Slam City Jam Slides Into Calgary

by Aaron Glenn

“Slam City Jam is coming to Calgary!”

“What?”

“Seriously, SLAM CITY JAM is coming to CALGARY!!!”

This was my first exposure to the fact that my city, my scene would be host to the biggest skateboard competition in Canada. I was full of excitement and confusion � Slam is coming to Calgary? Why? What does this mean for the contest? What does this mean for our local skate community? Who would be coming? Where is it going to be held? These questions were being asked around every ledge and ramp in the city, but few knew exactly what the details were. This was in early-2006.

Slam City Jam is a skateboarding contest that has been in existence since 1994, when the sport was seen in a much different light in the eyes of most people. It was experiencing a slump in popularity and yet Vancouver welcomed a new batch of professional skateboarders across the border every year at the same time. The city was ahead of it�s time in terms of what was popular with the youth by sponsoring a skateboard contest that would soon become a world class event. As Canada�s skateboard “mecca”, Vancouver was the perfect home for a contest of this caliber. Alas times have changed.

As a proud lifelong Calgary skateboarder I was exceedingly eager to see that my hometown would be the host of the 2006 Slam City Jam contest; however, I had a few questions as to why the contest would leave its birthplace (Vancouver) to come to Calgary. There are a number of factors that came into play around the decision to move the contest from its traditional west-coast surroundings. The first, and probably the biggest reason, was due to the preparations for the upcoming 2010 Olympics. The other reasons are less obvious and include a change of ownership and a supposed lack of interest from the Vancouver locals.

In the end, it didn�t really matter why. Calgary has welcomed the contest and the prize money ($100,000 this year) which is a big draw for top professionals and hungry amateurs looking to make their mark on the world scene. As one of the stops in the Vans World Cup of Skateboarding, Slam is a defining contest for a professional looking to rank well amongst one�s peers. The contest usually has big name sponsors and the budget that goes along with those sponsors. In previous years, the attendance from industry professionals and teams was a given, you knew you would see your favorite pro or team. Whether it was simply during open practice where everyone just messes around, in the qualifying heats where runs come together, in the finals where consistency pays off, or maybe just hanging out at one of the after parties.

For better or worse, this year was a little, umm, different than previous years. As a former attendee of SCJ in Vancouver, there was a few things that I felt had changed when compared to earlier incarnations of the event. Some of the differences were positive ones including; a tighter, more street-like course, open areas to walk around, C-Train access, and air conditioning. Other changes were more on the negative side such as unorganized staff and volunteers, fairly expensive tickets, and a slightly confusing schedule.

The real draw for many attendees is usually the pro lineup, and unfortunately it was lacking in terms of the big names that usually attend the event. Personally, I was not totally surprised at the low numbers of “stars” competing; it is difficult to draw top talent when the ownership, timing and location all change from the strong tradition of previous years. In addition to this, many teams were competing in Thrasher Magazine�s “King Of The Road” contest which ended at midnight on the Saturday of the Slam City contest. Whatever the reason, the pros had not descended on Calgary with the same vigor as Vancouver.

The positive side of this shift in athlete attendance was the opportunity it provided for upcoming amateurs to shine. Many took advantage and brought home some of the glory and prize dollars themselves (Check out the results below). Local companies and skate shops set up booths in the expo, located in the Round Up Center, and did extremely well from what I could see. New companies showed off what they have to offer and many Calgarians were introduced to the skateboarding lifestyle for the first time. This will not be the last either, as it is rumored that Calgary will be the official home of the contest for at least the next 5 years. The attendance by fans and families was excellent, especially for the finals, and you could feel the excitement in the air.

Welcome to your new home Slam City Jam.

In the end, everybody had a great time and the experience can only get better. Thanks to everyone who worked to make this contest a reality. Personally, I was so stoked to see some of my friends and local skaters get to rip alongside the pros. This is a rare opportunity and everyone stepped up to the challenge and skated their asses off. Congratulations to everyone who entered! See you next year!

Lastly, here’s a short video covering the street event shot by: Gralla613

Men’s Street

Final results (Highest points total wins)

1. Greg Lutzka, U.S. (94.50 points);
2. Chad Bartie, Australia (86.25);
3. Ryan DeCenzo, Delta, B.C. (85.00);
4. Magnus Hanson, Surrey, B.C. (82.25);
5. Nathan LaCoste, Vancouver (80.75);
6. Ryan Oughton, Calgary (80.00);
7. Dayne Brummet, U.S. (79.50);
8. Sascha Daley, Courtenay, B.C. (79.00);
9. Tony Trujillo, U.S. (78.75);
10. Danny Fuenzalida, Chile (76.75);
11. Scott DeCenzo, North Delta, B.C. (73.25);
12. Sheldon Meleshinski, Vancouver (73.00);
13. Chris Cudlipp, U.S. (77.25);
14. Ricardo Oliveira Porva, Brazil (77.00);
15. Chris Haslam, Richmond, B.C. (74.50);
16. Eric Mercier, Montreal (74.00);
17. Jesse Langden, Oakville, Ont. (74.00);
18. Pat Channita, U.S. (73.75);
19. Evin (68.00);
20. Greg Brewer, Vancouver (67.25);
21. Trevor Houlihan, Vancouver (66.75);
22. Josh Clark, Fredericton, N.B. (65.50);
23. Micky Pappa, Vancouver (64.75);
24. Jorge Comelli, U.S. (64.50);
25. Geoff Dermer, Vancouver (63.75);
26. Riley Boland, Calgary (63.75);
27. Colin Nogue, Vancouver (60.00);
28. Nate Roline, Edmonton (57.50);
29. Juan Manuel Garcia, Mexico (56.50);
30. Lamonzo Coleman, U.S.(52.25).

Aaron Glenn