Coming Together For The First Annual Nine Club Classic
Currently, we live amongst lingering bad omens haunting the culture we occupy. Mutterings of crumbling industries and speculative reasons repeated like witchcraft curses around cauldrons. In these times, it shouldn’t be about pointing fingers and feeding the beast, but rallying together to prove there is still strength in the community, regardless of what may come.
The Call to Skate
On August 2nd, four-wheeling nomads were guided by a hip-hop siren song atop rumbling bearings and board clacks. Some came with babies strapped to their chests, foregoing playdates for games of skate. Filmers ready to highlight their crew. One man planned ahead, posting himself in his passenger seat to grill on the sidewalk. Each relieved at the sight of blackened wheel-streaked blue waves of the West LA Courthouse, the rallying point of the day’s events.
A perfect setting for the inaugural Nine Club Classic, hosted by the podcast team and MC’d by Vern Laird. Throughout the day, it was easy to catch the podcast team slipping through the crowd, connecting with the many attendees. Even Chris Roberts was passing out hats to everyone, thanking them for coming.
Chaos at the Benches
But as the open jam at the benches began, the tone took a turn.
“There’s so much happening in here now,” one man informed his filmer, hands draped on his head in concern.
A burst of madness spread in the form of a domino effect. Piles of people on either side of the benches bolted forward, each trying to get their moment. It was like running of the bulls in every direction. Tailslides slammed into krooks. Snakes slithered every which way to gain some green. Things that would send fists flying if they sprang up any other time.
No longer was skating just an internal struggle.
Skating the Colosseum
The “I Got Next” game of skate in the fountain was far more relaxed, even if it was presented like a Roman Colosseum spectacle. This led to the Stage Event, with a heavy crowd building beneath the sunset orange roof.
Yuri was the first to break apart the inching crowd, hoping to gain more necessary runup. There were great rides from Matt Berger, Spencer Semien, and Jordan Mourning, who each tirelessly pushed themselves to the edge of defeat, but never said die. Ultimately, it was John Di Lorenzo who took first for the stage.
Out Ledge, All In
The final event of the day was the Out Ledge. With a long day in the hot sun, it became clear that the crowd was beginning to wane. Yet they packed themselves in, storming fences and cement walls to get a better view from the restricted areas. Their spirits were quickly lifted by the riders taking to both sides of the stairs, one after another grinding across the ledge gap.
