DIAS PREYS ON 900 JUST LIKE A HAWK.

Byline: Keith Lair Staff Writer

The magic number in skateboarding is still 900.

Tony Hawk has pulled off the 2 1/2-revolution move twice in the X Games. On Saturday night, Sandro Dias did it for the first time on the biggest stage for extreme sports.

The result for Dias was a gold medal in the Skateboard Best Trick jam session at the X Games in front of 25,370 at Staples Center.

Hawk completed the 900 for the first time just after time expired in the skateboarding competition at the 1999 X Games, although now it is counted as being official. Hawk did it again last year to win X Games gold.

Dias, a 29-year-old from Santa Ana by way of Brazil, completed the elusive move Saturday on his fourth attempt in the 30-minute jam session. He first accomplished the feat at the Latin X Games in Brazil this year. He did it a second time in May at a demonstration in Greece.

``It was sensational to land it for the first time at the Latin X Games, but it is especially special to land it here in the X Games,'' said Dias, who has never landed the trick in practice. ``The X Games are more popular. And then, it was special because I did it in front of my mother, family and girlfriend.''

It was the sixth time a 900 has been landed. Giorgio Zattoni of Italy was second to do it behind Hawk, completing the move out of competition in April.

``I think it's confidence,'' Dias said of his success landing the move, which came 13 minutes, 35 seconds into the session. ``I've figured how to plant my foot and I just feel confident I can do it.''

Dias stopped after completing the move, laid down on his skateboard and rolled across the top of the ramp as fans gave him a standing ovation.

Pierre-Luc Gagnon of Montreal finished second, completing a gnarly heel flip 540. Danny Mayer of San Diego, an alternate competitor, took third with a kickflip 540 McTwist.

``It was a relief because I could go on to another trick,'' Dias said.

Dias was the best early on. He completed a heel flip 360 that went into another 360. Then he landed a 540 and finally hit a rocket air 540. After hitting the 900, he took aim at an alley-oop kickflip McTwist. He never really came close.

Mayer's kickflip 540 McTwist came shortly after Dias' 900, and Mayer has worked on adding a varial to the trick.

``I did it for the first time in Global X last week in Buffalo (N.Y.) and won,'' Mayer said. ``If I had done it, I would have beaten the 900.''

Dias said the next thing you'll see with the 900 is variations.

``Enough people are starting to do it,'' Mayer said. ``It's going to take variations to win.''

Jake Brown of Australia continually tried to connect on the 900, but he frequently lost his skateboard on the top of the ramp. Another competitor, Bob Burnquist, tried a different approach: being more technical.

``Everyone's doing spins or flips,'' said Burnquist, a three-time X Games gold medalist. ``I didn't want to do any of that. I was thinking more subtle.''

Burnquist was working the ramp's lip. He completed a move a friend dubbed the Lotus. It's a switch frontside one-footed ollie.

``It was exciting,'' he said. ``I contributed to new tricks.''

Keith Lair, [phone]

keith.lair(at)sgvn.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Sandro Dias of Santa Ana spins through the air on his way to winning the Skateboard Best Trick competition at the X Games.

(2) Danny Mayer of San Diego falls off his skateboard during the Best Trick event Saturday at the X Games. Mayer finished third.

(3) Danny Mayer of San Diego took third place in the Skateboard Vert Best Trick with his 540 switch back twist.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer