Leeso Reigns Over the Hill

On a day when the rain never stopped, Corey Leeson pipped Steve Daddow by less than the length of a wheel to take out the 2010 Master of the Hill. Phill Champion took out the luge with an undefeated series of convincing wins, while Merrick Wildash took out the Junior Skateboard in equally convincing fashion. Rounding out the day was Cooper Kruize who won the Grom division in his first ever race.

The Blue Mountains weather can be unpredictable, but on Saturday there was no doubting the conditions would be wet. It had been raining for a week, and the rain was forecast to continue for more days to come. Rain wheels had been the talk in the lead-up to the race, and a load of urethane dust had been expelled from home-made lathes.

The rain caused a number of late scratchings, but 61 hardy souls came out to race. Early practice runs were slow and cautious as people felt out the grip level.

Open Skateboard

The double elimination format with random seeding threw out some interesting matchups. Last year's runner-up, Dennis Westphal copped a horror draw, getting knocked out by B-Rad Pearson and Kibbling in his first two races. Rob McWhinnie looked the early favourite when he despatched Kibbling, but had to settle for 5th place after being beaten by Leeso in the round of 4, and then beaten by Kibbling in a rematch. Kibbling showed his racing experience (and some pale Canadian legs) with a line that made drafting and passing difficult, until Steve Daddow squeezed between him and the banners on Camp Corner in the most audacious passing maneaouvre of the day. That move put Steve into the final with Leeso, who had just beaten Steve to get to the final undefeated.

Leeso had been perfect all day, but again Steve threw himself into a gnarly pass at Camp Corner and beat Leeso in the ensuing draft race to the finish line, forcing an instant replay final, and the third Steve-Leeso matchup of the day. This time Leeso held the inside line on Camp Corner, forcing Steve to go wide, and they hit the finish line side-by side, with finish-line adjudicator Hop declaring Leeso the winner by "half a wheel". It was a well-deserved win, and a sign of the strength of the Queensland crew, with Quenslanders in 1st, 2nd, 4th and 7th.

Leeso pips Daddow at the finish line

1. Corey Leeson
2. Steve Daddow
3. Hugh "Kibbling" Johnston
4. Merrick Wildash
Equal 5th. Cam Kite, Rob McWhinnie
Equal 7th. Ben Hay, Jeremy Rodgers
Equal 9th. Luca Coleman, Bobby Godfrey, B-Rad Pearson, Jason Wright
Equal 13th. Owen Davey, Travis Horsfall, Alex Martin, Mick McIntyre
Equal 17th. Brad B, Ben Cross, Gabe Gwynne, Henry King, Arvin G, Brad Sterritt, Kanufi, Dennis Westphal
Equal 25th. Jayden Cox, Henry Hagan, Jack Meyn, Thomas Loosli, Quentin Reed, Lea Robbo, Tanya Ward

Phill Champion leads Steve Daddow

Luge

This was a race with three stories. The first is Phill Champion, who calmly beat every rider he faced without looking stretched. The second is Steve Daddow, who claimed to be a first-time luger but matched his second place in the Open Skateboard with a second place in the Luge. And the third is Scott "Guff" Guthrie, a recent convert to Luge who staked his claim as the giant-killer (or is that giant killer?) of the sport with wins over Nic McKirdy, Daz and Brad Sterritt before being beaten twice by Steve Daddow. Guff overcame slow starts to mow down his opposition with a ruthless and intimidating style.

1. Phill Champion
2. Steve Daddow
3. Scott Guthrie
4. Brad Sterritt
Equal 5th. David Anderson, Nic McKirdy
Equal 7th. Darryl Fellows, Craig Mears
Equal 9th. Simon Godfrey, Dave Miller, Virginia Tobias, Sue Wickenden

Junior Skateboard

Merrick Wildash flew down from Queensland for the race and proceded to show that he is the fastest Junior in Australia. The expectation was that Merrick and Gabe Gwynne would battle out the final, but Gabe never seemed in the race, losing first to Merrick and then to grom Cooper Kruize. Merrick beat Cooper in the final to make it a successful weekend: 1st in Junior Skateboard and 4th in the Open Skateboard.

