Oh Canada!
Canada’s Ryan Decenzo Takes Gold in Game of SK8
Ryan Decenzo, the lone Canadian in the competition, outlasted three other competitors to win gold in Skateboard Game of SK8.
“I just came in with not too much stress and just wanted to land tricks,” the Vancouver, B.C. native said.
“I just went for the tricks that I always do. I tried to make them not easy by doing a switch trick or something spinney or flippy.”
And that philosophy helped him eliminate the final competitors, Silas Baxter-Neal and Brandon Westgate, as neither could complete Decenzo’s switch feeble grind.
The medal was his second of the X Games and his first gold. His first medal came in Skateboard Real Street where he finished second to Baxter-Neal.
“Skating yesterday was rad, but this is totally different. Much more relaxed and jamming and a great time,” Decenzo added. “The guys had me on edge for sure. Silas with the backtail, an ollie backside flip and stuff like that. I hadn’t done any of these tricks at all on this course.”
The Game of SK8 takes place on the X Games street course – it’s a trick matching competition based on the basketball game of H-O-R-S-E. The format featured the top four athletes from the Skateboard Real Street competition. The first athlete completes a trick, and the remaining athletes must successfully complete the same trick. If they are unable to do so, they receive a letter. Once an athlete spelled out S-K-8, they are eliminated. The goal is to be the last skater standing.
For X Games media information, including press releases, logos and additional images from past events, log on to www.espneventmedia.com. To view medalist runs, visit the Winter X Games You Tube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/xgames and follow the X Games on Twitter at Twitter.com/xgames
X Games 17
In its ninth year in Los Angeles, X Games 17 will feature more than 200 athletes at competition venues and event spaces including STAPLES Center and Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE. The 17th annual action sports competition to be held in Los Angeles July 28 – 31 and will debut the new discipline of Enduro X, as well as the first-ever rally street circuit running through the downtown area. ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will combine to telecast 25 hours of live X Games 17 competition. In addition to the 25 original hours in high definition, the Worldwide Leader in Action Sports will also televise 21 hours of X Games action on ESPN 3D. More than 29 hours will also be distributed on ESPN3.com.
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