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New to the Gatorade Free Flow Tour this winter is a stop at Seven Springs in Pennsylvania. Seven Springs has received numerous accolades from Transworld Snowboarding over the last few years, and was voted as having the #1 terrain park on the East Coast, as well as the #4 superpipe in all of North America.

Seven Springs, voted #1 terrain park by Transworld Magazine, joins the roster of Gatorade Free Flow Tour host resorts

The 2012 tour schedule spans nationwide, with 2 stops on the East Coast, 3 stops in the Rockies, and 3 stops on the West Coast. All eight stops will feature slopestyle, while superpipe contests will be held at every stop with the exception of Jackson Hole and Mountain High.

*Schedule subject to change

The Gatorade Free Flow Tour will showcase the top amateur winter athletes competing in snowboarding (slopestyle and superpipe) and freeskiing (slopestyle and superpipe). Snowboarding disciplines will have separate competitions for men and women, while the freeski contests will be open to both.

The winners in each of the 42 contests (24 slopestyle and 18 superpipe) will be flown to the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals, taking place in conjunction with the Winter Dew Tour's Toyota Championship, February 12-13 at Snowbasin Resort in Utah. Encompassing the “Flow to Pro” theme that is the cornerstone of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour, the two overall snowboard superpipe and slopestyle Champions and the overall freeski superpipe and slopestyle Champions will earn a spot to compete against the pros at the first stop of the 2012-13 Winter Dew Tour the following season.

Alex Ferreira is one of the 2011 champs who will be competing at next month's Winter Dew Tour stop

In addition to the main contests, each stop of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour will also include a Junior Jam division, offering separate rail jam and superpipe contests for snowboard and freeski competitors 13 and under. The Junior Jam will take place prior to each of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour’s Open Division competitions, giving young amateurs valuable contest experience.

Registration is now open on gatoradefreeflowtour.com. Please note there are limited spots for all competitions, so register early. There is a $20 registration fee for one day of competition and a $30 registration fee to compete both days, which does not include lift tickets. 

About a year and a half ago, Jono learned how to execute a 720 - an impressive feat for anyone, no matter the age. With the help of Renton and Trevor, it only took Jono 5 days to succesfully land his first one. It was at that point that Jono told us "everything changed."

"I started thinking 'Wow, this is something I haven't even seen the locals do,'" he said. "After landing the 7, it was a big change in my skating because I started trying harder tricks. The 720 was the hardest trick I'd ever landed at the time. So I started trying to learn some more technical variations. I added a few other 7's to my bag, I've got more 5's, and I'm working on some flip tricks."

And that's not all that changed too, as Jono ran off a string of strong competition showings the following summer. He placed 3rd at that year's X Games am contest, and 2nd at the Maloof am contest. Earning a wild card invite to the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals through the last-chance video contest, he then finished as the runner-up to Mitchie Brusco.

Having placed 2nd in 2010, Jono entered this year's Gatorade Free Flow Tour finals as one of the top contenders, even if he didn't seem to think so. "I was just going to have fun again," he said. "I was happy to have qualified at Rye. But I've skated less than a month this whole year on a vert ramp. So to have gone there and won was completely unpredicted."

Jono's family moved back to Colorado from Australia last year, but the only vert ramp that existed in the whole state has closed, leaving him little opportunity to train. He practices at his local skatepark, but with no vert ramp, it obviously makes things a lot harder. In response to this, Jono decided to found his own organization: Sk8-Strong.

The origin of the idea actually goes back to a little advice Jono received from pro skater Adam Taylor, whom Jono met when Adam cam to Australia. "After X Games, I didn't have any sponsors," Jono said, "so I was told by Adam Taylor to spray-paint my board black so people would know I didn't have a sponsor."

Thinking that a plain black board was a little boring, Jono decided to add some flair to it the night before the contest he was competing in. "I've always had this motto 'skate strong,'" he explained. "It's just kind of been my thing because you have to be an athlete to be a good skateboarder. So I sign all my emails with it, and everything that I do with skateboarding kind of revolves around that concept of being an athlete and doing your best."

Jono decided to write "Sk8 Strong" on the bottom of his board, and it caught the attention of quite a few people. His inbox started to fill with inquiries from skaters wondering where they could get a board like that. With demand for this board in place, it was when the vert ramp in Colorado closed down that the whole idea really clicked for Jono.

"The first goal is to promote a healthy sporting environment for the kids, and kind of give them the encouragement that I had," Jono said of the Sk8-Strong organization. "That was just someting I really wanted to share. The only place I ever got it was Australia."

To accomplish this mission, Sk8-Strong hosts workshops and amateur contests. One recent event, the Destroy The Bowl Jam, drew a brought out a lot of skaters from Colorado for a contest and barbecue, with all the money raised going right back into the Sk8-Strong organization.

"The second goal," Jono said, "is to get that vert ramp, so everyone can skate vert in Colorado and have as much fun with it as I did." Jono saw the interest in Sk8-Strong products as a way to raise funds to bring vert skating back to Colorado and decided to pursue the idea. "It'll help me train too," he added.

With the foundation recently designated officially as a 501(c)(3) organization, Jono really expects Sk8-Strong to start making big strides. Once the goal of building a vert ramp is accomplished, he has his sights set on hosting contests that will draw participants on a more national level. "I think that Colorado is gonna be the skate mecha soon," he added, only slightly kidding.

Jono in his Dew Tour debut, still wearing the red

Until the vert ramp is built though, opportunities for Jono to train on a real ramp will be scattered, and that was the challenge he faced as he prepared to head into Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals. During the summer, he spent a week at Rye Airfield, plus a week at Woodward working on some tricks. After a 3-week layoff, he spent about a handful of days in Southern California training at the Encinitas vert ramp before heading straight to Salt Lake City for finals, where he of course shined on the vert ramp and took the victory.

Jono not only has 720's locked down, he's also progressed to the point where he can throw two 7's in a single run. With that kind of talent at just 14 years of age, it makes you wonder what's next for Jono. His next opportunity to display his skills is at this weekend's Dew Tour contest in Las Vegas, and Jono has been training hard for this.

So what does Jono have in store? At the time of our interview, Jono told us he was working on a few tricks "that will definitely shock some people." He added "I haven't landed them yet, but I'm definitely working on them. You'll just have to tune into Dew Tour to see about it. It's a 'do or die' trick. I've got a few of em..."

Fast-forwarding to the last stop of the Dew Tour this week. Jono took 7th in vert semi-finals, sneaking him into sunday's finals. This means that whatever Jono's planning - and we're still in the dark, although we've got a few ideas on what he's up to - he will have the chance to unleash his craziest tricks yet in the biggest contest of his life.

"I haven't seen many people even try em," Jono said about the tricks he's been practicing. "So I'll be working on those, but I've got some runs I put together. And I kind of just want to go out there, do my best, have fun, and get pushed by all the other pros because to skate with the pros... It's gonna be a new experience like no other I'm sure."

Look for Jono on your TV sets Sunday afternoon. He'll be the little dude with the big tricks. And the red shirt.

Check out our interview with Jono to learn why the color red is such a superstition for him, and find out how a cartoon inspired him to start skateboarding!

Gatorade Free Flow Tour: What go you started in skateboarding?
Jono Schwan: Well, the whole reason I really started to skateboard is because I watched the Extremely Goofy movie. Technically, I started skating in Ireland almost 7 years ago, but that was for a week. But I watched the Extremely Goofy movie... It was this whole funny competition and I wanted to go out and try it, so I got one of those 10-inch skateboards from Walgreens, and I tried a handplant because I saw Goofy's son do it. And then I completely shaved off my face with the griptape, so I stopped. That was a really bad experience.

GFFT: That sounds awful.
JS: Yeah, and we've got all the pictures to prove it. It was not a very subtle fall at all. So I stopped and then really, I guess I just started skating 4 years ago in Austraila, because I lived in Cambra and they had 2 metal vert ramps. Really dinted but they were close, and vert was the thing I wanted to do. It was the big object in the middle of nowhere and no one was really skating it. They were on the mini-ramps and stuff. That was just what brought me to give it a go.

GFFT: Is the Mickey Mouse thing in honor of that at all? How did that come about?
JS: Oh, my whole Mickey Mouse presence? Ever since I went to Disneyland, and I've watched Disney, it's kind of been my favorite thing. And red's been my lucky color. I don't know, I might mix it up for Vegas. Gotta look stylin'... But red's always been my favorite color, and I went to Disneyland last year, and I saw these crazy things. And it was one of the happiest times I've ever had. I'd never been to anything like it. So I got a few t-shirts and they've been kind of like my good luck charms. Anything red... I'm just superstitous.

GFFT: At what point did you start to compete, or realize that you wanted to get into that?
JS: Well, competitions kind of came naturally. I was at the park. I'd been skating for about 2 years. I had the whole competition deal in my mind, but I was still just skating for fun. SO I signed up for a competition one year and just decided to go for it and have fun. And what was really cool was the competition brought all the really good skaters together, which wouldn't normally happen just for a normal session. And it really just pushes me to do my best, ya know? You get 3 chances usually to pull of everything you can do, and you just commit to everything. You're going for it. And with all the really good skaters there, it makes it way more fun.

Jono Schwan, 540 at Rye Airfield

GFFT: How did you get the invite to the X Games am contest?
JS: I was fortunate. I had no idea. When I first moved to Australia, all the skaters there were really modest. So I was skating for about 6 months with Australia's top pros like Trevor Ward and Renton[ Millar]. And I kind of progressed pretty quickly with them. They didn't really mentor, but they showed me tricks. They'd do a trick, and then I'd want to do it. So I'd study that trick and go for it. So they taught me 5's and then they showed me how to do 7's. So they kind of saw some potential with me, so they talked to the guys at World Cup Skateboarding, and they let me do some of that stuff. It was a great experience because Australia is just unlike any other place in the world.

GFFT: Not only do a lot of the pros not have 7's locked down, but you've done 2 in a run, which is saying a lot. Do you know what's next for you? Anything you're working on that you can share?
JS: I can let you know that I am working on some tricks that will definitely shock some people. I haven't landed them yet, but I'm definitely working on them. You'll just have to tune into Dew Tour to see about it. It's a "do or die" trick. I've got a few of em...

GFFT: Is it one of those runs that if you're down to your last run and need it to get into finals, you're gonna just go for it?
JS: I've got about 3 tricks that I'm working on. One of them, I could have 5 setup airs and it would still score the same as one of my runs without a setup air. So I've got a few crazy tricks that I'm working on, but yeah... You'll just have to tune in.

GFFT: Now that you're in Colorado, where do you usually ride?
JS: Well, since I'm in Colorado and the only vert ramp that was in the state has closed almost a year ago now, I just train at the local park, which is the Memorial Skatepark. It's a great park made by Team Pain. But it makes everything a lot harder because there's no vert. Everything's only concrete. You can't do back to back tricks. You have to carve into your tricks. So I founded an organization called Sk8 Strong. It's non-profit. And it's basically got two goals. The first goal is to promote a healthy sporting environment for the kids, and kind of give them the encouragement that I had. That was just someting I really wanted to share. The only place I ever got it was Australia. So to be able to share the experience that I had and the positive reinforcement when I was there. And the second goal is to get that vert ramp, so everyone can skate vert in Colorado and have as much fun with it as I did. It'll help me train too.

Melon 540 at Rye Airfield
 

GFFT: So is it a local non-profit for Colorado?
JS: It's actually gone national. So it's based here, because I'm living here. So I founded it, and we've got a whole website and everything - sk8-strong.org. And you just go there and people donate and buy boards or stickers or whatever. And all the money goes to the vert ramp and the workshops that we're doing to help skateboarding.

GFFT: What are you planning to do next with Sk8-Strong?
JS: We do these competions. We recently had the Destroy The Bowl Jam. It's a barbecue and comp, really fun. All the local skaters and pretty mcuh everyone in Colorado came down for it that was a bowl rider. All the proceeds from the signups went to the vert ramp project. We had some great prize packages. We teamed up with Woodward at Copper Mountain and all the local skate shops too. And it's just been really great. So I think once we have enough money to finally get that vert ramp, we're gonna try to start hosting some national-size contests. Like get some pros out here because we've got some good contests, and I think that Colorado is gonna be the skate mecha soon... Colorado vs. California!

GFFT: Going back to Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals now... Having competed in 2010 and finishing 2nd, did you feel that you had any kind of advantage?
JS: You know, I think that there is not really an advantage, but being compfortable in that pressure. Just to have been in a full-scale contest like the X Games or Maloof or all that has helped me become comfortable with being in the situation of having one run left, do your best. And I think that's what's helped me compete. So it's kind of become a really fun skate sesh because your adrenaline starts going, and everything starts to slow down. You see everything a lot better, you're gonna commit. So it's one of the best experiences I've ever had.

GFFT: How did you feel about your odds going into Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals this year?
JS: I was just going to have fun again. I was happy to have qualified at Rye. But I've skated less than a month this whole year on a vert ramp. So to have gone there and won was completely unpredicted. And Zac Rose was kind of the guy to beat. He's one of the most reserved and quiet skaters out there, super-nice, but one of the most amazing skaters at his age. And unfortunately he was taken out like 10 minutes right before the comp. Over-rotated and hit his head, and he blacked out, so he couldn't compete. And it was kind of a downer at the moment because I really wanted everyone to skate and be good. Because to win, or even to compete against everyone,  is the most fun because it pushes you. But like I said, he was the guy to beat. And after winning it, it was a pretty incredible feeling.

GFFT: Do you still keep up with any of the finalists that you've met over the last 2 years?
JS: For sure. Almost every skater that I've met at GFFT, I'm friends with now. We keep track of each other, say hi on facebook and things like that. It's just a really positive environment on the vert ramp. Everyone's really nice, and once you meet them, they're incredible skaters, and everyone's got incredible personalities too.

