, and unlike Sheckler’s clinching victory at the tour’s fourth stop in ’07, the Dew Cup winner in Skateboard Park will be decided at the Tour’s final stop, Orlando’s PlayStation Pro, for the first time in AST history.

Skateboard Vert:

Vert legends Bucky Lasek and Bob Burnquist are separated by just 15 points in the standings and hold the top two spots, but the race for the Cup is far from over. Pierre-Luc Gagnon trails Burnquist by only 22 points and perennial contender Andy Macdonald sits just 13 points behind Gagnon. Depending on who wins in Salt Lake, the hundred points awarded to the winner could shake up the points standings considerably. Burnquist will claim the top spot if he repeats from last month’s Wendy’s Invitational victory, and a slew of situations exist where Lasek will either hold onto the top spot or it could be captured by challengers

SKBSG