Dew Tour’s Greg Lutzka Takes Skate Open Win, While Newcomers Make Their Mark Tweet

A new year brought new blood to the Dew Tour as some of the top street skaters in the industry first set foot on an Alli park course. The Skate Open saw the likes of Terrell Robinson and Jake Duncombe, who nearly made the cut, along with Bastien Salabanzi and Eli Reed, who killed it straight into the Finals.

Park Podium, l-r, Ryan Sheckler, 2nd, Greg Lutzka, 1st, Chaz Ortiz, 3rd

The Dew Tour’s Skate Open was held in conjunction with the ISF Skateboarding World Championships, and at the end of it all Greg Lutzka stood atop the podium and was named the 2010 Word Champion for park.

Greg Lutzka, noseblunt slide

Ryan Sheckler was one level below in second place, looking at his medal and saying out loud how he had to go home and practice for the next one. Former Dew Cup champ Chaz Ortiz attacked the course in his first event as an official Zoo York pro and landed in third.

“It was the first contest of the season so that’s ones always a good one to get it over with and just get it out of the way,” Ortiz said. “But I had so much fun, Ryan killed it, Lutzka killed it, and I’m psyched about third.”

Chaz Ortiz, backside flip

After watching from the sidelines it was hard to choose a winner between Chaz’s continual use of the course and Sheckler’s big spins. But it was Lutzka who was on top of his game and won the judges over in the end.

“Right off the bat taking first place is good, it gives me a better chance to win the overall,” Lutzka said, after taking the lead in Dew Cup standings. “That would be awesome. Dew Tour is going off, man.”

Sheckler returned to Dew Tour competition after winning last year’s Skate Open event and later injuring himself and taking the season off to recover. After collecting three Dew Cups over the years, Sheckler insists that he’s now back at 100 percent and ready to reclaim his dominance.

Ryan Sheckler, tre flip

“I think it made me a little bit more fresh than I used to be,” Sheckler said. “It actually made me want to come back to skateboarding and want to be in the contest. So being injured, it gave me more motivation to be better at skateboarding. So I’m just having fun, I want to come out and win the next one.”

The Dew Tour regulars made their way to the podium while a few notables including Paul Rodriguez, Jereme Rogers, Ryan Decenzo, Jordan Hoffart and Austen Seaholm didn’t make the finals. But it was the new guys that had the athletes and the crowd abuzz.

“Bastien’s out here just killing it and it’s great to see him coming back and right into the finals,” Lutzka said. “Eli’s a new guy that’s out here killing it, so it’s good to see some new faces and those guys are just throwing down.”

Bastien Salabanzi, backside kickflip

France’s Bastien Salabanzi qualified first in both rounds of preliminaries, but finished just off the podium in fourth.

“For the first time, seriously, qualifying first in the first part, and qualifying first in the second, I was feeling really comfortable, but skateboarding can be kinda tough,” Salabanzi said. “ You know, everything can work out and then you just lose your cool and start not thinking right. I lost a little bit of my cool, and when that happens, it can reflect on the skateboarding.”

Local boy Eli Reed was sporting a Boston Celtics jersey as he flowed through the course, even bouncing back no problem after nearly impaling his stomach on the rail at one point.

Eli Reed, switch ollie manual

“I’m psyched, just to be skating in the Boston Garden makes me happy,” Reed said. “Top-three would have been nice, but I think my big thing was just making that final cut. So just that alone, and I got fifth, not bad. I’m psyched.”

The last spot in the finals went to Sierra Fellers, who was pulling heelflips and more as he flowed across the course during the tight competition.

Sierra Fellers, nollie boardslide

For video highlights of the competition, click here.

For Dew Tour coverage of the finals, click here.

For full results, click here.

FINAL RESULTS:
1. Greg Lutzka, 88.05
2. Ryan Sheckler, 86.30
3. Chaz Ortiz, 83.35
4. Bastien Salabanzi, 81.18
5. Eli Reed, 78.38
6. Sierra Fellers, 76.15