Category : World Round Up

Extreme Sports Skateboarding World Round Up

The 2016 World Round-Up

The 5th year of The World Round-Up Freestyle Skateboarding Championships, hosted in Surrey, BC Canada by legends Kevin Harris and Monty Little, has come to a close. It was an amazing milestone to make it to year 5 and it was great to see so many of the faces of people who have been there every single year.

The Freestyle World is pretty tight considering how small it really is and how spread out around the globe everyone is, competitors came from 11 different countries, including Marius Constantin from Romania making his first trip to this Canadian contest. There were a bunch of new faces this year, everyone was stoked to be there and all competitors brought huge bags of flow and tech tricks to showcase all weekend long to keep each other, and all the crowds of spectators pumped up.

In the Amateur division local boy Andy Anderson was looking to repeat his win from last year, and with smooth style and perfectly executed choreographed to the music runs, he managed to pull through and somehow defeat the 2 young Brazilians Diego Pires and Kaue Araujo. Both of them came out with a vengeance to take the title and it was a close call between all 3. These guys are really good.

In the Pro division there was serious competition and a bunch of guys that hadn’t been to the round-up before which definitely makes it more interesting for those of us who have been to all 5 years and know the top guys and where they usually place. Young 13 year old Isamu Yamamoto from Japan was fresh off a 1st place finish in Pro at Big Rio and wanted to take his first 1st in Canada. He fearlessly led the competition all weekend and blew minds with all 3 of his runs in the semi-finals, but he slipped up a tiny bit in the finals which means a lot with the calibur of competitors that were skating. Dudes from Spain, England, Brazil, Japan, Sweden, Australia, Germany and more flying into Canada to win this thing and it was anyone’s game. The usual guys that are tough to beat were on their game like usual. Guenter Mokulys, Mike Osterman, Per Canguru, Stefan “Lillis” Akesson…. All legends of Freestyle, but this year belonged to American newcomer Connor Burke as he came out with his 2nd run in the finals and laid down a fast, furious and flawless performance beating out Isamu by 2 points. It was awesome!

The World Round-Up isn’t just about who wins the competition though, it’s really more about having fun and putting smiles on kid’s faces and this year it did just that. A new feature was added to the event called “Pro for a Day” where a kid under 10 gets to be included in the contest by hanging out with all the pros all weekend and even performing demos for the crowds 2-3 times a day. This year the little dude was 6 year old Kaelen Faux from Sunshine Valley, British Columbia. He shredded for the crowd every time and totally progressed each day to the next. It was great to see him smiling and having fun living the life of a pro, watch for a video coming soon recapping Kaelen’s awesome experience being Pro for a Day. And be ready to promote it for anyone you think should try and be the Pro for a Day next year.

As the weekend wound down and the bones of all the competitors began to ache it was time to call it a day for the 5th annual World Round-Up. Once again everyone came out to have fun and that’s what they did. It’s a great family. Enjoy this recap video and feel like you were there!

See you in 2017

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World Round Up

2016 Winners at The World Round-Up Freestyle Skateboard Championship

Another amazing event at the 5th annual World Round-Up where Freestyle skateboarders from all around the globe show up in Canada to try to earn the title of “Best in the World” in either Amateur or Pro Division. 14 countries were represented and it looked like the competitors were all trying to take the title home with them. The Amateur division was super tight with 3 Brazilians and 2 Canadians in the Top 5 positions. Andy Anderson was defending his title from last year while Kaue Araujo was determined not to place 2nd for the 3rd straight year. All 5 of these guys laid down at least 1 flawless run in the finals but it came down to that hypnotic choreography that Andy puts in his runs along with some technical awesomeness and he luckily pulled through in first place for the second straight year.

In the Pro division the nerves were extra high this year, there were a few slip-ups but everyone was still amazing to watch and Mike Osterman really wanted to repeat his win from 2015. All eyes were on 13 year old Isamu Yamamoto who had owned the contest the first 2 days but stamina can be an issue in those young legs. The top 5 were all pretty even to judge but newcomer to this event Connor Burke from USA threw down a perfect, flawless and fast paced final run which overtook young Isamu for the win. Everyone was stoked!