GFFT: [2010 champion] Mitchie Brusco was at the top of the ramp during finals. Did you guys talk at all?
JS: Yeah, Mitchie and I have kind of been friends for awhile. Last year, we did the Maloof Money Cup and Gatorade Free Flow Tour. So we've skated a fair bit together. He's a really cool guy, and I'm glad I get to skate with him again at Vegas.

GFFT: Any particular pros you look up to that you're looking forward to riding with at the Las Vegas Dew Tour?
JS: Well yeah, like I said, when I lived in Australia, I lived over in Melbourne with Renton Millar, and we went to the park pretty frequently. We skated this really old, rusty vert ramp. It was like 13 feet high, 60 feet wide. Everything's all dented and rusty, so it's slow. You know, that's what we trained on. It was definitely a different experience, and he's a really nice guy. I love catching up with him, and it's great to see old friends and see what they've done. And to get to skate with him again will be great.

GFFT: What are your plans for next year?
JS: I kind of just want to get the vert ramp done here with Sk8-Strong so I can have a place to train and have other people experience the joy that I've had with it. So that's kinda the #1 goal. And then I'm definitely gonna look forward to Dew Tour qualifiers next year. I'll definitely be there. There's a lot of things I kind of want to try going in to do as a professional.

GFFT: Any sponsors you want to give a shoutout to?
JS: Theeve Trucks, which I've tried probably every truck there is, and they're the best in the world. I'm sticking with 'em. And also Destroyer Pads - they're kinda new. They're coming out of SoCal. They're probably the best pads in the world. They do all these really great tests. There's high-density foam, and they have the best colorways out there, so big shoutout to them as well. And literally my butt savers, Crash Pads. So without them, I probably wouldn't be able to walk right now. And Sk8-Strong. Without Sk8-Strong, I wouldn't have gone probably anywhere near as far as I have with the local skaters. And to understand how an organization works and to have all that experience has really helped me. Sk8-Strong all the way!

Watch the Dew Tour's skate vert finals Sunday at 4pm ET on NBC to see how Jono does!

Parker actually started his racing career off on a motorbike, which he received as a Christmas present at age 3. He made the transition to BMX racing shortly after, though. "There was a BMX race track across the road from our local motorbike track, and mum took me to have a look," he recalled. "It seemed like a lot of fun and more practical for how small I was."

Ten subsequent years of BMX racing gave Parker an edge in Portland. "We used the roller to benefit us and get speed," Luke explained in regards to all of the top-three finishers.

Towards the end of Parker's racing career, he began going to the skatepark more often. "Eventually freestyle took over, and it progressed from there," he explained.

On his first run in BMX dirt finals, Parker threw a tailwhip on the drop-in, then landed a double tailwhip and a frontflip on the jumps. The run scored Parker a 92.0 and put him into the lead. That's when it started to occur to him that he actually had a shot to win the whole thing. "I went into it with the attitude that I can ride with my friends and watch some amazing pro riders," he recalled. "After everyone finished their first runs and I was winning, I started getting nervous."

Parker would have to ride out the nerves for 2 more rounds, but no one was able to top his score.

Up until this past February, Parker had really just ridden in some occasional local contests. His first "proper" contest experience came at this year's BMX Games in Australia, where he placed 5th in dirt. A few months later, he made the decision to travel abroad and take a shot at the Gatorade Free Flow Tour.

"The idea of coming to America and doing the Gatorade Free Flow Tour came up after seeing a few other Australians really progress from it in the last few years," Parker explained. "I wasn't expecting to do any good this year. We planned the trip so I could travel and go to Woodward and figure out what I had to do to compete over here, but this year just turned out for the best."

Parker made his Gatorade Free Flow Tour debut at Da Compound, earning top-4 finishes in two separate disciplines (4th in BMX park, 3rd in BMX dirt). Third place was good enough to earn him a trip to the finals. Finishing just behind him was Justin Spriet, who also qualified for finals and would play a key role in Luke's victory.

Double tailwhip

"I was going to go home before the finals because I didn't have a place to stay and started to doubt myself. But thanks to friends and the Spriet family, they gave me a place to stay, and that allowed me to ride Portland," Parker said. "To have them there to celebrate it with was amazing."

After nearly two months, Parker will be back in action at the Dew Tour's final stop this weekend in Las Vegas. He's looking forward to makng his debut, telling us "I've riden with Chris Doyle and Dennis Enarson when they were in Australia, so it will be really cool being there riding with them. Kyle Baldock is such a nice guy and is amazing to watch, so it will be so sick up on the roll-in with those guys."

As far as Parker's goals for Las Vegas, he's aiming high. He says that success for him would be to qualify for dirt finals this weekend. To do that, he will need to place inside the top 9 in Thursday's semi-finals. (You may recall that last year's BMX dirt champion Alex Landeros was one spot shy of making finals in his Dew Tour debut.)

"It's a long way to come to not have high hopes and expectations," Parker added. "So hopefully I can live up to it."

Check out excerpts of our interview with Luke below.

Gatorade Free Flow Tour: What made you decide to travel from Australia to the U.S. to compete in the Gatorade Free Flow Tour this summer?
Luke Parker: The idea of coming to America and doing the Gatorade Free Flow Tour came up after seeing a few other Australians really progress from it in the last few years. I wasn't expecting to do any good this year. We planned the trip so I could travel and go to Woodward and figure out what I had to do to compete over here, but this year just turned out for the best.

GFFT: Back in Portland, TJ Lavin created a very unique course that challenged a lot of the pro riders... What did you think of the course? Did your racing background make the course better suited to your riding at all?
LP: I liked the idea of TJ's design. It was good to see pro riders have to change up thir tricks to suit the jumps. I know for a fact that myself, Larry Edgar and Luke Bowermen all raced, and we used the roller to benefit us and get speed.

GFFT: Before the contest, what did you think about your chances of winning the Gatorade Free Flow Tour finals?
LP: I didn't really treat the finals like a contest. I went into it with the attitude that I can ride with my friends and watch some amazing pro riders. After everyone finished their first runs and I was winning, I started getting nervous, haha.

GFFT: Can you describe how it felt to win the contest?
LP: Winning the contest was such an amazing feeling. I was going to go home before the finals because I didn't have a place to stay and started to doubt myself. But thanks to friends and the Spriet family, they gave me a place to stay and that allowed me to ride Portland. To have them there to celebrate it with was amazing. And celebrating with the Australian boys I ride with, and having pro riders coming up and congratulating me left me speechless.
 
GFFT: What have you been up to since competing in Portland? Have you done anything special to prepare for Vegas?'
LP: I've just ridden like I usually would, had fun with friends, and just enjoyed being on my bike.

GFFT: Has anything changed for you since winning?
LP: Not much changed. I got a lot of facebook requests.

GFFT: With your Dew Tour debut on the horizon, have you set any goals or expectations for this month's contest?
LP: I'm hoping to make finals in Vegas. It's a long way to come to not have high hopes and expectations, so hopefully I can live up to it.

GFFT: Are there any pros you're looking forward to riding with for the first time?
LP: Yer, I've riden with Chris Doyle and Dennis Enarson when they were in Australia, so it will be really cool being there riding with them. Kyle Baldock is such a nice guy and is amazing to watch, so it will be so sick up on the roll-in with those guys.

GFFT: What are your plans for 2012?
LP: My plans for 2012 are to spend a lot more time in America and try and qualify for park and dirt in Dew Tour. Also, travel with friends, keep riding my bike as much as I can, and have fun.

GFFT: Any sponsors you'd like to give a shout-out to?
LP: Big thanks to Elite Cycle Imports. They gave me my first bike sponsorship and have supported me ever since then. Stephen Taylor at Ridingway bike store; he takes my photos for ads and got me my first front cover of a magazine. Fitbikeco; they give me a great bike and great support. Mostly my mom & dad and my sister, who always support me in what I do. They put all their money into supporting me and believe in me no matter what. Thanks!!

Check back this week for our feature on skate vert champion Jonathan Schwan. And if you missed them, here's the links to our stories on Brendon Villanueva (skate street champ) and Brandon Loupos (BMX park champ). Good luck to all 4 as they make their Dew Tour debut this week!

It's not like Brendon was exactly a secret before this summer, but there's no doubt he's elevated his profile. In July, he was invited to compete at the X Games' Hometown Heroes contest, an amateur comp that took place on their skateboard street course. Competing alongside a group of skaters that included Tyson Bowerbank, Brendon walked away with the silver medal.

A week before his X Games appearance, Brendon dropped by Skatelab for a Gatorade Free Flow qualifying event, won the whole thing, and earned a spot in the finals for the 3rd year in a row.

Brendon's win at Skatelab put him into finals

Despite the experience, Brendon didn't believe it gave him much of an edge when it came time to compete at finals. "I didn't really think of it that way," Brendon told us. "I just wanted to skate really well and stay on my board. I was just trying to stay focused and see what happened."

Brendon first offered us a glimpse into his potential in 2009, when he reached the podium in his first appearance at Gatorade Free Flow Finals, placing 3rd in the skate park division. After finishing 18th in finals the following summer, Brendon was back in Salt Lake City this year, and he showed everyone that he was back on his game.

"I was kind of nervous because there were a lot of good people [competing in finals], and I've already seen most of the kids there skate," Brendon recalled. "I've seen [some of them] if they were there a year ago, and I've seen footage of kids. So I was kind of nervous, but I just had to keep focused and then just practice the whole time."

Brendon at Gatorade Free Flow Finals in Salt Lake City

A list of pros that included Manny Santiago, Ke'chaud Johnson, and a couple previous Gatorade Free Flow Tour champions, Timmy Knuth and Chaz Ortiz, were in attendance for Brendon's coming-out party. Brendon dominated the opening round jam session of the contest. The judges rewarded his consistency and degree of difficulty with a score that was more than 4 points higher than any other rider in the contest, making him the top qualifier headed into Round 2.

With the scores wiped clean, Brendon continued to impress, laying down the best solo run of the 6 superfinalists, followed by another brilliant jam session.

"I've always wanted to win one of these and skate against the pros, so I was pretty hyped," Brendon said.

It was Brendon's uncle who taught him how to skate when he was just 3 years old. "He kept me into it and kept me skating," Brendon recalled. "All his friends used to skate around my grandparents' house, so I'd go hang out with them and skate."

Since that time, Brendon has grown up with a local skate scene that has enabled him to make skateboarding his life.

Among the local parks Brendon enjoys riding are Stoner Skatepark in Los Angeles and his hometown skatepark in Poway. He also enjoys a good street sesh though, particularly through downtown areas in San Diego and Los Angeles.

Since his Gatorade Free Flow Tour win, Brendon's been back home in California practicing and getting his tricks dialed. Next up for him is the Dew Tour contest in Las Vegas, into which he's earned a wild card invite to compete against the pros as a result of his Gatorade Free Flow Tour championship. This is a discipline in which the Gatorade Free Flow Tour has turned out some very successful competitors. Timmy Knuth (2008 winner) is consistently qualifying for Dew Tour finals, Alec Majerus (2010 winner) put on a show in Vegas last year at his Dew Tour debut, and you already know the deal with Chaz (2007 winner) - he collected 2 Dew Cups in a 3-year span.

Brendon gets some well-deserved props from a fellow champion after his win

Brendon's hoping to make finals, but the main thing for him is to give it the best he's got. "I just want to skate good, and skate how I did at Salt Lake," he said.

Living in SoCal has allowed Brendon to skate with some of the pros that live there, including Dew Tour riders Jordan Hoffart and Theotis Beasley. Now he'll be competing against them. "That's gonna be tight skating with Jordan," Brendon said of his friend.

Check out excerpts from our interview with Brendon below.

Gatorade Free Flow Tour: Living in SoCal, have you been able to ride with any of the pros that live there?
Brendon Villanueva: Yeah, I skate with a few, like Jordan Hoffart. I know him, so I try and go skating with him sometimes. And I've skated with Theotis [Beasley] a few times in L.A.

GFFT: What are your favorite parks or spots to skate?
BV: Probably one of my favorite parks is Stoner Skatepark in L.A. And then Poway Skatepark; that's my local skatepark. And then I just like to go street skating in downtown San Diego and downtown L.A.

GFFT: What did you think about your odds of winning headed into Gatorade Free Flow Finals?
BV: I was kind of nervous because there were a lot of good people, and I've already seen most of the kids there skate. I've seen [some of them] if they were there a year ago, and I've seen footage of kids. So I was kind of nervous, but I just had to keep focused and then just practice the whole time.

GFFT: Having been to finals the past 2 years, and even making the podium once, did you feel like that gave you an advantage?
BV: I didn't really think of it that way. I just wanted to skate really well and stay on my board. I don't know, I was just trying to stay focused and see what happened.

GFFT: After competing on the old Dew Tour courses the last 2 years, did you like the new concrete course design?
BV: Yeah, I definitely liked it way better because on concrete, you get a more crisp pop, so it's way better for skating.

GFFT: We haven't seen the course design for Las Vegas yet, but are there any features you'd like to see included?
BV: I just hope it's similar to the Salt Lake course because that was a super-good course, and I like to skate rails a lot, so hopefully there's some good rails.

GFFT: Did you do anything special to prepare for the Gatorade Free Flow Finals?
BV: Nothing serious, just skated. Practiced at some of my home parks just to get some tricks down.

GFFT: How did it feel to finally win the finals this year?
BV: It felt super-good. I was proud. I've always wanted to win one of these and skate against the pros, so I was pretty hyped.

GFFT: How has the whole experience been over the last few weeks, since the win?
BV: It's been pretty good. I've just been hanging out and skating a bunch around my town. I told my friends, and they're super-hyped for me to go out there and skate against the pros.

GFFT: Heading into Vegas, do you have any goals or expectations you've set for the contest?
BV: I just want to skate good and skate how I did at Salt Lake, and maybe go to the finals if it's possible.

