So, DC holds this annual Am contest at “real skate spots” that’s pretty legit. And I always tell myself I want to go check it out, but I never get to it. For some reason or another it comes every year at a time that I just can’t make it out there. It’s like a curse or something. What I did check out though, was the entire review of the contest.

First off, the Belmont 9 and Lockwood Elementary are sick schools to skate. If you didn’t already think they were blown out before, be aware that both are really blown out now. You’re lucky if you can even still get regular sessions in them nowadays without getting kicked out in a minute or less. Last year Vincent Alvarez won the title King of LA and look at him now, a full fledged Am with the crailtap squad and various other sponsors that picked him up.

Now Nick Merlino takes the crown for 2008 and unlike Vincent in 2007, I was actually already aware of Mr. Merlino. Of what I remember, Nick was getting flowed by Emerica and Plan B and he also rode for Destructo trucks. So the kid was pre-sponsored already. I knew he was going to do really well. He straight up took the whole thing and left with 6 G’s on top of it.

DC also got rid of the knobs on the “big 9” at Belmont. This now creates a new spot of interest for many. If you don’t remember which 9 I am talking about, maybe you will remember an old Nike SB commercial when they first came out. The one with Daniel Shimizu doing like a back feeble on a rail in progressive slow motion. Yeah that rail! I am curious as to how much money DC paid off the school district to use the two schools for the day. I mean heck, if they have that kind of power why not rent out the schools for your teams to film at undisturbed for the new video projects they have underway?

Maybe this will become a new trend for the giant companies. Renting schools to turn them into their skateparks for a day.

Tags: DC Shoes

Posted by Ruben 'Studdard' Najera on Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 in Skateboarding.

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