1. Merrick Wildash
2. Cooper Kruize
3. Gabe Gwynne
4. Scott Poole
Equal 5th. Ilan Arons, Quentin Reed
Equal 7th. Henry Hagan, Luke Strudwick
Equal 9th. Ian Coggan, Jack Meyn, Tanya Ward, Tom Wray

Cooper Kruize leads a grom

Grom Skateboard

The groms were the stars of the day, with not a single race of experience among them, and having to deal with a wet and slippery track. Scott Poole looked the early favourite, but Cooper Kruize wore him down in the two finals with his consistent and solid tuck. The day's youngest competitor, Ilan Aarons took out third.

1. Cooper Kruize
2. Scott Poole
3. Ilan Aarons
4. Tom Wray
Equal 5th. Ian Coggan, Luke Strudwick

Photos
Mic W:

Brad B:

Credits

* Blue Mountains Boardriders (BMB), Mountain Mick, Guff and Rosscoe; for hay bales, BBQs, T-shirts, hospitality, and all-round awesomeness.

* Race-day admin: Hayley on the start, Lea Shapiera in the middle, Hop at the end, and Blackwood on the bales.

* Our sponsors, Hopkin Skate and Cr8ive Sk8.

* Everybody else who chipped in on the day, before the day, or at the death. Everybody who travelled to be there, near or far. Thanks.

Note
Previous discussion about this event is here.

Tags: downhill, master of the hill, pump st

Comment by Aj Hare on February 8, 2010 at 15:50: go merrick ya mad dog

Comment by hugh johnston on February 8, 2010 at 16:31: thanks asra!!!!

Comment by Phill C on February 8, 2010 at 16:37: What a wicked Day! My feet looked like shrivelled up ball bags when I took off my socks.
Wow I'm blown away with the tallent that has developed in Aus over the past few years. All the Groms riding fierce and all the seniors giving the groms something to strive towards. Props go out to Steve even when I crossed the line before him he still had the biggest smile from ear to ear and the energy to bolt back up the hill. And the passes he was making on leeso, squeezing through the inside, unbelievable. And Guff, What a machine!

Thanks so much to Hopkins, Cre8ive Sk8 and ASRA. and mostly to those who stood out in the rain so that it could still run smoothly.

Comment by Joe on February 8, 2010 at 16:46: Yeahhhh Leeso bro, nice work on the win, the new glyde is looking rad, also Steve putting up a battle!!!!!!
Congrats to all riders who entered, to the super groms, and of course the spono's Cre8ive, Hopkin and ASRA crew yewwwwww. hope to ride with everyone soon again.......bring on BTB

Premium Member Comment by Bullet Man on February 8, 2010 at 17:16: Yeah! Once again thx you guys! Remember last years race? That was awesome ey!? Haha just kidding...It was super fun the rides I got and the rain made me feel like Norway..."Im strictly roots"...
Steve as impressive as ever and Leeso Reigning the rain fuk yeah! Congrats to all of you and see you in townsville, europe or BAthurst!! And fuk the two push rule.... Haha just kidding again.. Peace out.

Premium Member Comment by Toby on February 8, 2010 at 17:32: looked like some sweet skating from everyone congrats to leeso cooper and merrick cant wait to get up there to race all you guys next year

Comment by Isaac Naumann on February 8, 2010 at 18:36: does that mean cooper gets $500 bucks worth of prizes!!!!!

Comment by Robbo on February 8, 2010 at 18:54: Correct plus extra dollars for wearing a hop shirt on the podium

Comment by CROSSY on February 8, 2010 at 20:02: Wicked day. Congrts to Leeso, Merrick, Cooper and Phil and all the others on the podium. Everyone rippin in the rain from first timers to seasoned racers. Was great to be part of. Massive cheers to the sponsors Hop shop and Cre8ive Sk8 and the ASRA crew for putting the event on and supporting oz downhill.

Comment by Ryan 'RY RY' Peterson on February 8, 2010 at 20:13: cooper i belive got 700!
300+100 for groms
200+100 for juniurs!!!!!

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Leeso Reigns Over the Hill

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