DIAS HAS GOLDEN MOMENT BIG NAMES FALL IN SKATEBOARD VERT FINAL.Byline: KEITH LAIR Staff Writer LOS ANGELES Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. -- One look is all it took for Sandro Dias Sandro Dias is a Brazilian professional vert skateboarder. He was born on April 18, 1975 in Santo Andre, Brazil and currently resides in Santa Ana, California. He started skateboarding in 1987 and turned pro in 1997. . He knew he was in trouble. The skateboarder who has done more 900 spins in competitions than any other person looked at the X Games X Games Sports medicine The official Olympics of 'extreme sports' sponsored by ESPN, held annually during the summer. See Extreme sports. 12 Vert ramp A vert ramp is a form of half-pipe used in "extreme sports" such as skateboarding. Another form of half-pipe is the mini ramp. Vert ramps are so named because they transition from a horizontal plane (known as the flat-bottom) to a vertical wall. at Staples Center This article has multiple issues: * Its neutrality is disputed. * It may contain original research or unverifiable claims. * It does not cite any references or sources. and shook his head. On one end of the ramp was a rail with a soft landing area. In the middle was a small lift with a ledge. There were a lot of angles. Perfect for someone to add a little street style to their routine. Horrible for someone like Dias, who rides the vert with power. ``Oh my God, what am I going to do?'' Dias said of his first view of the ramp. ``I like to go high and fast; that's my style.'' What the 31-year-old from Costa Mesa Costa Mesa (kŏs`tə mā`sə), city (1990 pop. 96,357), Orange co., S Calif., on the Pacific south of Santa Ana; inc. 1953. It is a transportation, residential, and light industrial center. resident did was go out and win his first X Games Vert gold on Thursday night before 23,400. He had one of the night's few solid runs for his sixth X Games medal. His previous best in Vert was third place last year. He won Vert Best Trick gold with a 900 in 2004. ``I'm just happy,'' said Dias, who secured the victory with an 87.50 run on his first try. ``It's so hard to win this. The X Games are very special. That's why I'm so excited.'' Bob Burnquist Robert Dean Silva Burnquist (born October 10, 1976 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), better known as Bob Burnquist, is a professional skateboarder and a Christian Spiritist[1]. He was born to a Swedish-American father and a Brazilian mother. of Vista made a very technical run to finished second and Bucky Lasek Charles Michael 'Bucky' Lasek (born December 3, 1972 in Dundalk, Maryland) is a professional skateboarder. Lasek started skateboarding at the age of twelve, shortly after his bike was stolen. of San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. was third. Burnquist had a score of 84.00 and Lasek an 83.75. Dias, after falling on his final run, tried an unsuccessful 900 after time had expired. Lasek and 2006 Winter Olympic gold medalist Shaun White still had a chance to overtake Dias. But both fell on their runs. But on his two runs, Dias -- who won the Soul Bowl at Huntington Beach on Sunday -- was perfect; the first time he had been all week. Dias, who has been World Cup's top-ranked vert rider the past three years, started his routine with a frontside rail slide. Among his memorable moves were a 360 McTwist, a 540, frontside slab air, a kickflip indy, body jar into a 540 body jar, an indy and a frontside reverse. Burnquist and Lasek were tied going into the third and final runs. Lasek used a lot of 540 spins to move into a tie, but Burnquist broke the tie with technical switch moves, heelflips and kickflips. After Lasek fell on his final run, it was up to White, who won Olympic gold on his final snowboard run in Turin. But White fell on a kickflip 540 at the same spot he had fallen on his two previous runs. He finished eighth. keith.lair@sgvn.com (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2272 CAPTION(S): 2 photo, box Photo: (1 -- color) Sandro Dias shows off his gold-medal form in the Skateboard Vert men's final Thursday. Jeff Gross/Getty Images (2) Karen Jones pulls off a daring stunt in the the Skateboard Vert women's final. Raul Roa/Staff Photographer Box: X GAMES: LOS ANGELES - Roman Veytsman |
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