GFFT: Are there any particualr pros you're looking forward to riding with for this first time?
BV: Probably P-Rod. And that's gonna be tight skating with Jordan Hoffart. He's a homie, and I'll be able to skate against him in contests. That'll be sick to just skate with him.

GFFT: What are your plans for next year? I assume you'd like to enter Dew Tour qualifiers?
BV: Yeah, I'm gonna try and enter some of those contests and just try and skate well.

GFFT: Anything else in the works for after Vegas is over with?
BV: I don't even know. I'm flying from Vegas to another contest finals after that. It's in Texas for the Volcom Wild in the Parks contest.

GFFT: Are there any sponsors you'd like to give a shout-out to?
BV: Powell-Peralta, Neff Headwear, Bones, K5 Boardshop.

Brendon will be in Vegas next weekend competing at the Dew Tour, and we wish him the best of luck! Check back over the next week, as we have features coming up on Luke Parker and Jonathan Schwan. And if you missed last week's story on BMX park champion Brandon Loupos, be sure to check that out.

Brandon (2nd from right) helps sit in for the judges during a recent trip to the X-Factor Australia studio

***

Influenced by his cousin, Brandon first started riding BMX in Australia at age 10. "Justin got me into riding bikes because he raced motocross, and rode BMX when he wasn’t on the track," he recounted.

Two years later, Brandon would start entering a few local contests for fun. From there, he placed 2nd in vert at the BMX Games in 2007 and continued his progression.

By his own account, it was only about 2 years ago that Brandon started taking his riding seriously. And it's a good thing he did. After winning a mini-ramp contest at the Monster Skatepark Birthday Bash in 2010, Brandon reeled off several wins in regional contests in Australia. It all set the stage for what was to come in 2011.

Brandon competes at Mission Valley

Earlier this summer, Brandon traveled with a group of Aussies to America. Training at Woodward throughout their stay, they had their eyes set on the Gatorade Free Flow Tour. In late July, he and his crew first competed at the Skatepark of Tampa. Brandon found himself in 6th place at the end of the first round, which means he just missed the cut for the final 5-man round. Undeterred, he travelled cross-country with the rest of the group to hit the Mission Valley contest in California the following weekend, which also happened to be the final chance to qualify for BMX park finals.

You already know what happened next. Brandon found his way into finals with a strong performance and got to stick around the States a bit longer, much to his delight.

Competing against a strong field of ams at the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals in Portland, Brandon re-took the lead for good from fellow Australian Logan Martin on his 2nd and final run. Without a doubt, one of the signature tricks in his run was the triple tailwhip.

"Seeing Victor [Salazar] land his triple whip air definitely got me pumped," Brandon noted. "I knew I was going for it ever since our practice session. I was just double tailwhipping it to get the feel for it, and each time I jumped that big box, I got more confident on trying it. When it came around to throw it, I was more than ready to go for it in my run. I was stoked to land it, man!"

***

It's been more than just TV show cameos for Brandon since Portland, of course. He's also been training hard for his next challenge - competing against the pros at the upcoming Dew Tour stop in Las Vegas. "I am feeling much more confident on my bike, and I just keep pushing myself to get better and go bigger," he said.

As if a wild card invite wasn't exciting enough, Brandon will have the opportunity to ride and compete on a course that Dave Mirra, an idol of his since he was a kid, is helping design. "Vegas is going to be awesome!" he told us. "I'm going to do my best out there and just enjoy the Dew Tour experience. I can't wait, it's going to be so much fun!"

This is only just the beginning for Brandon. He plans to return to the U.S. in 2012 to compete full-time in next summer's Dew Tour. Until then, he'll be back in Australia - which is perfect, considering that summer is about to start there right as it ends here - doing plenty of demos and contests, and pushing himself further.

"It has always been my dream to be a pro," Brandon added, "and I'm so happy on what I have achieved so far to get here!"

Check out our interview with Brandon below!

Gatorade Free Flow Tour: What have you been up to since competing in Portland?
Brandon Loupos: I came back to Australia to celebrate the GFFT win in Portland with my friends and family. I was back on my bike pretty soon after arriving, and I have been training for the Vegas Dew Tour.

GFFT: Has anything changed for you since winning?
BL: Its been pretty crazy... I have been doing a bunch of TV stuff and demos. I was even asked to go on ‘X-Factor’ here in Australia. It's been fun. I am feeling much more confident on my bike, and I just keep pushing myself to get better and go bigger.

GFFT: Back in Portland, you mentioned that one of your goals was to pull a triplewhip on the box jump... At what point in the contest did you decide to go for it?
BL: I knew I was going for it ever since our practice session. I was just double tailwhipping it to get the feel for it, and each time I jumped that big box, I got more confident on trying it. When it came around to throw it, I was more than ready to go for it in my run. I was stoked to land it man!

GFFT: Did seeing Victor [Salazar] land one right before your run give you any extra confidence or motivation?
BL: Seeing Victor land his triple whip air definitely got me pumped. He is a great rider and it was cool to see him do so well. It was really motivating hanging out and riding alongside the best BMX riders in the world! It made me focus and want to put out my best run.

GFFT: Do you still keep in touch with any of the other finalists from Portland?
BL: It was definitely a great opportunity to ride with all the Gatorade Free Flow Tour finalists in Portland, It was a great vibe while the contest was going on and everyone did awesome, and it was great to make new friends. We all try to stay in contact with each other as often as possible.

GFFT: Making it this far is obviously a huge accomplishment, so congratulations on that. With your Dew Tour debut now on the horizon, what are your goals or expectations for next month's contest?
BL: Thank you every much! Gatorade and Alli have been amazing and I am so happy for this opportunity. Vegas is going to be awesome! I’m going to do my best out there and just enjoy the Dew Tour experience. I can’t wait, it's going to be so much fun!

GFFT: What went into your decision to compete in the contest as a pro?
BL: It was an easy decision... It has always been my dream to be a pro, and Im so happy on what I have achieved so far to get here!

GFFT: Dave Mirra is helping design the course in Las Vegas. The final design hasn't been released yet, but what elements would you love to see included?
BL: Dave Mirra has been my idol since I was a little kid, and I am sure he will create a unique course that’s fun to ride! Can’t wait to see it...

GFFT: What are your plans for 2012?
BL: After Vegas I will be heading back home for the Australian summer! There are a heap of comps and demos and it will be great preparation for the North American season. I plan to come back to the U.S. and compete in the Dew Tour in 2012. Wish me luck!

GFFT: Any sponsors you'd like to give a shout-out to?
BL: I would like to thank Aussie Freestyers Clothing, Monster Skatepark, X-rated Helmets, Urban Kreation, Above All BMX and I would also like to thank Woodward for their support while I am in the US.

Brandon's Dew Tour debut will be during the Las Vegas stop, which takes place October 13-16. Check back here to find out how he did. Until then, stay tuned for more features on all of this year's Gatorade Free Flow Tour champions!

For those that aren't in the know, the Park Revolution contest debuted in 2010, providing each park that hosted the Gatorade Free Flow Tour an opportunity win a cool $10K. The concept was simple: promote the tour, promote yourself. The campaign challenged parks to do this through a judged competition. First, they had to come up with ways to spread the word about their Gatorade Free Flow Tour contest and get as many people there as possible. On that front, the judges looked at how the parks got creative in their marketing through tactics such as youtube videos, lock-ins, and pre-contest parties. In addition, Gatorade Free Flow fans across the country were polled on which park they wanted to see take home the top prize. With voting open for nearly four months, and thousands of kids voting for their local spot, each park had to get innovative and figure out how to move up the leaderboard.

This year, the Gatorade Free Flow Tour upped the ante by putting up a total prize purse of $17,500, and the parks responded by stepping their game up. And it wasn't just Skatelab that impressed the judges. Several other parks turned in real strong bids, and the Gatorade Free Flow Tour is glad to be able to present cash prizes to the 2nd and 3rd place finishers, 4 Seasons Skatepark ($5,000) and Epic Skatepark ($2,500).

Skatelab picks up $10,000 to use towards the park

Despite going up against some heavy competition, the judges seemed to be in agreement that Skatelab deserved the top spot. "I'm just stoked that we won," remarked Skatelab's owner, Todd Huber. "It feels good that the Gatorade Free Flow Tour recognized the hard work we put into it."

His reaction to finding out that his park was about to receive a hefty cash prize?

"I just threw my hands in the air because it was so good. It felt like someone saying 'job well done.'"

"Each of the parks were incredible contenders," Gatorade’s Carla Hess said, "So picking a single winner was a true challenge. Skatelab, however, took it to another level. From using kid-filled vans to visit skateparks to hand out free Gatorade to visiting key shops up and down the coast line, Skatelab went above and beyond in their efforts. We’re thrilled to award Skatelab the win."

Skatelab decided to make the fan voting component a heavy focus right from the start, and as a result, they led the voting all year long and finished the summer with nearly twice as many other votes as any other park. "This year, from the very first minute you could vote, we decided we're gonna come out swinging, and that's what we did the whole time," Todd said.

So just how did Skatelab succesfully rack up so many votes? Todd let us in on a few of the techniques that helped lead his park to victory. Having participated in the Park Revolution contest in 2010, Skatelab realized how crucial the voting aspect was and picked up a few ideas from other parks. Among the adjustments they made this year was having a computer onsite at the park and encouraging everyone that showed up to vote while they were there. They also had the backing of several big-time pros who skate the park, including Paul Rodriguez, Mike Mo Capaldi, and Torey Pudwill. (Mike Mo was also one of the judges for Skatelab's Gatorade Free Flow Tour stop, along with Mike Franklin and David Loy.)

Skatelab

The Park Rev judges also took note of a unique promotion that Skatelab ran every week, Gatorade Free Flow Fridays. From noon til midnight every Friday for 17 straight weeks, the park supplied free Gatorade to everyone who skated the park. It not only helped them get the word out about the Gatorade Free Flow Tour, it was a huge draw for kids skating the park.

None of this could have happened without the support and excitement from the park's regular skaters, as Todd noted. "The local kids are so enthusiastic. They'll go anywhere all day to help promote an event. We packed up our van at least 5 times, and we went to all the skateparks multiple times with flyers. We took those 6-gallon Gatorade jugs, and when we opened up the back of the truck with free Gatorade, the whole park would come over.

"I want to thank all the kids that gave their time and energy. I just think that shows they love us, and they'll do anything for us if they're gonna spend a Saturday afternoon promoting an event for us, which was really cool. So I gotta thank the kids, and I gotta thank their parents."

Judging this contest was no easy task, so the Gatorade Free Flow Tour enlisted the aid of several members of the industry to review each park's efforts. The panel included Carla Hess (Gatorade Sports Marketing Manager), Seamus Deegan (Brand Director at CCS), Chris Ortiz (Managing Photo Editor at Alli Sports), and Chris Miller (Creative Director at Alli Sports, not to mention one of the greatest bowl skaters ever).

"Skatelab did such an amazing job with the Park Rev competition and hosting the Gatorade Free Flow tour in general," Chris Miller explained when asked about his vote. "The marketing and promotion of the event was really well done, hitting on all fronts with videos, social media, local promotion, and guest pro judging. Most importantly, the kids were treated to a great day of competition and fun!"

And here's an interesting fact for you. The Park Rev victory actually continues a mini-winning streak that started less than 2 weeks ago for the Simi Valley, California park. The Gatorade Free Flow Tour's newly-crowned skate street champion Brendon Villanueva earned his spot in finals after winning at Skatelab earlier this summer. Brendon skates the park about 3 or 4 times a year, so the Skatelab crew is familiar with him, and they have high expectations for him. With Brendon about to compete against the Dew Tour pros in Vegas, Todd sees "no reason why he can't win" and swears "he's as good as anyone else."

After winning at Skatelab, Brendon Villanueva then kept on rolling to a championship

Like we said, this was no easy competition. 4 Seasons and Epic Skatepark were among the other parks that left an impression with the voters.

4 Seasons was pumping out youtube videos all year long to promote voting, and like Skatelab, they had a rather well-known endorser lend his support. "We have our filmer Alec Poulos who helped us a lot," explained park owner Neal Levin. "I was motivating him to film as much as we could to get these videos out all the time. Then [credit] goes to all the team riders we had. And Chaz [Ortiz] helped us a great deal. He's shown us a lot of support over the years, but with Warp gone now, he's kind of made our home his new home in a way."

Chaz Ortiz lends a hand to 4 Seasons

Although Epic Skatepark had less time than most other parks to promote their event, they made the most of it, even bringing in a roster of pro judges that included Nyjah Huston. "We felt we did a really good job in the short time we had," park owner Jan Killingsworth commented. "We had a lot of videos online, and then we continued to promote the Gatorade voting throughout the whole summer in lots of ways. And I thought the contest went really well. We had 69 people competing, which is a good number for a contest in May. We're really happy we had 3 pros doing our judging, and the kid that won it was really excited."

Epic Skatepark gets creative with this video

This is no small cash prize we're talking about here. It's not easy to run a private skatepark, and these funds will help the 3 winning parks make some awesome improvements. Having just found out they won, each park understandably still has some decisions to make about exactly how to spend it. But of course, they have a few ideas already...

Skatelab: "The Blue Room of our skatepark hasn't ever changed. It's been there since 2002. So we want to do something to modify that room and change it. We're gonna do something, we just don't know what. The first thing we're gonna do is a fresh coat of paint though."

4 Seasons: "We're gonna start re-doing the inside of the park. This time every year, before winter, we start to do a little re-modeling and update the park a bit. But with the loss of our outdoor park this summer, that really hurt us. So we're hoping to do something on a more major scale. This will be a great help in getting to change the park up even more on the inside."

Epic: "We have a lot of ideas. One is to bring in some healthy food and get a commercial license for food. Another is to get some video cameras up in the park so that the kids can watch the skating in other areas, and the parents can watch the kids. And then the other thing we're talking about is changing some of the ramps out."