Top 3 in each category were as follows:

Amateur                                                                                              Pro

1. Andy Anderson                                                                          1. Connor Burke

2. Diego Pires Afonso                                                                  2. Isamu Yamamoto

3. Kaue Araujo                                                                               3. Mike Osterman

Check out these winning runs from this year’s champions Andy Anderson and Connor Burke.

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World Round Up

Who will be the champ?

The 2016 World Round-Up Freestyle Skateboarding Championships are well underway and being the 5th year for this annual competition there is more desire for people to get onto the podium. But super-phenom 13 year old Isamu Yamamoto from Japan is definitely the one to beat in the Pro division. With 3 completely flawless and mind-blowing runs in the semi-finals the crowd went crazy for young Isamu, but the test will be: can he hold his position in the Finals? So much talent to compete with and multiple people had amazing and flawless runs in the semi’s, but it could be anyone’s game in the Finals on Sunday.

Whether Professional or Amateur this is a competition, and it’s always a roll of the dice in Freestyle. The judges are looking for technical tricks landed solid and with style, creative routines that go well to the music, and of course constant flow on the board during and between tricks.

Who will be this year’s Champs? Nobody knows. I’ve said it before and I’m not afraid to repeat myself – it all comes down to the Finals…

So Sunday will be judgement day, but until then enjoy these flawless, mind-blowing runs that young Isamu finished off the semi’s with.

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Extreme Sports Skateboarding World Round Up

The World Round Up 2015 Recap

2015 Champs - The World Round Up

Another awesome year for The World Round Up Freestyle Skateboard Championships, this year definitely had its highlights – from local boy Andy Anderson winning the Amateur division, 12 year old Isamu Yamamoto placing 4th in his first ever Pro contest, Guenter Mokulys taking the trophy home in his 100th contest, and all the way to the new guy from the United States Derek Elliott busting out an insane, never been landed before, Jawbreaker in the Best Trick contest…

All the regulars were there like Rene Shigueto, Takashi Suzuki, Stephan Albert, Stefan Lillis Akesson, Mike Osterman, Per Canguru, Kaue Arouja, Christian Heise, Guenter Mokulys, and many more, and all the usual behind the scenes guys that help make the contest a success like Monty Little, Kevin Harris, Kolby Harris, AJ Kohn, Russ Howell, Jim Goodrich, Ryan Ellan, DJ Cuz-O, Lyle Chippaway and Tony Lum, and of course myself Hippie Mike doing the filming. It’s an amazing and unique event and as Kilian Martin states in an interview in the video “Freestyle was never meant to be judged” so this makes it extra tough to be the guys with the pens in hand. It’s amazing to watch these guys do the best that they can do in their own styles and hope that that will be better than the next guy and the best that he could do.

In the Amateur division Andy Anderson came out strong proving that he had been actually practicing Freestyle this year, his runs were solid, unique, and fully choreographed to the songs he had chosen. But he was facing 2 Brazilian machinesKaue Arouja and Diego Pires Afonso. The top 3 of this category was uncatchable and it was definitely a battle to the finish. Somehow Andy took the gold medal by 1 point in the Finals. The crowd was stoked!!

In Pro it was just plain insane. Everybody was having killer runs and landing harder tricks than last year. Mike Osterman and Guenter Mokulys were bouncing back and forth on who was in 1st over the weekend and both of them wanted the gold. But little 12 year old Isamu Yamamoto from Japan was sitting in 3rd place after the Semi-Finals and you know he could taste it too…

Boards were breaking, trucks and kingpins were crumbling, and no one was ready to give up. This year felt the most intense for people actually wanting to win it. At his 100th Professional Contest, the 51 year old German machine Guenter Mokulys squeezed back in to 1st place during the Finals to take his 11th World Title. 2nd, 3rd & 4th place were all 1 point apart with Mike Osterman, Rene Shigueto and the little man Isamu Yamamoto. What a contest!!

