Advertisement

Koston’s Win Is Pretty as a Picture

Share
From Staff Reports

Life imitated art, it turned out.

Eric Koston, one of the world’s top skateboarders, won the X Games’ skateboard street event Sunday in front of 1,500 fans outside Staples Center, across the street from a giant mural on the Hotel Figueroa that shows him jumping the 405 Freeway.

Koston, 28, almost flawlessly navigated a course that included picnic tables, stair rails and concrete barriers, and scored 93.33. On his second run, he hit a backside lip slide down the stair rail and a kickflip nose manual on a bench.

Rodil de Araujo was second with a score of 91 and Paul Rodriguez was third with 89.67.

Chad Muska won the skateboard street best-trick event with a frontside tail slide on a concrete ledge.

Advertisement

“I just wanted to represent Los Angeles and have fun skateboarding,” said Muska, who grew up in L.A.

“But seeing the kids and hearing the crowds cheer, it felt really good.”

De Araujo was second after completing a backside blunt slide, frontside lipslide and a backside lipslide on the stair rail. Wagner Ramos finished third.

*

Brandon Meadows won the downhill BMX event at Woodward West in Stallion Springs, near Tehachapi.

Meadows held off Kyle Bennett in a close finish at the nationally renowned course that features enormous step-ups and step-downs.

Michael Day was third.

Advertisement