X Games Skateboard Vert Best Trick final Tony Hawk

HAWK MAKES HISTORY AT X GAMES IX BEST TRICK FINAL

Living Legend Tony Hawk Makes First-ever 900 Within Competition Time to Win Gold
Photo Credit: Bakke/Shazamm/ESPN

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LOS ANGELES – Before the X Games IX Skateboard Vert Best Trick final, Tony Hawk had landed the 900 twice at X Games competition. However, both of those 900s came after the allotted competition time. Hawk (Carlsbad, Calif.) landed the first post-buzzer 900 at X Games V in 1999, again in 2001, but today he landed the trick for the first time ever within official competition, winning the X Games gold medal atop an elite field of skateboarding’s best athletes.

In dramatic fashion, Hawk busted out the 900 with seven seconds left on the clock.

The crowd at STAPLES Center erupted as Hawk, making history once again, landed the flawless 900 smooth. As the clock hit zero, Hawk tossed his helmet to his ecstatic fans and walked off the ramp with first place honors in Vert Best Trick for the first time since X Games V. Hawk has won more medals than any athlete in X Games history. Today he won his tenth gold medal and sixteenth medal overall. Hawk expressed his intention to retire from competition and focus on other endeavors.

“I’m happy to go out with a bang,” said Hawk. “It’s nice to know I went out doing something I love with the 900. I’m just glad I finally got one in legitimately within time. I was happy to land a trick, any trick out there. If I do well, that’s enough.”

Jake Brown (Sydney, Aus.), who finished fourth, came close to landing what would have been a revolutionary tailgrab 900, but was unsuccessful. At a recent competition in New York, Brown broke his tailgrab fingers. When they fully heal, the door could be open for Brown to land the 900 with a grab.

“Jake’s 900 attempt represents the perseverance that all the guys have when they set a goal,” said Hawk. “It’s the progression of the sport. I’d like to see lots of guys out there doing 900s.”

Hawk landed two other major tricks, contributing further to his legacy as the sport’s most important modern innovator. Before his 900, Hawk landed a stalefish fakie to fakie 540 and a frontside cab aerial revert, two tricks never seen before in X Games history.

Sandro Dias (Santa Ana, Calif.), who won second place in Best Trick Vert at X Games VIII, took the silver once again, landing an incredible varial McTwist alley-oop to solidify his place on the podium. Eight-time X Games gold medallist and former Tony Hawk Vert doubles partner Andy Macdonald (Carlsbad, Calif.) took third place, with a run that included a huge varial to fakie.

The ninth annual X Games in Los Angeles showcases more than 300 of the world’s best action sports athletes competing in a variety of sports categories for medals and prize money from August 14-17. STAPLES Center serves as the primary venue for the X Games, and will host competitions in Aggressive In-line Skate, Bike Stunt, Moto X, and Skateboard. The Moto X Freestyle event will be held at the Los Angeles Coliseum at night under the lights on August 16, and Wakeboard will be held at Long Beach Marine Stadium. Competitions that take place the week prior include Surfing at Huntington Beach and Downhill BMX at Woodward West in Stallion Springs.

SKATEBOARD VERT BEST TRICK Final Results from STAPLES Center on August 17, 2003

Name -- Bib No. -- Hometown
1. Tony Hawk -- 461 -- Carlsbad, CA
2. Sandro Dias -- 415 -- Santa Ana, CA
3. Andy Macdonald -- 432 -- San Diego, CA
4. Jake Brown -- 404 -- Sydney, AUS
5. Bucky Lasek -- 430 -- Carlsbad, CA
6. Rune Glifberg -- 424 -- Copenhagen, DEN
7. Pierre-Luc Gagnon -- 421 -- Carlsbad, CA
8. Danny Mayer -- 434 -- Omaha, NE

X Games IX will air on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC August 16-21, including a live telecast of the Bike Stunt Vert competition on Sunday, August 17 from 7-9 pm ET on ABC -- the first time an action sports competition will be aired on a broadcast network in primetime.

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