All the Young Dewds

As hard as it is to break into pro skateboarding, there always seems to be some little kid shaking things up. And after seeing young skater Ryan Sheckler rise to become the superstar of the Dew Tour five years ago, promoters opened a back door to the big show for...

By Colin Bane

June 24, 2010

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As hard as it is to break into pro skateboarding, there always seems to be some little kid shaking things up. And after seeing young skater Ryan Sheckler rise to become the superstar of the Dew Tour five years ago, promoters opened a back door to the big show for other promising amateurs. The Gatorade Free Flow Tour pulls top skaters from regional contests at skateparks across the country, then pits them against each other at the Free Flow Tour finals on a Dew Tour pro course in Salt Lake City. This weekend, it stops at Woodward Skatepark, 14500 West Colfax Avenue in Lakewood.

Local grom Phil Hansen has his eye on the top prize: a chance to skate against the pros at the Dew Tour Championships in Las Vegas. “Last year I made it all the way to the Free Flow Tour finals,” says Hansen, now thirteen. “I tweaked my knee and it didn’t work out, but I was stoked to skate that course with a bunch of people watching and get a feel for what it would be like to be on the actual Dew Tour. Now I’ve got a taste for it.”

Skateboard events are scheduled for today, with BMX topping tomorrow’s agenda; spectating for both is free. Registration is $15; skaters under the age of 21 can sign up at the park between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. or in advance at www.gatoradefreeflowtour.com.
Sat., June 26; Sun., June 27, 2010

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