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 Rodlofo Ramos, crooked grind on his way to repeating as champion. |
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 Greg Lutzka has had one heck of a year, and ended up third in Dallas. |
Rodolfo Ramos Repeats
By Colin Bane
It was Brazilian Flag Day in Dallas as the South American skaters took over five out of ten spots in the Street Skateboarding Finals at the LG Action Sports Championships and claimed the top two prizes. Jean Postec won the championship title for the second year in a row, with his friend Carlos de Andrade close behind. American skater Greg Lutzka claimed third prize.
Ramos is making a name for himself as one of the most powerful, technical, and stylish skaters on the competition circuit. He's one of a very limited number of skaters in the world who rides switch as well as he does regular, and he was skating at the top of his ability today as he stomped a Run 1 score of 87.75 that nobody could catch up to.
"We're staging an occupation," joked pro skater Bob Burnquist, responding to the emcee's repeated references to the "Brazilian Invasion" in international skateboarding. Burnquist was one of the country's first famous skate exports, and has helped support the subsequent wave of talented pros looking to follow his path. At one point during the contest, Burnquist was surrounded by the entire Brazilian contingent: Nearly a dozen skaters excitedly speaking Portuguese as they cheered their friends on in Finals.
Danilo do Rosario, the young Brazilian skater who won Prelims on Saturday, took tough falls in each of his runs and finished in 10th place. Tulio de Oliveira finished in 8th, and Rodolfo's brother Wagner Ramos (who finished 2nd in Prelims) took 7th.
Rodolfo Ramos, on his victory.