There were a few other parks that also took it to another level this year, and we'd be remiss not to give them credit where it's due. Honorable mention goes out to Da Compound and Charm City, both of whom were close contenders in the judges' eyes.

Da Compound

Da Compound staff has some of the hardest and most dedicated workers in the business. They hosted a pre-contest on the park and dirt courses before the Gatorade Free Flow Tour came to town, just to give the riders a chance to practice before the real contest. They also went around to local parks, bike shops and high schools to promote the event, resulting in a nice turnout for the event. Their diligent effort is certainly commended!

Charm City was another park that impressed judges

Congrats to all of the winning parks, and thank you to everyone for a great season!

The final chapter of the 2011 Gatorade Free Flow Tour ended on the Dew Tour vert ramp Sunday in fine style. Jonathan Schwan pulled out a run to take the 2011 vert championship. Guess it should come as no surprise since Jonathan has 720s on lockdown and finished 2nd in last year's championships to Mitchie Brusco.

It was not exactly a cakewalk for the winner though, as all 8 finalists skated with a high degree of talent. It's great, actually, what level these kids, all under 18, are taking vertical skateboarding to. Heck, even 9-year-old Braden Stelma has 540s in his arsenal of tricks. Imagine him going back to his fourth-grade class and what he can have to say for show and tell Monday Morning? Braden can say "I was on national TV, carried around on Andrew Cannon's shoulders in the EnergySolutions Arena, made lots of new friends, oh and skated the same ramp as Shaun White, Bucky and PLG." No big deal... right. From first to last place, all the kids skated really well, especially considering 5 years ago you would be hard-pressed to find anyone under 35 skating vert.

This year's crop of finalists was as impressive as ever

Third place finisher Jimmy Wilkins took his skating right out of the 80's, which is to say he skated with speed, power and style. Jimmy's indy airs were so styled out, it was as if Chris Miller himself took to the ramp, and Jimmy's frontside smith grinds practically covered half the width of the ramp.

Second place finisher Clay Kreiner was the 2009 Gatorade Free Flow Tour champion and rocked back to back 5's, a kickflip indy, a 720 and other tricks, all done at speed and a high level of amplitude. You know that the competition is tough the 2nd place guy does 720's. Only a handful of pros have 720s on lock.

Before going on to what the winner did, it needs to be mentioned that Zac Rose from Maine was crushing it. Zac had so many spins down it looked like watching PLG, even doing kickflip body varial 540s. Zac slammed in practice and was okay, but was taken out of the event for safety reasons.

Jonathan will bring his impressive bag of tricks to next month's Dew Tour stop

Event winner Jonathan Schwan has only been doing 720s for about a year and a half and already can do 2 in one tun. His winning run went like this: roll in fakie, 720, backside air, and a method. With that run, Jonathan gets a trip to the Dew Tour stop in Las Vegas. About winning the Gatorade Free Flow Tour finals and getting a chance to compete with the pros in Las Vegas, Jonathan said "I don't even know what to say, I'm crazy-excited! I can't wait to get out there and do my best."

So there you go pro skaters, you have new blood coming your way. Viva Las Vegas!

Skate Vert Results
1. Jono Schwan, 91.00
2. Clay Kreiner, 88.75
3. Jimmy Wilkins, 81.75
4. Beaver Fleming, 74.25
5. Austin Gordon, 72.75
6. Braden Stelma, 67.25
7. Max Jenson, 66.50
8. Zac Rose (DNS)

Jono Schwan

Clay Kreiner

Jimmy Wilkins

Beaver Fleming

Austin Gordon

Braden Stelma

Max Jenson

Zac Rose, Kickflip Body Varial 540

Braden Stelma and Mitchie Brusco

Brendon qualified at the Skatelab in Simi Valley and came to Salt Lake to compete in his third Free Flow Finals. He nailed it this time, taking the win and getting a chance to compete with the big guns at the Las Vegas stop of the Dew Tour next month. Going from Flow to Pro is the phrase you hear a lot around the Free Flow Tour, and those words are not just marketing baloney, friends. Former Free Flow winners Chaz Ortiz and Timmy Knuth were not only watching, but Chaz was skating with the Free Flow kids in practice as well. Other top pros like Manny Santiago, Pete Eldridge, Kechaud Johnson and more came out to watch the kids rip.

Did we say rip? Yes, indeed this was no crummy middle school talent show joke, all the kids came prepared to do some business! The Free Flow Tour finalists skated amazingly consistent, all while maintaining a high degree of trick difficulty level through the whole course. Even though these were amateurs, the big stair set did not get lonesome and was attacked both via rail and air volleys. Also impressive were the amount of combo tricks the contestants did; tricks like kickflip to board slides and harder did indeed go down on a regular basis through out the event.

Brendon Villanueva

To get here to the finals in Salt Lake, each participant won one of any of the 15 events held around the country, aside from Tyler Thomas who earned a wild card. Each of the winners got all their travel paid for to come to Salt Lake for themselves and their parents. Once here the 16 were broken down into 4 groups of 4 who skated in 8-minute jam sessions. The 16 was narrowed down to 6 super-finalists who in turn got 1 one-minute run and then competed in a 10 minute jam. So no big deal really, just beat out the best in your town, head to the finals and beat everyone to get in the super-finals, then beat everyone again... Yeah right, not so easy. Oh and did we say that everyone was really excited to skate on the same new fancy cement street course the pros get to skate on? Yep it's true, they did skate the pro street course that's been getting good reviews. So to sum it up, impressive performances, good times, and great skating... already looking forward to next year.

Superfinal Results

1. Brendon Villanueva, 88.15
2. Tyson Bowerbank, 85.00
3. Miles Canevello, 74.45
4. Tyler Thomas, 74.05
5. Fletcher Renegar, 67.00
6. Justin Drysen, 62.30

Round 1 Results

1. Brendon Villanueva, 85.75
2. Fletcher Renegar, 81.25
3. Tyler Thomas, 80.75
4. Tyson Bowerbank, 80.25
5. Miles Canevello, 79.00
6. Justin Drysen, 77.00
7. London Davis, 75.75
8. Gage Smith, 74.00
9. Myles Willard, 72.25
10. Ben Sauer, 71.50
11. Devin Abreu, 71.25
12. Zachary Kovacs, 71.25
13. Kevin Liedtke, 70.25
14. Connor Ose, 69.00
15. Chris Coffman, 67.00
16. Andre Colbert, 64.00

If it's intimidating to skate a pro course in front of lots of people, no one showed it

Brendon Villanueva

Tyson Bowerbank

Miles Canevello

Tyler Thomas

Fletcher Renegar

Justin Drysen

Miles Canevello and Andre Colbert have grown up skating together, and they're both veterans of our tour. They both started competing on the Gatorade Free Flow Tour in 2006, where they lost a qualifying contest at Krush Skatepark to an up-and-coming Chaz Ortiz.

Since that time, Miles has been competing every year, finally making it to the finals in 2009 after his win at Warp Skatepark. With a victory at 4 Seasons, he made it back to the Salt Lake City the following year, and was able to finish 6th overall. It was a dramatic improvement from his first go-around when he finished 18th. One year later, he's made it back. After finishing 2nd at Warp and getting injured at 4 Seasons, he was forced to travel to Houston to compete at Southside Skatepark, the stop he won.

Miles at Warp Skatepark earlier this year, where he finished 2nd

Meanwhile, Andre's been on the verge of becoming a finalist for several years. He finished as the runner-up at 4 Seasons each of the last two years, getting beaten out only by his friend Miles in 2010. He couldn't be denied this season though, which means that at 20, Andre enters finals as the oldest competitor in the field.

We caught up with the pair of friends for an interview after they finished up with practice. Check it out below.

Andre Colbert at 4 Seasons

Gatorade Free Flow Tour: What have you been doing to prepare for this weekend's finals?

Andre Colbert: At first there wasn't too much preparing. I was just Trying to skate when I could. Working 40 hrs a week full time job. So 2 weeks before the contest, I quit my job  and started skating every day.

GFFT: Before the 4 Seasons contest, or this one?

AC: For this one. So during this season's contest, I wasn't really skating at all I got lucky

Miles Canevello: I've been at college in Arizona. It's super hot, so I haven't been doing to o much skating. Been trying to keep my feet warm on the board but this first time I've really skated in a while. Before I left I was getting my tricks and stuff

GFFT: Now that you've had some time to practice on it, what do you think of the Dew Tour's new concrete street course?

AC: It's amazing.

MC: I like that it's concrete. The concrete is sick.

AC: I really love the concrete. It's just a lot different than your typical skatepark. It's actually like you went to 10 different spots in one place. The centerpiece is awesome... the hubba...

MC: Only thing that's a bummer is that we don't get to skate it whenever we want. It's so fun, and there's so much that could be done. It's just jammed in a 2 hour practice and a contest.

GFFT: Miles, you've been here each of the past 2 years. Is the new concrete course an improvement over past years?

MC: Definitely improved. This park seems more well rounded. They got ledges, they got rails, they got a manual pad in the middle, which is sick because it fits everyone's style. It's not just made for one dude to win it. They got that tranny banked wall thingy which is pretty sweet. And it's a lot smoother.

Miles at last year's Gatorade Free Flow finals

GFFT: Is this course more conducive to your style than the previous ones?

MC: Not really my style, no. I like skating transitional stuff and kind of bigger stuff. But as compared to last year, yeah this is definitely more my style. I'm really anxious to skate the contest tomorrow.

GFFT: Who are your favorite pro skaters?

MC: Dennis Busenitz for sure.

AC: I'd have to say Louie Barletta. Everybody has their typical pro skater they like because he jumps on this or that, but I like Barletta because he's always got a smile on his face. Always goofing around, but so good.

MC: He's a natural skater. He could do the dumbest trick but make it look like the most fun and make you want to learn it. I agree. Good call. I like Busenitz though. Busenitz goes hard.

GFFT: Do you ever ride with any pros?

AC: It's been a little while...

MC: Chaz is always in the area...

AC: Yep. I forgot that Chaz went pro actually. That's funny. We know Chaz, so it's funny to think about. Rode for Philly on am so I rode with Pat Washington, Lavar McBride... Dax Miller should be pro...

MC: Now that I'm out in Arizona, I skate with Andrew Cannon here and then. He's out there, which is sweet. He's awesome, always a fun time.

AC: I skated with Greg [Lutzka] when I was little. I wouldn't call it really skating "with" him, but we were at the same park. I grew up at the same park with him.

Andre Colbert, 4 Seasons

GFFT: Is there anyone you model your style after?

MC: I'd say that a lot of my style back in the day was inspired by David Gravette.

AC: I could definitely see that.

MC: Now I'm just trying to do my own thing.

AC: don't know if I really modeled it after anyone. Do I skate like any other pro?

MC: Trying to think who does 270 flips..,

AC: Greg...

MC: There you go. Greg Lutzka!

AC: Haha, a colored version of Greg Lutzka... MIL-TOWN!

GFFT: Do you have any pre-contest rituals or supersititions you'll have to do before tomorrow's contest?

AC: I try to stay away from rituals because I feel like it psyches you out...

MC: OCD...

AC: Yeah it's like OCD... I have funny rituals actually. I like to [use the bathroom] before the contest, gotta get a good shower, then right before I go on the course, I kneel and pray.

MC: I guess it's not really a ritual but lately I've tried to eat healthier stuff before a contest. I'll probably eat a banana.

GFFT: With the contest coming up soon, how are you feeling about it?

AC: I feel good. I had a lot of fun in practice. The course is cool.

MC: Right now, I feel good, but I can't predict how I'll feel tomorrow. I'm definitely hyped up. By tomorrow I'll probably be more hyped.

AC: I already know you're gonna be hyped.

GFFT: Are you worried about nerves at all then?

MC: Not really. Actually today looking at the course I was thinking I just gotta chill out, relax, get a couple tricks down and just don't go hard. And tomorrow I'm gonna let those butterflies out hopefully and skate as hard as I can.

AC: Yesterday when we were watching the pros skate, I was kinda getting nervous because from up there, the course looked gnarly.

MC: Oh yeah.

AC: Everything looked huge. But when were actually skating it, I was like no, it's not bad. It's perfect.

MC: Yeah, it's so weird, going from watching it on TV to being there. It's a whole different perspective of everything that goes on. It's crazy.

GFFT: How has your whole Gatorade Free Flow experience been so far?

AC: It's heaven. I like it a lot. Even just skating around the city, pushing around and soaking it all in. It's amazing. Plus what I really like is that's it's Dew Tour. We're hear for Gatorade, but it's still part of the Dew Tour. We're upstairs with everybody.

MC: Yeah, I just ate dinner with Bob Burnquist

AC: Yeah! Right?

MC: Where else is that gonna happen?

AC: Andrew Pott... Bucky Lasek... Even Jake Brown was up there.

MC: And doing interviews feels cool. I've never really done interviews before. And free Gatorade all weekend, for sure.

Miles at Southside earlier this year, the stop he won

GFFT: Have you been able to meet any of the pros?

AC: Theotis [Beasley]. It was a pleasure to meet Theotis.

MC: Theotis is pro, I keep forgetting that. He just went pro... When I was trying to get my mom her guest pass yesterday, we checked in behind Ryan Nyquist, which isn't skateboarding, but it was still cool.

AC: I bumped into TJ Lavin. I asked him where the food was.

MC: I was ordering smoothies, and PLG was in front of me. That's pretty sick. You're always with pros, especially this year since the pro lounge is combined with the am lounge, which is pretty cool because last year was just ams.

GFFT: You rode with some of the pro skaters out on the course today, right?

MC: Danilo do Rosario. I've actually met him before in Atlanta at an amaateur contest about 4 years ago. And I've been seeing him periodically once a year here and there. And running in to him today just got me super pumped up to try a front blunt down the hubba. I'd never thought of even trying it. He was like, "Dude you just gotta go for it. You can do it!" And 2nd try, I did it.