Guenter added to his victory the next day by winning the 360 spin-off while Diego came out of nowhere in the Longest Coconut Wheelie competition hitting 80 feet long! Derek Elliott made history at the Round Up in the Best Trick Contest by stomping out a JawBreaker which is doing a handstand on top of your nose and top truck while your board is standing vertically on the floor. You need to watch the video to see it…

With true emotions in the air, the entire weekend was a hit. All participants had a blast, all spectators were super stoked, and the Freestyle Family tightened up once again.

Thanks to George Powell for coming out to watch the Finals and support this event, thanks to all the people that dedicate so much time to making it happen, and congratulations to Stefan Albert for winning the Henry Candiotti Award for being the smoothest skater of 2015…

Until next year, check out the vid

AMATEUR DIVISION

  1. Andy Anderson – 263
  2. Kaue Araujo – 262
  3. Diego Pires Afonso – 251
  4. Derek Elliott – 237
  5. Dillanger Kane – 233
  6. Mic Murayama – 226
  7. Adam Flood – 224
  8. Austin Shelton – 223
  9. Daniel Trujillo – 216
  10. Chadd Sinclair – 213

PRO DIVISION

  1. Guenter Mokulys – 265
  2. Mike Osterman – 260
  3. Rene Shigueto – 259
  4. Isamu Yamamoto – 258
  5. Stefan “Lillis” Akesson – 254
  6. Christian Heise – 245 / 243
  7. Per Canguru – 245 / 238
  8. Lucio Lima – 244
  9. Jesse Whalen – 243
  10. Daniel Garb – 242 / 241
  11. Takashi Suzuki – 242 / 240
  12. Shen “Dominick” Meng 240 / 225 / 224
  13. Jacob Whitt – 240 / 225 / 222
  14. Felix Jonsson – 238

NOTE: Ties were broken by using the 2nd
highest scoring runs and in some cases
the 3rd highest scoring runs.

LEGENDS FREESTYLE CLASSIC

  1. Lynn Cooper
  2. Bert Mathieson
  3. Russ Howell
  4. Tai Tai

BEST TRICK

Jesse Whalen

BEST HANDSTAND TRICK

Derek Elliott – Jaw Breaker

HENRY CANDIOTI SKATE-4-FUN AWARD

Stefan Albert

360 SPIN-OFF
Guenter Mokulys – 25 Spins

LONGEST COCONUT WHEELIE

Diego Pires Afonso – 80 Feet

CHAMPIONS OF HOPE AWARD

Stefan “Lillis” Akesson

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World Round Up

2 Champions – 32 Years Apart

2 Champions indeed, 1 who has won a lot of contests in his shirt life but never in Freestyle, and the other who has won 11 World Titles and this one was in his 100th professional championships. The glory story starts in the Amateur category where 19 year old Andy Anderson came out strong in his 4th year at the World Round Up event and really showed the regular crowd and other participants that he had been practising. Andy had some serious choreographed runs that matched right to the music and were full of unique tricks that only he could do. Day 1 and 2 he sat in 2nd place position behind Brazil’s Kaue Arouja who is on the verge of turning Pro and both of them were skating super solid at the Finals. Andy’s smooth flow and untouchable style somehow beat out the technical insanity that Kaue brings to the table every run. Way to go Andy, holding down the title in Canada!

Plaques 2015 WRU

In the Pro division, 51 year old Guenter Mokulys reminded the other competitors why he has so many world championship titles and awards. This guy is unbelievably consistent and always puts on a demo for his runs. He stomps his tricks, showcases maneuvers that only he could do, and lights up the crowd big time. Guenter felt the pressure from young bucks Mike OstermanIsamu Yamamoto and Rene Shigueto but he kept on pushing on and came out on top once again. Taking home the gold to Germany at his 100th contest, that’s historic.

Amazing runs from all competitors, this event is so beneficial to have in Canada.

Check out the winning runs below

2015 World Round Up Freestyle Skateboard Championships

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World Round Up

My Mind has been Semi-Blown

After Day 2 of the World Round Up contest there is a whole new light we can see inside the tunnel. The Amateur Division standings stayed pretty much the same from yesterday but every competitor stepped up their game big time. Andy Anderson came out super string in Run 1 with a unique and flawless display which only made Kaue Arouja go twice as hard. I have no idea who will take 1st place tomorrow but I am pretty sure it will be one of them.

