HALLOWEEN HELLRAISER SKATEBOARD SHOWDOWN

While the rest of the world nursed Halloween hangovers from the previous nights debauchery, shuffling home amidst their costumed "walks of shame," skateboarders from and around New York City downed their coffees, killed a bagel and dealt with their pain accordingly...like g'damned warriors, that is. Tony Memento

Jahmal Williams Unleashes A Frontside Bluntslide Transfer Shortly Before The Crowd Piles In
It was the day after Halloween and the start of November. And for those, 'in the know,' the day of the first ever Halloween Hellraiser Skateboard Showdown. It was an amazing day for skating in Lower Manhattan, with picture perfect weather. But on this day, most of the rawness would go down 5 stories about street level, on the Open Road Rooftop, aka, the top floor the New Design High School. Getting to the roof was gnarly. The seemingly endless sets of stairs were a bitch on ones thighs, especially if those thighs were atrophied like mine had apparently become. However, once to the top, you were set (and trapped, because nobody wanted to trek up those goddamned steps twice). There, before us all, was a vast sovereign portion of society commanded by nothing but skateboarding. Skaters, many in costume pushed around joyously, warming up on all of the freshly fixed obstacles so that they may get a shot at a bit of the $3 G's in cash up for grabs. A barbecue blazed with hotdogs and hamburgers, Redbull's were being handed out by sexually attractive women and the DJ booth pumped out hip hop.

The format was simple. There would be three jam style sessions on three seperate obstacles. You ride away from something good, you get a stack of cash from announcers Billy Rohan and Alex Corporan.


Tony Memento

These Two Killed It All Day...Manny Santiago & Brett Conti
Off the bat, pandemonium hit. The first obstacle was a kicker that went over a long funbox. A bunch of people were referring to this one as the "Gino Box" for obvious reasons. Hungry for the cash and a chance to land their trick, dudes were straight hucking themselves off that thing, one after another, literally landing on top of each other. The carnage I witnessed closely resembled the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan. But soon, the moderators took control and allowed a bit of room for some actual skating to happen. Manny Santiago 360 pop shoved the thing, Black Dave kickflip back lipped the ledge portion of the box, some kid on 5boro did a buttery frontside pop shuvit over it, another kid blasted a large backside 360 and just as time was called, Nick Sassa rolled away from a giant nollie bigspin.

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Ralph Murphy Of Substance Skateboards, Rocks The Acapulco Wall
The Red Bull Jersey Barrier was definitely not easy to skate. It was super quick and if you're weren't careful, you'd be sent looping out, flailing for you life. Nick Sassa skated the thing like it was a spine ramp in the low-impact kiddy section of the park. Blunt fakies, ollie transfers etc. Little Sean Wallace was nailing feeble transfers like a veteran. Jahmal Williams was sliding highspeed blunt transfers both ways all day and some kid named Dylan was Dylan did a blunt backside disaster, front rock transfer, in a silent ode to Chad Vogt.

Tony Memento

Black Dave...Frontside Nosegrind
The third and final contest took place on both the ten stair rail and Acapulco Wallride. Kids were going for broke and destroying themselves in the process. On the wallride, Nick Sassa had buttery alley oop wallrides and wallride step offs, no problem. And one of the craziest ones that nobody saw coming, was Robert Lopez-Mont's frontside Miller Flip over the two wallride ramp gap. Black Dave nosegrinded and front blunted the rail like a champion. Clint Peterson backside 360'ed the 10 stair and Manny Santiago frontside shoved to a feeble down the rail. Insane.




Tony Memento

Alex "Run" Corporan & Billy "Shriner" Rohan Handle The Crowd With Authority
When the day was over, a bunch of guys walked away with some bundles of cash, tons of product was raffled off, some good costumes were worn, a father and son fight broke out and some exceptional skateboarding was busted. Here's who walked away with the money.



Gino Box



1st Place-Manny Santiago- 360 pop shuv it
2nd Place-Nick Sassa- Nollie Bigspin
3rd Place-5boro Jon, Frontside pop shuv it
4th Place-Some kid, backside 360 ollie


10 Stair Rail/Acapulco Gold Wallride

1st Place-Manny Santiago, front bigspin feeble grind
2nd Place-Robert Mont-Lopez, Frontside Wallride to flat, Frontside Miller Flip on the AG Wallride
3rd Place-Nick Sassa-Alley Oop wallride, Wallride step-off

Honorable Mention...Black Dave, Front blunt down the rail
Scotty Moore, Kickflip tail on the bank to ledge

Jersey Barrier

1st Place-Nick Sassa, too many tricks to list
2nd Place-Dylan from Connecticut, Blunt backside disaster, front rock transfer
3rd Place-Jahmal Williams, Front bluntslide transfer

Tony Memento

Nick Sassa Got Paid
All in all, it was an excellent day of skateboarding. Good weather, good vibes and some rad as f*&k skating. A hefty shout-out goes directly to everyone who made this contest another phenominal New York event especially, Billy Rohan, Alex Corporan, Acapulco Gold, Run My Game Productions, Open Road Of New York, Adrian Lopez of Rock Star Bearings, Vans, Red Bull, Substance Skateboards, Prize Fighter Cutlery, Tony Memento for hooking up photos and the skaters of NYC. Hopefully this one will happen every year, folks.