AC: Actually I did take in something from skating with the pros. I realized that the better people are at skateboarding, the more humble they are, the more relaxed they are.

GFFT: What happens next, win or lose?

AC: Either way, I'm crying.

MC: Yes, I was just gonna say cry.

AC: That's all I've got on my schedule.

MC: Just go back to living life and hope for next year [if I don't win] and skate other contests.

GFFT: Obviously everyone has the goal of winning, but aside from that, what  are your personal goals for this weekend?

MC: To skate my best.

AC: Yeah.

MC: Just land tricks. And hopefully do flip tricks for me.

AC: I just wanna land my tricks, that's all I want. Win, go to Vegas. Lose, go back to a weak job. So definitely trying to win!

MC: And just have a good time of course.

AC: Oh yeah, definitely.

GFFT: Any particular food you're gonna be eating beforehand?

AC: Definitely. I've been trying to eat better. I bumped into Chaz and he was just telling me "make sure you eat good, make sure you stay hydrated." He told me to eat pasta, so I'm going on a pasta hunt tonight.

GFFT: I bet you've been drinking a lot of Gatorade?

AC: I won that video contest last year [on the Gatorade Free Flow Tour facebook page], so I've been living off that stuff. And then we won the qualifying contests, so that's even more Gatorade. Every time I skate, I drink at least 4. I've really been living off of Gatorade. I like the orange or the blue.

MC: Light blue or the dark blue? Or medium blue?

AC: Either. Dude, honestly I color-coordinate them because I went to art school and learned that orange makes you passionate, and yellow makes you hungry, and stuff like that. I learned what colors actually do. So I'm all posessed by colors now. If I need some energy, I'll drink an orange one. If I want to relax and skate, I'll drink a blue because blue makes you calm.

MC: If Andre's bringing some girls over to his place, he goes "you see this orange Gatorade?"

AC: Haha, no that's red, baby! Red makes you extremely passionate, so I'd definitely be whipping the red ones out. And some green M&M's.

MC: I really like the melon one. They're all good to be honest. I like the G2's though.

Miles Canevellow, 2010 finals

GFFT: When did you enter your first qualifying contests for the Gatorade Free Flow Tour?

MC: the year that Chaz won it. Chaz took first at Krush.

AC: I was in that one too. What year was that?

MC: That year Chaz went to the finals, and the year after, he went back and won the finals. So the year before Chaz blew up. So probably about 5 years ago.

AC: That was my first one. Dude, I've known you for a long time.

MC: Yeah, we've been skating for years.

AC: I didn't enter it every year after that.

MC: I did.

GFFT: Andre, you were the runner-up at 4 Seasons the last 2 years. What was it like to finally get a win>

AC: It was amazing. Remeber that crying stuff... I'm just kidding, I didn't cry. I did a backflip though.

MC: Shoulda been doubles, dude. Then you'd have been really excited.

After we got off on a bit of a detour, Andre and Miles described an "incident" during a contest...

AC: I took him out the last time on accident. That's why he's out to get me. It was right when we started finals.

MC: Yeah

AC: I tried a front 180 over a handrail or something, and he did some gap to 5-0, and right when we both landed, boom. And I just happened to be crouched from landing... Did you break your rib?

MC: I was standing up straight, so when he was crouching, it was just like shoulders right to my ribcage. I was good though.

AC: I stopped skating the heat for like a full minute, making sure you were good. I didn't land any tricks after that either. That was like payback from you. You got back at me, until we went to the next section.

MC: Yeah, and then you killed it there, right? I tried to skate hurt, which was the dumbest decision of my life.

AC: Couldn't breathe or what?

MC: I think my legs started cramping up because I was injured. My body was like, don't do any exercise right now, so my legs cramped up like 5 times within a minute. And then one of those times it cramped right as i was popping onto that ledge.

AC: Ahh, I just got a cramp! [Editor's note: this really happened.]

MC: I tried to hit that, and I just ate it so hard.

GFFT: Let's wrap up with this one. You've been riding together for awhile now... What's your favorite thing about each other's skating?

MC: Andre's a G. A straight-up G on a skateboard. He just shreds it.

AC: G for Gatorade right?

MC: G for Gatorade, for gangster, for great, for... gravity-less...

AC: That was a nice word make-up.

MC: for grand theft auto on some levels...

AC: I don't know how I'm gonna back that up!

MC: He's just got swagger up the ying-yang. So smooth. Front 360's like it's his job.

AC: With Miles, I just love how he charges. Everything's on point, everything's consistent, everything's effortless. He just makes it look easy. My favorite thing about Miles' skateboarding, I even told him earlier, I love his eye for skateboarding. People do stereotypical stuff, and that's why I love Louie Barletta. Because there's just those people that look at something and see something completely different than everyone else. Like the ramp to ramp... we're all doing flip tricks over it, Miles does a gap lip down it. You know what I mean? Everyone's looking to go down a handrail, he's gonna go up it. He always just has that different niche than everbody and that's what I  love about his skating, It's sick. You're a G too, bro.

MC: Thanks.

AC: I want to make up a word too... Skating with you is so gratifying. G for gratifying.

He's already a champion.

It was in 2009 that a 12-year-old kid from South Carolina exploded onto the scene, joining the ranks of Ben Hatchell and Paul-Luc Ronchetti as a Gatorade Free Flow vert champion. His win admittedly shocked a few people considering that Clay was the youngest competitor in the field.

It was just 2 years ago that Clay became the Gatorade Free Flow Tour's 3rd-ever skate vert champion

Clay's been skateboarding since his 7th birthday, when he received a skateboard as a present. Clay explained how a trip to the skatepark one day proved to be a fateful moment. "My brother played hockey, and we got roller blades so we could play hockey in our cul-de-sac. And then some people told us about a skatepark. So we took our roller blades there, and I saw the skateboarders and from then on, I was like I wanna skateboard. And I ended up getting one for my birthday."

It was about 2 years later when a new skatepark, now known as No Name Skatepark, opened up nearby that Clay started riding vert. It would be another two years before he started competing in vert contests.

This footage of Clay was taken when he was just 9 years old. Before he was dominating vert ramps, Clay was a park shredder.

2009 was the year Clay entered his first Gatorade Free Flow Tour contest. He showed up to Factory Skatepark in Newnan, GA and came away victorious, locking up a trip to the finals on his very first attempt. Light on expectations as he prepared to compete in the finals, Clay just decided to go out there and have fun. "The happier I am, the better I skate," he explained. "So I had a lot of fun out there, and I think that pushed how well I skated."

The result of his fun-fueled run? Clay beat out some major competition, including Dalton Dern and Sammy Schoonderwoerd. He even impressed his own mother, who was forced to let her son get his ears pierced after losing a bet with him on the outcome of the contest.

Clay blasting a frontside air during 2009's skateboard vert finals

Clay's journey continued onward to Orlando, where he had a wild card to compete in the Dew Tour's vert contest. It all started to sink in for Clay when he stood on the vert ramp deck for practice alongside all the pro skaters. "It was crazy at first. I didn't really wanna drop in or anything because I felt like they're so much different than me," he recalled. "So I wouldn't drop in, and I just watched them. But after awhile, it was almost like they were my friends. So they weren't really like pros anymore."

Although he didn't compete in any Gatorade Free Flow contests the following year, Clay stayed busy, entering plenty of other high-profile am contests, including Amateur X Games, Amateur Maloof Money Cup, and the Tampa Am, where he finished 4th overall.

This year, Clay made his return to the Gatorade Free Flow Tour, winning a qualifying contest at the Skatepark of Tampa. Now things have come full-circle, with Clay right back in Salt Lake City where it all began 2 years ago. As the only returning champion in the field, Clay's got a strong chance to make Gatorade Free Flow Tour history by becoming the first athlete to win multiple titles.

Clay was back in action on the tour this year, winning at the Skatepark of Tampa

While he knows what to expect this time around, he's sticking to his philosophy of just having fun out there. "I'd love to place," he said, "but other than that, I'm just trying to go make the best of it."

In talking with Clay, it's hard not to notice some striking similarities to Mitchie Brusco. Both of them are 14 years old and extremely well-spoken for their ages. They both convey a ton of excitement, and they clearly exhibit an uninhibited passion for skateboarding. And yes, of course, there's the main similarity, the fact that they are both extremely talented on the vert ramp. They each have a Gatorade Free Flow championship under the belt (Clay in '09, Mitchie the following year), and are looking to progress the sport.

Earlier this summer, Mitchie became the youngest rider to land a 900 on a megaramp. Could Clay be next? In his time at Woodward this summer, he discovered a passion for mini-mega and is already working on a 900 of his own. "I put wheels down on wood on mini-mega, and then slipped out," he recounted about his previous 900 attempts.

So does that mean there's a chance of seeing a 900 this weekend? You'll have to read on to find out!

Check out some excerpts of our interview with Clay below.

Gatorade Free Flow Tour: What pro skaters do you look up to?
Clay: Everyone, really. I dont't really have a specific skater [I look up to], because every guy is different. There's always those things that you like from every guy. I just like to pick and choose from what they do, like a few tricks that each one of the guys do. I just look up  to all of them really.

You met a couple of those guys in Orlando when you competed at the Dew Tour a few years ago, didn't you? How was that experience?
It was crazy at first. I didn't really wanna drop in or anything because I felt like they're so much different than me. Because I was still like a really little kid, and I hadn't skated with them ever before. So I was just like "Oh my gosh! Here are all these pros." So I wouldn't drop in, and I just watched them. But after awhile, it was almost like they were my friends. So they weren't really like pros anymore, they were just like guys I'd skate with. So I got a little more comfortable and started skating with them.

Clay's 2009 video blog will give you a bit more insight on his Dew Tour experience

Has that whole experience helped you along?
Yeah, I feel like it's pushed me, because I loved that experience, so it motivates me to want to go back. And so I'll just work harder to try to get to that point so I can skate with those guys all the time.

When you went to the finals the first time back in 2009, what were your expectations going in?
I don't know, I'd never really seen any videos of the other kids or anything. I only heard people talking about what these other kids can do. And truthfully, going into it, I was just like "I'm screwed, really. But I'm just gonna go out there and have as much fun as I can." So that's what I went into, and I think the fun helped me out a lot. The happier I am, the better I skate. So I had a lot of fun out there, and I think that pushed how well I skated.

How did you spend the time after you competed in Orlando [at the Dew Tour] up until the start of this season? What have you been up to?
I've just been skating a lot. Last summer I competed in the Amateur X Games and Amateur Maloof Money Cup, and did the Amateur Pro-Tec Pool Party. So I've been doing lots of contests and just skating as much as I can, really.

You did the Tama Am too, right?
Oh yes, I did the Tampa Am.

And you competed against a couple of the guys who are in the Gatorade Free Flow finals field this year, didn't you?
Yes, Zac Rose. Mitchie won it.

Clay (far left) with the rest of the top 3 from Skatepark of Tampa

What have you been up to since your win at Skatepark of Tampa? Have you been preparing for this contest, or has it been nothing out of the ordinary?
I've been skating a lot, practicing for the contest. But this summer I spent a lot of time out at Woodward in Pennsylvania, and they just got the new mini-mega. I spent a lot of time skating that, and that was definitely the big thing of my summer - skating mini-mega, learning a bunch of tricks on that.

Is that going to be the next thing you try out? Some mini-mega contests?
Oh yeah, definitely. I feel like if there's a mini-mega contest, I wanna hit that up! I love the mini-mega. It's so fun.

In 2009, you didn't really know that much about the guys you were competing against. Are you familiar with the guys you'll compete against this year?
Yeah, I've skated with most of the guys that I'm competing with this year through other contests and everything. Like Zac Rose, Jimmy Wilkins, Jono Schwan. All those guys, I've skated with them before.

What are your expectations coming into this year's finals?
I'm just trying to have fun, go out there, hang out with all my friends, and just try to do the best I can, do all my tricks. Everybody hopes to win, but if I don't win, I'm not gonna be bummed because it's just a super-fun contest, and I love going out there. I'd love to place, but other than that, I'm just trying to go make the best of it.

Do you feel less pressure than '09? Or more?
I don't really feel that there's much pressure. Contests never really pressure me. I get a little bit nervous, but then once I drop in, I'm fine. I have nothing to lose, so why not just go skate it?

Who from this field do you think really has a shot to do big things in the next year or two?
Definitely Zac Rose. Definitely. I mean, I feel like he's at the point that he could go out and make finals at Dew Tour. I feel like if he wins, he'll do good in Vegas, really. He's just got some really gnarly tricks and really sick lines and stuff like that.

Have you been doing any filming?
I've been filming at Woodward with the Woodward Films. We've been doing a film called "While They Sleep," which started out as what the pros do while the campers are sleeping. And then they asked me to do one this year, and of course I wasn't going to turn that down. So what we did was at night, we'd go film. It was like an artsy kind of film, it wasn't just skating. The main purpose of the film was me doing a 900 on the resi.

Did you pull it successfully on the resi?
I have landed it on resi. I've spun a few on mini-mega, but I haven't landed one on real wood. I put wheels down on wood on mini-mega, and then slipped out.

Any chance you could pull that trick out this weekend?
I feel like, just spin a few... And if it feels good, why not? Just try one.

Win or lose, what comes next for you after finals this weekend?
Whether I win or not, I'm still gonna be skating a lot because I'm definitely gonna go out to Dew Tour qualifiers next year. If I win, I'll probably just say yes to being pro in the World Cup's eyes. But if I don't win, I feel like I'll just go out to Dew Tour qualifiers next year and hopefully make that and just skate Dew Tour and all the pro contests I can.

Any sponsors you'd like to shout out?
Osiris Shoes, Index Ink Clothing, Woodward, 187 Pads, Zigboys Skateshop, Type-S Wheels, No Name Skatepark.

Skateboard vert finals are Sunday at 1pm MT. Check back on gatoradefreeflowtour.com right after for all the results, and find out how Clay did!