Outside photo WRU

The Pro’s on the other hand just proved that it really could be anyone’s game. Mike Osterman bumped Guenter Mokulys off the mountain top taking over the 1st place ranking, while Stefan Lillis Akesson, Per Canguru and Takashi Suzuki slid down to make room that little 12 year old I keep talking about from Japan. That’s right Isamu Yamamoto moved up from 8th place to 3rd today. The crazy part is every single one of the Pro’s had at least one killer run that were all comparable. These guys are in a serious battle and the question remains the same –

Who will be the Champion of 2015?

Will Osterman get the repeat? Will Guenter Mokulys take his 11th title? Could 12 year old Isamu actually beat out the entire group and win his first ever Pro contest? Or will we be totally surprised by someone else in the mix?

It really could be anyone. You might wanna show up for this one…

Here’s a look at the Top 3 runs from Semis

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World Round Up

World Round Up Pre-Lims 2015

After Day 1 of the 4th annual World Round Up Freestyle Contest the questions are real, Who will be the ones to make those Finals on Sunday, Who will be the Champions, and Who is better – the guys with 20-30 years of experience or those crazy young kids full of energy and changing the face of freestyle?

All Competitors WRU 2015

It’s always an eye-opener to be at this event as you see some insane skateboarding going on everywhere you look. But every year there’s competitors that you haven’t seen before, competitors that you know are at the top of their game and the toughest ones to beat, and competitors who just blow you away with their improved style and consistency from the year previous. Either way, it is always exciting to watch.

This year the Amateur Division has a lot of people in it and the 2nd and 3rd place guys from last year are ready to battle it out for the win. Kaue Arouja and Andy Anderson went neck and neck on the first day with 2 completely different styles, but both had solid and flawless runs and the pressure will be on during semi-finals.

In the Pro’s it was the usual deal with Guenter Mokyulus and Mike Osterman scoring at the top but with others running closely behind. The excitement this year is that young Japanese wonder Isamu Yamamoto has moved up to the Pro Division at age 12. This kid might not win the event but he definitely gets the entire place cheering every time he steps on his board. His consistency is unstoppable.

Semi-Finals are next and those 3 questions come back to mind, who will move on to Finals…..

Here’s a recap video showcasing the smooth and diverse styles of the 2 youngest competitors at the event

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World Round Up

Rounding Up the World

World Round Up Poster 2015

Year number 4 of this amazing and unique skateboard event starts Friday May 15th at the Cloverdale Rodeo, it’s The World Round Up featuring the best of the best of Freestyle Skateboarders from around the world showcasing their skills and trying to beat out their friends for the cash.

Last year Mike Osterman did the impossible in the Pro division and took out Guenter Mokyulus, but the phenomenon was in the Amateur division when 11 year old Isamu Yamamoto flew in from Japan and owned the podium the entire weekend. Will he be in the Pro division this year or still ride it out in Am? Only 1 way to find out.

We will be on site filming the event and keeping you updated all weekend. Here is the recap video from last year to get you stoked

It’s not about being the champ, it’s about being the best they can be and hoping that’s better than the next guy. These guys train themselves to be awesome and on point and it is a tough event to judge.

The event runs all weekend long with the Finals happening on Sunday. It takes place inside the curling rink and once you pay to get in to the Rodeo and Fair you can come in and out of the arena.

Check out http://www.theworldroundup.com/ for details and schedule

See you there

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Extreme Sports Skateboarding World Round Up

The World Round Up 2014 – An Awesome Reunion

Being the 3rd year for this event there was a little more competitive spirit in the air but it still came down to everyone just being happy and excited to be present. The first year of The World Round Up was all about showcasing the best Freestyle Skateboarders in the world and setting a precedence for a new world-wide competition, the second year was a reunion of sorts which attracted even more competitors than year one and created a true family feel to this event, and the third year was even better. When these guys fly into town from other countries they are super excited to be in Canada and even more excited to show off what they dedicate their lives to for hundreds of people day after day. Interesting features this year was Shen Meng being the first skater from China to participate in a world-wide contest and little 11 year old Isamu Yamamoto coming all the way from Japan to try and prove that he could be the next biggest thing in Freestyle. Isamu dominated the Amateur competition all weekend and managed to squeeze out the win. Everyone will remember that forever.

