Glifberg Soars to Victory Using the Prolific Approach

Denmark’s Rune Glifberg may not have completed the toughest trick on the vertical ramp Saturday, but he completed the most, winning the $3,000 first prize in the skateboarding best trick competition at the Beach Games at Huntington Beach.

Glifberg’s switch-stance kickflip got the crowd behind him, and he continued to dazzle with impressive board work. The trick that clinched the victory required Glifberg to change position from his normal riding stance and flip the board with the toes of his front foot.

Even the tricks he missed got applause, just for the effort.

“I think I did pretty good today,” Glifberg said. “I only started skating here about an hour before the contest. The ramp is a little bit smaller than we’re used to but it was smooth and made it easy for nice transitions.”

The contest was judged by the skaters themselves, who cast votes at the end of the competition. Glifberg said he didn’t vote for himself.

“I voted for Danny Mayer,” Glifberg said. “The trick he did was just amazing.”

Mayer, 27, of San Diego, spent most of his performance trying to complete a 360-degree varial backside revert, and with less than five minutes remaining, he pulled it off.

The maneuver required Mayer to move the board 360 degrees underneath his feet while keeping his body in the same position and, with his back to the wall, come out of the trick backward.

“I’m glad I finally did it,” Mayer said. “But I don’t think it was good enough to win.”

In fact, despite Southern California’s reputation as a hotbed of skateboarding, not one U.S. competitor finished in the top three.

Australia’s Tas Pappas won $1,500 for his second-place finish and Canada’s Colin McKay won $500 for third.

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Glifberg, 25, from Copenhagen, may be best known for having his image immortalized in one of the world’s best-selling video games.

Last Christmas, Tony Hawk Pro Skater was the highest-placed Playstation game, coming in at No. 11. The game allows players to compete in trick competitions and races.

“The game has outsold all the football and games like that,” Glifberg said. “It’s sold over two million copies. So it’s great to be a part of that.”