Skaters range in age from 13 (London Davis) to 20 (Andre Colbert). Geographically, all of our competitors come from the U.S., with 11 states represented. Not suprisingly, California has the most skaters in field (3: Brendon Villanueva, Zachary Kovacs, Justin Drysen). The Midwest will send 3 representatives (London Davis, Andre Colbert, Miles Canevello), while Georgia (Chris Coffman, Fletcher Renegar) and Baltimore (Myles Willard, Tyler Thomas) have 2 of their own.

Several of this year's finalists competed at more than one stop before earning their way into finals. Miles Canevello got in on his 4th attempt, while Tyler Thomas, the lone wild card in the field, earned an invite after 3 strong showings at Gatorade Free Flow contests this summer.

Nine of our 16 competitors are returning finalists. and 6 of those skaters have already been here 2 or more times before this year. If you're looking for a veteran edge, Tyson Bowerbank is making his 5th appearance, and Fletecher Renegar is making his 4th.

With all this talent, it's going to be hard picking a winner. Read up on each of the riders below, then check back this weekend to get the results. Skateboard park finals go down at 1pm MT this Sunday.

Name: Kevin Liedtke
Age: 16
Hometown: Douglasville, PA
How he got here: 1st place at Skaters Edge
Previous appearances: 2010 (23rd)

It was nearly 4 months ago that Kevin Liedtke became the first rider to qualify for finals. He's had more time than any other rider to mentally prepare himself for this weekend, plus the fact that he was here last year can't hurt either. Kevin's sponsors include Birdhouse, DC, and Silver, and he considers Chris Cole, Eric Koston and Guy Mariano to be riders who have inspired his skating.

Name: Zachary Zovacs
Age: 16
Hometown: Modesto, CA
How he got here: 1st place at Epic
Previous appearances: None
Twitter: @DUCKsauce94

The kid affectionately known as "Ducky" earned his way here after winning a contest at Epic. Among the judges Zach impressed that day was pro skater Nyjah Huston. He's also got this awesome movie-trailerish promo going on in anticipation of finals.

Name: Myles Willard
Age: 14
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
How he got here: 1st place at Charm City
Previous appearances: None

A little home-park advantage helped Myles beat out 68 other riders at Charm City to earn his spot in the finals. One of the youngest competitors on-hand, he'll be making his finals debut this weekend.

Name: Chris Coffman
Age: 16
Hometown: Rex, GA
How he got here: 1st place at Hazard County
Previous appearances: None

After finishing as the runner-up to Fletcher Renegar last year at Hazard County, Chris flipped the script on his fellow finalist in 2011. The win gives Chris his first trip to finals.

Name: London Davis
Age: 13
Hometown: Lake in the Hills, IL
How he got here: 1st place at Warp Skatepark
Previous appearances: 2009 (35th)

After missing the finals last summer, the youngest competitor in the field is back by virtue of his win at Warp Skatepark. Among the riders London finished ahead of was tour veteran Miles Canevello.

Name: Gage Smith
Age: 19
Hometown: Pickerington, OH
How he got here: 1st place at Flow Skatepark
Previous appearances: 2010 (DNS), 2009 (13th)

Although Gage qualified for finals last year, he didn't actually compete in Salt Lake City. Two years ago he finished 13th, just narrowly missing the cut-off for the 12-man final. With back-to-back victories at Flow under his belt, Gage has returned and will be the 2nd-older competitor in the field this time.

Name: Connor Ose
Age: 18
Hometown: Williston, VT
How he got here: 1st place at Rye Airfield
Previous appearances: 2009 (38th), 2008

Connor will be making his 3rd appearance in 4 years, a feat that only a couple other finalists can top. His streak was broken last year, as he managed just a 4th place finish at Rye Airfield. After coming out on top there in 2011 (as he did in 2009), this Vermont skater will now be representing New England.

Name: Andre Colbert
Age: 20
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
How he got here: 1st place at 4 Seasons
Previous appearances: None
Twitter: @AndreColbertSon

In his 4th year competing on the tour, Andre finally qualifies for finals. It's been a long time coming for the guy who finished as the runner-up each of the last 2 years at 4 Seasons Skatepark. Andre will be the oldest competitor in the skate park field this weekend.

Name: Miles Canevello
Age: 18
Hometown: McHenry, IL
How he got here: 1st place at Southside
Previous appearances: 2010 (6th), 2009 (18th)

Miles hasn't had to travel far from home to qualify for finals in past years, previously winning contests at nearby Warp Skatepark and 4 Seasons. This year's exploits took him all the way to Houston after he lost out to London Davis at Warp and then got injured at 4 Seasons. The Southside contest was the fourth Gatorade Free Flow Tour contest of the season that Miles competed in, but it was the one locked up his 3rd-straight finals appearance. The next leg of Miles' journey will take him to Salt Lake City this week.

Name: Devin Abreu
Age: 16
Hometown: Lake Mary, FL
How he got here: 1st place at Skatepark of Tampa
Previous appearances: None

In a field of 64 skaters, Devin emerged victorious at the Skatepark of Tampa. He's also had very strong showings in several other contests at SPoT over the last year, including a win at the School's Out Jam back in June. His sponsors include Blooze Skateboards and Midtown Skatepark.

Name: Brendon Villanueva
Age: 16
Hometown: Poway, CA
How he got here: 1st place at Skatelab
Previous apperances: 2010 (18th), 2009 (3rd)

Brendon's appeared in finals each of the last 2 years, and he advanced to the semi-finals of the last Tampa Am, so you know he's used to some big-time contests. It was just 2 years ago he finished on the podium in Salt Lake City, so you know the talent's there as well. Consider the kid from Cali a strong contender this weekend.

Name: Justin Drysen
Age: 15
Hometown: Anaheim, CA
How he got here: 1st place at Mission Valley YMCA
Previous appearances: None
Twitter: @justshred123

Back in May, Justin placed 7th at Damn Am Atlanta, beating out fellow Gatorade Free Flow finalists Fletcher Renegar, Chris Coffman, London Davis, Gage Smith and Brendan Villanueva in the process, as well as 2008 champion Timmy Knuth. His sponsors include Civilian Skateboards, Active, CIRCA, Venture, and Bones.

Name: Ben Sauer
Age: 14
Hometown: Portland, OR
How he got here: 1st place at Skatebarn
Previous appearances: None

Just one week after winning at Skatebarn, the kid from Portland took part in a best trick contest for local skaters that was hosted by the Dew Tour. And he won it. He'll be the lone representative from the Northwest at this weekend's finals.

Name: Tyson Bowerbank
Age: 16
Hometown: Sandy, UT
How he got here: 1st place at We Are One
Previous apperances: 2010 (3rd), 2009 (5th), 2008 (8th), 2006
Twitter: @tbowerbank

Tyson is a veteran of the tour in the truest sense. His first finals appearance came all the way back in 2006. That's a whole year before a kid from Chicago named Chaz Ortiz made his Dew Tour debut on the heels of a Gatorade Free Flow park title. Tyson returned to the finals in 2008, and then again in '09 and 2010, improving his finish every single year. A year removed from finally making it onto the podium, the Darkstar rider is back for the 4th year in a row and has to be considered one of the favorites this weekend.

Name: Fletcher Renegar
Age: 17
Hometown: Ringgold, GA
How he got here: 1st place at 6th Avenue Skatepark
Previous appearances: 2010 (20th), 2009 (14th), 2008

Aside from his win at 6th Ave, Fletcher also has a 2nd place finish at the Hazard County stop credited to him this summer. Although he was unable to make it to Round 2 at last year's finals, there's something to be said for the consistency Fletcher's shown qualifying for finals 4 years in a row. Renegar's 4th appearance will only be trumped by Tyson Bowerbank, who's making his 5th trip. Before the start of the summer tour, he recorded a 9th place finish at Damn Am Atlanta. Fletcher's sponsors include Gatorade, Oakley, Bones, and Zoo York.

Name: Tyler Thomas
Age: 14
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
How he got here: Wild card invitation
Results this year: 3rd (Charm City), 6th (Hazard County), 2nd (Rye Airfield)
Previous apperances: 2009 (37th)

The lone wildcard in the field, Tyler earned his invitation after 3 strong showings in Gatorade Free Flow Tour contests this summer, including a pair of podium finishes. The Gatorade skater beat out Myles Willard, another Baltimore local competing this weekend, in the Best of Baltimore contest series earlier this summer.

This field is stacked, which means we're anticipating a very exciting final. We have a finalist who's making his 3rd apperance here (Jimmy Wilkins), the runner-up to Mitchie Brusco in last year's finals (Jonathan Schwan), and even a previous champion (Clay Kreiner).

All 8 of the finalists are American, but they'll be representing 8 different states this year. We've got 2 riders (Zac Rose, Max Jenson) from New England, 3 (Clay Kreiner, Beaver Fleming, Austin Gordon) from the South, and 3 (Jonathan Schwan, Jimmy Wilkins, Braden Stelma) from out West. Not surprisingly, those are the 3 regions where the Gatorade Free Flow Tour held qualifying contests this year. The top 3 finishers at each event received invites to the finals, which is of course how we got to this point.

The age factor always seems to be interesting in this contest, in that it really doesn't seem to be a factor at all. The last 2 winners were age 12 (Clay Kreiner, 2009) and 13 (Mitchie Brusco, 2010). By the time we reach Utah, the ages of the competitors will range from 9 (Braden Stelma) to 18 (Jimmy Wilkins).

Meanwhile, last season's champion, Mitchie Brusco, is having a heck of a year. He garnered a lot of props earlier this summer for becoming the youngest skateboarder to throw a 900 on a megaramp. Not long after that, he finished 6th at the first stop of the Dew Tour.

So who will follow in Little Tricky's giant footsteps? We won't know for about a week, but that doesn't mean we can't start breaking down the field now.

Name: Zac Rose
Age: 15
Hometown: Reymond, ME
How he got here: 1st place at Rye Airfield
Previous appearances: 2010 (4th)

Zac qualified for finals after winning Rye Arifield's vert contest for the 2nd year in a row. Just missing the podium in the 2010 vert finals, he'll be looking to build on that performance this year. Keep in mind this a kid who actually placed higher than Mitchie Brusco when they competed against each other at Rye Airfield last year. Another advantage: of the 3 riders in this field that qualified for finals at the Tampa Am back in April, Zac had the best finish, making it onto the podium in 3rd.

Name: Jonathan Schwan
Age: 14
Hometown: Colorado Springs, CO
How he got here: 2nd place at Rye Airfield
Previous appearances: 2010 (2nd)
Twitter: @jonosk8s

Jono Schwan has to enter this year's finals as one of the favorites. He ran off a string of top-3 finishes last summer in am contests at X Games (3rd), Maloof Money Cup (2nd), and Gatorade Free Flow Finals (2nd). He actually led a large portion of last year's contest before falling behind eventual winner Mitchie Brusco. Schwan's strongest run included back-to-back-to-back 540 variations and a pair of 720s. With another year under his belt, this might be the year Jono breaks on through to the other side.

Name: Max Jenson
Age: 13
Hometown: Rye, NH
How he got here: 3rd place at Rye Airfield
Previous appearances: 2010 (6th)
Twitter: @Max_Skate_Snow

Living so close to Rye Airfield has worked out well for Max. After winning at Black Diamond last year and then placing on the podium at Rye Airfield's 2011 stop, he's earned himself a trip to the finals in back-to-back seasons. The most intriguing thing about Max though, might be the fact that he's a two-sport athlete. As comfortable on the snow as he is on the ramp, Max could also make some noise on the Gatorade Free Flow Tour's snowboarding circuit this winter if he so chooses.

Name: Clay Kreiner
Age: 14
Hometown: Simpsonville, SC
How he got here: 1st place at Skatepark of Tampa
Previous appearances: 2009 (1st)
Twitter: @claykreiner1

Clay enters this summer's finals two years removed from a Gatorade Free Flow vert championship and the shiny "G" trophy. The most impressive part of his 2009 title was that he did it as the youngest competitor in the field, just 12 years of age. Since that time, Clay has qualifed for Tampa Am finals in back-to-back years, finishing 6th in 2010 and 4th in 2011. Needless to say, being the only returning champion in this field makes him an instant favorite.

If you're interested in finding out about his experience competing against the Dew Tour pros following the big victory, check out the video blog Clay filed for us from Orlando in '09.

Name: Beaver Fleming
Age: 17
Hometown: Knoxville, TN
How he got here: 2nd place at Skatepark of Tampa
Previous appearances: 2010 (8th)
Twitter: @BeaverFleming

The 2nd time was the charm for Fleming this year. With a 5th place finish at Rye Airfield already under his belt, he headed down to Florida the following month to compete at SPoT and earn his spot in finals. No stranger to the Skatepark of Tampa, Beaver had qualified for Tampa Am vert finals earlier in the year, finishing in 6th.

Name: Austin Gordon
Age: 14
Hometown: Newnan, GA
How he got here: 3rd place at Skatepark of Tampa
Previous appearances: None

Surrounded by family, Austin locked up his spot in Utah after finishing 3rd at SPoT, landing tricks that included a heel flip indy, mctwist, and a backside disaster. He'd previously competed in Tampa Am contests in 2007 and 2008, albeit at a much younger age than today.

Name: Jimmy Wilkins
Age: 17
Hometown: Carlsbad, CA
How he got here: 1st place at Mission Valley YMCA
Previous appearances: 2010 (5th), 2009 (5th)

Making this third straight appearance in vert finals, Jimmy would be considered the veteran of the group by default. After being invited to compete as a wildcard in '09, he found his way back to the finals by winning at the Ecke YMCA the following year. Jimmy is also the oldest competitor in the field, turning 18 the day before he competes in vert finals. With 5th place finishes in back-to-back years, consider Jimmy a strong candidate to make a major leap forward this time around.