The World Round Up 2014 Crew

So making the recap video was pretty amazing, I love being invited each year by Monty Little and Kevin Harris to film this event and create something special out of it. After getting to know all the competitors from the last 2 years I have made a bunch of great relationships and really respect these guys in a lot of ways. Freestyle skateboarding is such a rare entity and the people that name themselves true Freestylers are very strong people, and they all seem happy just to go skate. This year I really wanted to focus on the feelings and emotions that pass through all the competitors’ minds over the 4 day weekend. Everybody always talks about how awesome it is to be in a room with so many people that they consider family, and I think I know why they are so tight. Think back to when skateboarding was fully not accepted in society, this was when street skating just became a trend and pool skating was all trespassing. All skateboarders were shunned by the community, people judged us without ever knowing us and they put us down for being ourselves and doing something creative that made us feel good and accomplished inside. Now think of the way that the skateboard community feels about Freestyle Skaters, a lot of it seems like we treat them the way that the whole world used to treat us. People diss freestyle but what are they actually dissing? Just other human beings that found something they love to do and dedicate their lives to. I’ll tell you why I love these guys – because no matter how many times they have been pushed down they keep on standing strong, they do what they love and they do it to the best of their ability, and no matter where they are it’s always about promoting skateboarding in a positive way. I don’t see anything wrong with that.

After 3 years at this event I feel blessed to know all of these guys and appreciate that they accept me into their family. With less than 300 freestyle skaters in the world, you know that you are meeting the best of the best, and every single one of them is the most humble, most appreciative, and most supportive person you will ever meet. So sit back and check out this recap video of The 2014 World Round Up Freestyle Championships and feel the love…

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Extreme Sports Skateboarding World Round Up

Osterman and Isamu take the Titles!

Another amazing day at the World Round Up 2014 as the best of the best Freestyle Skateboarders in the world competed for the top places in the Finals of this 3 day event. The atmosphere was positive and everyone was having fun, but you could feel the want of the win in the air. Being the 3rd year for this event it is beginning to become more important to try to win but all in all it is still about having fun and showing off skateboarding in a positive way to crowds of people that might not know much about skateboarding in general, and they were all loving it all day long. Every competitor was on their game today and there was a ton of flawless runs in both the Amateur and Professional divisions. Talk of the event was around 11 year old Isamu Yamamoto in the Am category and whether or not he could maintain top position and take 1st place at his first ever world event. Kaue Araujo and Andy Anderson were battling hard to try to take that opportunity away from the little dude but just couldn’t quite do it. Isamu held on with amazing skills and won his first international Gold Medal!! Way to go dude!

In the Pros it was insanity all the way from 15th right to top qualifying positions but the top 5 owned it and stayed the top 5 at the end. All 5 had at least one flawless run each and it must have been super hard to judge. Rene Shigueto, Per Cangaru, Mike Osterman, Jesse Whalen and Guenter Mokulys laid it down for the audience and blew away the other competitors. It came down to 1 point separating the 1st place, 2nd place and 3rd place spots and ended in a great way with Mike Osterman from the USA taking Gold over Guenter, and leaving Jesse with the Bronze. What a way for Mike to celebrate his 21st birthday!! Tears were shed, hugs were happening and everyone was stoked. This was another great example of how tight the freestyle world is and how much these guys love eachother. Mike Osterman took home $3,000 for placing on top but he was more excited about the fact that he skated his best and somehow beat the machine.

With demos all day, presentations by Constable Troy Derrick, and plenty of awesome contest runs, the crowd of spectators was constant and all went home with a story to tell. This event is growing and it is great to be a part of it. Keep watch on the site for a recap video coming soon, and check out http://www.theworldroundup.com for all the results…

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