TOP OF THE WORLD LASEK TOPS AWESOME FIELD TO WIN GOLD IN SKATEBOARD VERT.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

Pick a run, any run, as the winner in Friday night's Skateboard Vert at the X Games. Bucky Lasek's effortless glide across the ramp. Andy Macdonald's five 540 combinations in 45 seconds. Sandro Dias' reckless abandon after falling twice early.

(And, for the record, you also can pick 16-year-old phenom Shaun White's explosive run in the third round. Even if the judges didn't.)

With 10 of the world's best skateboarders taking their turns on the longest halfpipe ever constructed, the fans were the biggest winner of the night. Lasek won his third gold medal in five years and Staples Center received a show the likes of which it never has seen.

``It's subjective, it's skateboarding,'' Macdonald said. ``Who's to say what tricks are better than others? I wouldn't want to be judging, that's for sure.''

Riding on two surgically repaired knees, Lasek won gold with the evening's high score of 94.67. He put on a masterful run midway through the second round, capped by a frontside rodeo 540.

Lasek won X Games gold in the Vert in 1999 and 2000, becoming the first back-to-back winner in the event. Now at age 30, the Baltimore native finds himself on top of the skateboarding world again.

``I'm just glad to still be at the level I'm at,'' said Lasek, who was sporting a four-inch gash on his knee, the result of a February crash in New Zealand. ``I've been skating for 19 years, to still be progressing is awesome. I'm still looking forward to my next trick.''

The night belonged to both the young and old. Macdonald, who has skated in all nine X Games, won his 13th career medal also at age 30. Wearing his trademark yellow shirt, he landed five 540 combinations on his third run to take silver with a score of 92.67.

Both riders survived a challenge on the final run of the night from Bob Burnquist, who swiped gold from Lasek on the last ride of the 2001 competition. But Burnquist fell on his run, ending a disappointing evening in which he lost control of his board on all three runs.

``I know better than to celebrate early,'' said Lasek, who pulled out a cell phone during the medal presentation. He is, after all, sponsored by T-Mobile.

The star of the night might have been White, the champion snowboarder who turned pro in skateboarding this summer. In only his fourth pro event, White brought the crowd to its feet by landing two 540s, a huge 720 and stalefish 540 on his final run.

But White only received a score of 89.67 for the run, drawing loud boos from the crowd when it was announced. White covered his head in disbelief; by the end of the event, he was left in sixth place.

``Honestly, I don't know,'' White said when asked if he thought he should have medaled. ``I'm just happy with how I did. Sure, I wanted to win it. But I don't know. I'm happy with what I did. I feel like one of the guys.''

Burnquist was not nearly as kind. Even though White's run was loaded with tricks, it was not technical enough, he said.

``Sean is very talented but he's only 16,'' Burnquist said. ``He can't win this event skating like he does. He needs to develop more lift tricks and mix things up more.

``We've all been there with judges' rulings we don't agree with. He has to learn to deal with those things. You have to keep your emotions in check at a huge event like this one.''

The competition took place on a 118-foot vert ramp (the world's longest) built especially for this night. That the Games took place in Los Angeles, birthplace to skateboarding more than 30 years ago, only added to the significance.

Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk warmed up the crowd with a couple of runs during practice. Hawk called the skaters assembled Friday ``the most ridiculous group'' he'd ever seen. He meant it in a good way.

Defending champion Pierre-Luc Gagnon threw down a challenge in the opening round, landing a 720 and a score of 90.33. He slammed his board in celebration but by the end of the night had dropped to fifth place. Such was the quality of the skating.

Because of his age, White was the center of attention. He twice tried to stick the 720 in his first two rounds, failing each time. The third round was his, however, and he will leave today for a snowboarding competition in New Zealand on a high.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

(1 -- color) Bucky Lasek sails high during his gold-medal performance in Skateboard Vert finals.

(2) Shaun White fell in his second heat but electrified a Staples Center crowd with a later run.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) STORY LINES

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