Name: Braden Stelma
Age: 9
Hometown: Mesa, AZ
How he got here: 3rd place at Mission Valley YMCA
Previous appearances: None

The youngest competitor in the field by about 4 years, Braden is just one of 2 riders making their debut at the Gatorade Free Flow Finals. And before you dismiss the chances of a 9-year-old reaching the podium, consider that Tom Schaar finished 3rd just a year ago at the ripe old age of 10. Braden's had considerable success with the King of the Groms contest series, winning the intermediate bowl division earlier this year. Now it's a matter of continuing that success on the vert ramp in Salt Lake City. So what does Braden bring to the table? Well, his winning run at Mission Valley, where he landed five 540 variations in a row, might offer a glimpse.

Already forgot what happened last year? Just check out the 2010 vert finals highlights below!

The Gatorade Free Flow Tour closed the 2011 skate park qualifying season this past weekend at 6th Ave Skatepark in Nashville. Topping the podium was 3-time finalist Fletcher Renegar, who earns the last spot on the roster for the 2011 edition of skateboard park finals and gets to make the trip to Salt Lake City for the 4th year in a row.

Lachlan Yarbrough

The 6-year host park started the day with the Junior Jammers, showcasing a field of over 30 competitors. First place went to 11-year-old Lachlan Yarbrough from Georiga, who took the top spot with a back lip, big kickflip, back smith and nollie bigspin. Tennessee's Jacob Wooten, 11, earned the 2nd place finish, and rounding out the podium was 13-year-old Tyler Peterson from St. Louis.

Skate Junior Jam Results
1. Lachlan Yarbrough
2. Jacob Wooten
3. Tyler Peterson
4. Ian Hess
5. Morgan Chandler

Junior Jam podium

The action got even more heated in the open division, with a fierce pack of competitors trying to earn their trip to the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals. Renegar, 17, took the win after pulling a salad grind, backside 180 50-50, bennet grind, switch frontside salad and switch lipslide.

Renegar will be making his 4th-consecutive trip to the Finals. He previously earned spots with wins at Ollies (2008), 6th Ave (2009), and Hazard County (2010). "Pretty stoked to be going back to Salt Lake City again," said Renegar. "Gatorade kept me going all day!"

You'd have to go all the way back to 2007 to find the last time Fletcher Renegar didn't appear in finals

Celebrating his 20th birthday, local rider Eric Lazore came in a close 2nd. Lazore landed a nosegrind lipslide, nollie crooks and nose grind up the china bank.

Taking 3rd was a returning competitor, 15-year-old Mike Berdis from Erie, PA. Berdis racked up podium #2 of the year after placing 2nd earlier this summer at Skaters Edge. Here at 6th Ave, he threw down a sal flip, nollie frontside feeble and wall blunt slide.

Skate Park Open Division Results
1. Fletcher Renegar
2. Eric Lazore
3. Mike Berdis
4. Mitchel Schmidt
5. David Martin

Left to right: Eric Lazore (2nd), Fletcher Renegar (1st), Mike Berdis (3rd)

"We were excited to host the Gatorade Free Flow Tour once again this year," said park owner Kyle Sloan. "The turnout was great with guys coming from all over, from Michigan to Kansas! Fletcher killed it as always. Looking forward to next year’s event, and it is always a pleasure to work with Gatorade!"

Renegar will be attending the skate park Finals in Salt Lake City, which will be held September 10-11 during the Dew Tour’s Toyota Challenge. Will this be the year he can take it all? With the roster set for the 2011 Finals, we know this is one contest we wouldn’t want to miss, so make sure to check back for all the latest updates and results here.

Devin Cain

Devin Schroeder

Chris Smith

David Martin

Morgan Chandler

The 2nd final of the day for the Gatorade Free Flow Tour went down on the BMX Park course. With Dew Tour park finals being held immediately following the contest, plenty of BMX pros were in attendance to watch the future stars of the sport throw down inside the Rose Garden.

When all was said and done, it was the Australian Brandon Loupos edging out his fellow countryman Logan Martin with a clutch 2nd run that was highlighted by a triple tailwhip.

The finalists lined up before the contest

Brandon Loupos set the bar on his 1st run after he came out firing. Brandon flew around the course, getting tons of height on each obstacle, and pulled a barspin to tuck no-hander and a double tailwhip in his run.

The lead was short-lived though, as Logan Martin would come out and move to the top of the standings on his 1st run. Logan's run included a no-handed transfer, downside whip, flair transfer, double truckdriver, opposite flair, and a frontflip, putting him well into 1st at the end of Round 1.

Logan Martin

Victor Salazar, who had just competed in dirt finals a few hours earlier, posted a solid score after pulling a truckdriver, 360 whip, and a triple tailwhip in his 2nd and final run. Victor wasn't the only one with a triplewhip in his aresenal, though.

Brandon Loupos said that one of his biggest goals for the weekend was to land a triplewhip on the box jump. Immediately after Salazar, Brandon was the next to drop-in, and he decided to go for it. He not only landed the triplewhip, he also had a barspin transfer and a flairwhip in his run. The result was Brandon moving ahead of Logan by just fractions of a point.

Brandon Loupos celebrates

Allen Adams grabbed the final spot on the podium after posting 2 identical run scores. The 2nd run, which included a barspin to x-up, double tailwhip transfer, walltap, barspin to tailwhip, and a 720, broke a tie with Victor Salazar.

Once again, it came down to Logan Martin with a shot to knock Loupos out of the top spot. Logan couldn't pull a run as clean his first though, so that gave the win and the chance to compete against the Dew Tour pros to Brandon.

Logan Martin (2nd), Brandon Loupos (1st), Allen Adams (3rd)

Just like we saw in the dirt finals, plenty of riders showed why they'll be making noise for years to come. Congratulations to all the finalists, who have all worked hard to get to this point. We look forward to seeing Brandon compete in Las Vegas at the Dew Tour Championships in two months.

BMX Park Results

1. Brandon Loupos, 91.63
2. Logan Martin, 91.38
3. Allen Adams, 88.88
4. Victor Salazar, 88.88
5. Ben Eylander, 88.50
6. Luke Bowerman, 88.25
7. Mike Gray, 87.63
8. Matt Ray, 85.75
9. Jordan Prince, 84.63
10. Ty Callais, 83.25

Brandon Loupos

Allen Adams

Victor Salazar, 360 downside tailwhip

Ben Eylander

Luke Bowerman, superman tailwhip

Mike Gray

Matt Ray

Jordan Prince

Ty Callais

Two months after qualifying for the Gatorade Free Flow Tour's BMX dirt finals via a contest win at Da Compound, Luke Parker has become the latest to go from "flow to pro." Parker took home the win against a stacked field this afternoon.

Luke Parker

The contest was held on the Dew Tour's dirt course in Portland, which was designed by TJ Lavin. All the riders in the finals shredded, and several guys showed that they were clearly capable of competing against pros right now.

Luke Parker had it dialed in on his first run, starting off by dropping-in with a tailwhip, then throwing a double tailwhip and a frontflip. The run was enough to knock fellow Aussie Luke Bowerman out of the top spot, after Bowerman had a solid run of his own, with a tuck no-hander, a massive frontflip, and a superman tailwhip.

Luke Parker

Appearing in his 2nd-straight dirt finals at the Gatorade Free Flow Tour, Larry Edgar also threw down a solid run on his first attempt, pulling a double whip, no-hander to turndown, and an off-axis flip.

Parker, Bowerman, and Edgar sat in the top 3 spots following the first set of runs, and that order would hold up throughout the rest of the contest. Although it didn't improve his ranking, Luke Bowerman was able to bump his score up a tad by changing things up and landing a superman seatgrab and a frontflip toboggan on his 3rd and final run.

Luke Bowerman, tuck no-hander

The Lavin-designed dirt course is more tech than what we're used to seeing at a lot of Dew Tour stops, making the course a challenge to even some of the pro riders. Bowerman and Edgar both noted before the contest that the course favored their style of riding, as both finalists came from a BMX racing background. It certainly seemed to be true, as evidenced by both riders finishing on the podium.

Honorable mention goes to Victor Salazar, who took home 4th after a final run that featured a doublewhip, no-footed can-can, and a 360 double tailwhip.

Victor Salazar, no-hander

Best of luck to Luke Parker as he prepares to compete against the pros at the Dew Tour Championships in Las Vegas, and congratulations to all the finalists who managed to make it this far!

Results

1. Luke Parker, 92.00
2. Luke Bowerman, 91.38
3. Larry Edgar, 90.88
4. Victor Salazar, 90.00
5. Tommy Crail, 88.00
6. Justin Spriet, 87.75
7. Colby Spratt, 84.38

Larry Edgar, double tailwhip

Tommy Crail

Justin Spriet

Colby Spratt, turndown

Larry Edgar (3rd), Luke Parker (1st), Luke Bowerman (2nd)

In reality, Larry, a Californian, and Luke, an Australian, hadn't met until yesterday. However they've bonded so quickly that it would only be fitting for them to have their own show: "The Luke and Larry Show."

Luke Bowerman will be competing in 2 separate events today (park and dirt), while Larry Edgar is the verteran of group, appearing in his 3rd Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals. Check out below what the guys had to say about this afternoon's finals and their experience so far at the Gatorade Free Flow Tour.

Gatorade Free Flow Tour: What have you been doing to prepare for finals since earning your spots in finals?

Larry Edgar: I played a lot of video games. The Dave Mirra one mostly. That's how I got my 360's.

Luke Bowerman: I got up, had a shower, brushed my teeth, had a sausage sandwich...

LE: Really I haven't done anything. I've just been riding. I did ride Luke Parslow's house though.

GFFT: So you haven't really learned any new tricks lately?

LB: I learned some new things on the park course yesterday,

LE: I learned how to jump over my bars on a 30-foot gap... That wasn't fun.

GFFT: Is there a certain section of the dirt course you're enjoying the most?

LE: I like the rollers.

LB: I like the step-off because it's kind of race-style.

GFFT: This course is a lot more technical than what's usually at the Dew Tour. How is that going to suit your style of riding?

LB: The jumps are more like race and trail jumps put together...

LE: And we both used to race, so it works good.

Luke Bowerman at the Skatepark of Tampa

GFFT: Do either of you guys have a favorite rider?

LB: I think everyone's favorite rider is Kyle [Baldock.]

LE: Yeah, in park, definitely.

LB: I like Mark Webb and Jeremiah Smith too.

LE: Dennis Enarson for sure.

LB: AJ Anaya is another one. I really like his style.

GFFT: Is there anyone whose riding style you try to emulate?

LB: I like to have my own style.

LE: Yeah, I just kind of do stuff, and it turns out however it does....

LB: And it usually turns out good.

LE: Except my barspins. I gotta work on those things.

LB: I really like AJ's style. He was having some of the best runs through the course yesterday.

GFFT: Do you have any pre-contest rituals or superstitions?

LB: I just wanna ride.

LE: Pretty much, yeah.

GFFT: You guys are obviously both really laid-back right now. Is this normal for the day of a competition?

LB: I don't sit there and think "I'm not gonna do good today." Whatever happens, happens. There's no good in being uptight.

LE: I definitely don't think about my runs. There's a trick I wanna do on my first run and whatever happens after that is what happens.

LB: There's not really any nerves. It's more excitement.

GFFT: Have you picked up anything new from any of the pros here?

LB: I'm pretty much name-dropping AJ, but he and Alessandro Barbero helped me out when I was at Woodward. And Logan [Martin] helped me out with a few tricks yesterday.

Larry Edgar (middle) following his BMX dirt victory at Da Compound

GFFT: What comes next for you guys, win or lose this weekend?

LB: If I win, I'll sta until Vegas. If I lose, I go back to Australia. Which is gonna suck.

LE: If I lose, I'm just gonna go ride street with my friends. And definitely gonna go film.

GFFT: How much Gatorade have you guys had this week?

LE: About 18 little bottles. I've counted most.

LB: Yeah, I'm probably the same.

GFFT: What are your goals for this weekend?

LB: I'm hoping to have consistent runs...

LE: That sounds disgusting.

LB: Everyone's expecting to win, but no one can actually predict who will win. If I win, I'm gonna be the happiest kid ever. If I lose, I won't be bummed or salty...

LE: I'll hug you.

LB: Larry will hug me.

LE: It would be nice to win, but also to have as much fun as possible. And I think I've already exceeded that!

GFFT: Luke, you'll be riding in both park and dirt finals tonight. Will competing in 2 events take a toll on you at all?

LB: I don't think so. I ride all day, every day!

GFFT: How has the whole experience been leading up to this week?

LB: Crazy...

LE: Stressful.

LB: There were more nerves leading up to competitions, but when you're there, you're like "Oh, that is really gonna happen." I've had a good time. I did what I needed to do. I tried to learn new tricks. I got injured at one point, but I don't think that'll affect me toda.

LE: It's super-fun always, but always super-stressful... Getting on a plane, making sure you have everything ready, keeping your luggage under 50 pounds...

GFFT: Larry, this will be your 3rd trip to the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals. Do you think being a returning finalist will give you an edge at all?

LE: I'm like the kid that got held back!

LB: The little ducking...

LE: You're an ugly duckling!

We wish Luke and Larry the best of luck in Saturday night's finals! For updates throughout the day, follow the Gatorade Free Flow Tour on facebook and twitter (@GFFT). Then check back to gatoradefreeflowtour.com after the contests to get all the results, photos, recaps, and highlights.

With BMX Park finals going down Saturday evening, this year's batch of finalists are now in the final stages of preparation. They've had weeks, and in some cases even months, to ready themselves for this stage, and now it's a matter of learning the course and figuring out their lines. The riders had the opportunity to practice on the course for a few hours on Friday, so a pair of championship hopefuls, Brandon Loupos and Ty Callais, stuck around for a bit afterwords to talk to us.

Brandon is an Australian who came to the States to train at Woodward and compete on the Gatorade Free Flow Tour. He earned the final invite to park finals after winning at Mission Valley a few weeks ago. Ty Callais, on the other hand, was the first rider to lock up a spot in finals after winning at Ramp Rats back in May. He's dealing with an injured wrist this weekend, but will still be giving it a go in finals. Find out below what the pair had to see about their experience so far and what their goals are for Saturday night.

Gatorade Free Flow Tour: Congratulations on making it this far! What have you been doing to prepare for Saturday's finals?

Brandon Loupos: Ever since Clairemont, I didn't train at all. I travelled and went to Utah for a bit [to compete at the 12th Street Dirt Jumps stop], but no real training. It was all mental preparation.

Ty Callais: Same thing. Metally prepared. I was just focusing on getting into dirt.

GFFT: So I take it you haven't been working on any new tricks lately then?

BL: I learned heaps of new tricks when I went to Woodward and Woodwart West. I haven't taken them off the resi yet though.

TC: I haven't learned anything new. I learned how to nose bonk. I don't ride box jumps much; I mostly ride street. I can do the basics though: 1 backflip... 1 frontflip...

Ty Callais at Ramp Rats

GFFT: Dennis Enarson helped the park course you're riding on. Now that you've had some time to practice on it, what do you think of the course?

TC: I think he did a good job. I didn't get to ride much because of my wrist, but it was fun.

BL: It's a little different, but it's a pleasure to ride.

TC: There's lots of good lines and plenty of potential for creativity.

GFFT: The box jump seemed to be getting a lot of use during practice. What sections of the course have you been using?

BL: I liked using the wallride, the euros, the hitching post spine, and a lot of the quarterpipes.

TC: I like the step-on/step-off stuff, and the big green ledge for sure.

Brandon Loupos at Mission Valley

GFFT: Who are your favorite riders?

TC: Nasty, for sure.

BL: I would say Dennis. He's what I want to be as a rider. He shreds everything. Everything he touches, he shuts down. I ride his signature frames and parts. He's got good taste in bike parts for sure.

GFFT: Do you guys have any pre-contest rituals or superstitions?

TC: I just play a lot of loud music in my ears. Aggressive metal.

BL: I normally talk to my team manager, my dad, close friends, or my girlfriend and have a talk about what I want to do and see if i should do it or not. I just don't wanna be nervous.

TC: I never say "one more try." Maybe something like "another try." Also this is the shirt [an Avenged Sevenfold shirt] I won in at Ramp Rats. I was thinking about wearing the same outfit when I compete this weekend.

Ty Callais at Ramp Rats

GFFT: Have you guys been drinking a lot of Gatorade this week? Any favorite flavors?

TC: My favorite is the the G2. If you drink those, you'll be alright. I'm a G2 fan for sure, especially the grape.

BL: They all taste amazing. The one I drink the most is the orange one because it's always around.

GFFT: How has the whole experience been this week and leading up to the finals?

TC: It didn't really set in til I got here that I was going to the Dew Tour for Gatorade Free Flow Tour finals. I got on the plane and realized "I'm really doing this." Being in this environment is crazy.

BL: The second I found out I came in first, I knew this means I'm going to Portland. And it was just an amazing feeling.

TC: It's a dream come true to be in this environment. To be walking around with all my favorite riders, eating the same food as them...

BL: Staying in the same hotel as Mad Dog is crazy. I definitely want to thank Gatorade for arranging this great system and what it can get you.

Brandon Loupos, tuck no-hander at Mission Valley

GFFT: What were your goals when you originally entered your respective qualifying stops?

BL: I didn't expect to win. I just wanted to have fun and see what happened. There were a lot of good riders at my stop, but a lot of them crashed. And that got me into finals.

TC: I was pretty confident going into my stop. There's a BMX scene there I know, but I know most of the riders at my level were too old to compete. Beteween the age limit and not having pros in the contest, I knew it would funnel out a lot of the top riders.

GFFT: Now that you're here, what are your goals for this weekend?

BL: Just to have fun. And triplewhip the bank-to-bank [box jump.]

TC: I don't even have a goal. Once I hurt my wrist, I decided I'm just gonna wing it.

Ty Callais, 360 barspin at Ramp Rats

GFFT: Whose style of riding do you try to emulate?

TC: I'd have to say Dennis is definitely an influence on my riding. i ride his frame too and everything.

BL: Dennis is my favorite rider, but I never get to ride street as much as he does. My park style is pretty similar to Kyle Baldock's. He's an amazing rider.

GFFT: Brandon, you know [fellow Australian] Kyle Baldock pretty well, right? What were you thinking when you heard he won at the first Dew Tour stop?

BL: When I found out he won, I was like "no way!" I was stoked because it's his first year on the Dew Tour, and he won! He definitely deserved it.

TC: I saw his run. Pretty insane. That double flip was so slow, like it was nothing!

Brandon Loupos, frontflip at Mission Valley

GFFT: Win or lose this weekend, what comes next for you?

TC: I have no idea.

BL: I go back to Australia on Monday. Just knowing that I made it to the finals is good enough for me.

TC: I'm gonna go home and let my wrist heal. Then I want to get back to filming as soon as possible.

We wish Brandon and Ty the best of luck in Saturday night's finals! For updates throughout the day, follow the Gatorade Free Flow Tour on facebook and twitter (@GFFT). Then check back to gatoradefreeflowtour.com after the contests to get all the results, photos, recaps, and highlights.

The Gatorade Free Flow Tour went out west for two skate park contests on August 6th and 7th, returning to Skatebarn in Renton, Washington and debuting at We Are One in Midvale, Utah.  Skatebarn named Ben Sauer the winner, while We Are One saw four-time Finalist Tyson Bowerbank take the victory.

Jake Lemonds, Crooked Grind

On Saturday, Skatebarn opened the day with the Junior Jam Division. Taking the win was 13-year-old Jake Lemonds who impressed the judges with his main hubba ledge, starting with a kick flip 50-50 on the top ledge, lip slide down the hubba and a back smith on the flat bar, all while rocking the tie-dye.

Dylan Clark, 10, from Kent, WA. came away with 2nd, and 3rd place went to 13-year-old Alex Patterson from Spokane Valley, WA.

Junior Jam Results
1. Jake Lemonds
2. Dylan Clark
3. Alex Patterson
4. Brooks James
5. Logan Feaster

Left to right: Jake Lemonds (1st), Dylan Clark (2nd), Alex Patterson (3rd)

A heated group of contestants vied for their trip to the Finals in the open division. Portland's Ben Sauer, 14, landed on top of the podium with his big flip front board fakie, kick flip back 5-0, and huge 3 flip over the A-frame.

Sauer enjoyed the contest, summing it up quite nicely. "Good park, good competition, good judging."

Ben Sauer

Taking 2nd was 21-year-old Gerardo Beiarano, appearing in his 3rd contest of the season. Making the trip from Mexico, Gerardo landed a clean nollie nose slide 270 out down the hubba, nollie crook down the rail and nose slide big spin on the flat ledge. Rounding out the podium was 2010 finalist Ben Campbell, who pulled a 270 lip slide, a full back 3 kick flip up the step-up, and a front big spin over the walkway gap.

Open Division Results
1. Ben Sauer
2. Gerardo "Pollo" Beiarano
3. Ben Campbell
4. Caleb Cole
5. Pavel Kulik

Left to right: Gerardo Beiarano (2nd), Ben Sauer (1st), Ben Campbell (3rd)

"It was great to have the Gatorade Free Flow Tour back at Skatebarn West," said park owner Dan Lee. “It’s always one of our best events of the year. I can’t wait for next year’s contest.”

The following day, the Gatorade Free Flow Tour made a stop in Utah for a contest at the newly-opened We Are One Skatepark, the largest indoor park in Utah.

Deng Tier

Eleven-year-old Destin Watts was the day's first winner, securing the top spot in the junior division after destroying the center teardrop feature with a hard flip, tre flip, kasper flip and nollie big heel off it.

Coming in a close 2nd was 11-year-old Evon Martinez from Las Vegas, Nev. and taking 3rd was Utah resident Deng Tier, 10.

Skate Junior Jam Results
1. Destin Watts
2. Evon Martinez
3. Deng Tier
4. Tyler Aidrich
5. Austin Lockaby

Left to right: Deng Tier (3rd), Destin Watts (1st), Evon Martinez (2nd)

Las Vegas was well-represented in the main event, but it was a Utah local who came away with a victory at the end of the day. Tour veteran Tyson Bowerbank earned his 5th trip to finals with a performance that took advantage of all the features in the park. Tyson stomped a backside 540 ollie over the hip, backside 360 melon over the launch box, feeble to front board on the flat rail, smith pop out on the rainbow box and a front lip on the down rail.

Tyson Bowerbank

"Last year I got third at the Finals,” said Bowerbank. “I’m really trying to win it this time." Bowerbank will be making the trip to the Finals for the 5th time after earning a spot in each of the previous 4 years.

Taking 2nd was Kenny Tanner, the 17-year-old who who put down a big method over the launch box, smith grind on the down rail, feeble on the down rail and a smith revert on the 8ft quarter.

Kenny Tanner

Third place went to Antonio Moya, 14, after landing a huge backside 360 mute and a kickflip indy over the launch box, while displaying all-around smooth style.

Skate Park Open Division Results
1. Tyson Bowerbank
2. Kenny Tanner
3. Antonio Moya
4. Jeff Norton
5. Ricky Chavez

Left to right: Kenny Tanner (2nd), Tyson Bowerbank (1st), Antonio Moya (3rd)

"All of us here at We Are One are very thankful to have the Gatorade Free Flow Tour at our park.  It was amazing to see all the kids, local and from out of state, coming here to shred and show they have something to prove, “ said We Are One representative Zach Nelson. “The contest was ultra heatish and every skater really gave their all.  Thanks to all the parents, competitors, and the fine folks at Gatorade for throwing the best contest in Utah yet."

With the win, Sauer and Bowerbank earn automatic bids into the Gatorade Free Flow Tour's Skate Park Finals, taking place in Salt Lake City September 10th and 11th. If you’re looking for your opportunity to attend the Finals, grab your board and head out to the last qualifying contest of the 2011 season at 6th Ave. Skatepark in Nashville on Saturday, August 20th.

Let’s take a look back at the heated competitions this year and the athletes that earned the trip to the Finals. The roster for BMX Dirt Finals this year includes riders between the ages of 16 and 18 that are representing 5 states, as well as Australia.

Seven of the 9 competitors are residents of the United States, including three California competitors (returning Finalist Larry Edgar, Justin Spriet and crossover contender Victor Salazar). Representing other regions of the US are Colby Spratt (Utah), Tommy Crail (Pennsylvania), Spencer Scott (Ohio), plus park and dirt participant Allen Adams (Michigan). Two Aussies will be joining the Finals as well - Luke Parker and dual-discipline finalist Luke Bowerman.

The Gatorade Free Flow Tour has seen an influx of new faces for this year’s Finals, with just 2 returning finalists, tour veteran Larry Edgar (who will be in attendance for the third year) and Spencer Scott. The finalists will be competing on the same dirt jumps that the Dew Tour pros will ride on, and you know they'll be bringing their best stuff to Portland. Just so you're a little more prepared, we've got the details on all the qualified contestants below.

Name: Victor Salazar
Age: 18
Hometown: Fountain Valley, CA
How he got here: 1st place at 12th Street Jumps

Victor will be participating in both the park and dirt disciplines at the Finals. He started out his season taking 2nd at Da Compound's park contest, but was awarded a spot in the Finals after the contest winner earned his pro status. Salazar then came to the 12th Street Jumps contest this past weekend and took the win, locking up his spot in the Finals for dirt and ensuring a busy week ahead.

Name: Luke Bowerman
Age: 17
Hometown: Gold Coast, Australia
How he got here: 2nd place at 12th Street Jumps

Aussie Luke Bowerman made his stateside debut in the Gatorade Free Flow Tour at the Skatepark of Tampa and won the whole contest. He followed that up with a podium showing in the Ogden dirt comp. As a result of his 2nd place finish, Luke will be one of our multi-discipline competitors this weekend.

Name: Colby Spratt
Age: 18
Hometown: Draper, UT
How he got here: 3rd place at 12th Street Jumps

Colby Spratt hit his local comp, and came away with the final qualifying spot for dirt finals with a 3rd place finish. He impressed the judges with his great style and, most notably, his big tuck no-hander. With only a week between the contest and the BMX Finals, he’ll have a quick turnaround to prepare his tricks for a larger stage.

Name: Spencer Scott
Age: 17
Hometown: Alexandria, OH
How he got here: 1st place at Flow Skatepark
Previous appearances: 2010 (BMX Dirt)

Spencer Scott returns the BMX Dirt Finals after a 5th place finish last season. He'll look to improve on that this time around after earning another trip with a victory at Flow. His winning run included a turn down, and 360 one-handed over the table. He's has now had 7 weeks to prepare for the Finals and a 2nd chance at winning the whole thing.

Name: Tommy Crail
Age: 16
Hometown: Erie, PA
How he got here: 2nd place at Flow Skatepark

Tommy Crail placed 2nd in dirt at Flow park after almost missing his run, which included a superman seat grab, 360 turn down and nothing to no footed can-can. We'll find out if he's had enough time to perfect his tricks and translate that to the Dew Tour course.

Name: Allen Adams
Age: 16
Hometown: Hastings, MI
How he got here: 3rd place at Flow Skatepark

Allen Adams entered both disciplines at Flow and came away with a spot in finals for each event. Following a victory in the park contest, he found himself on the podium in dirt despite suffering an ankle injury that day. We’re optimistic this young-gun has nursed himself back to good health for this weekend's competitions.

Name: Larry Edgar
Age: 17
Hometown: Carona, CA
How he got here: 1st place at Da Compound
Previous appearances: 2009 (BMX Park), 2010 (BMX Dirt)
Twitter: @flairbear

After appearing in the Gatorade Free Flow Tour's first-ever BMX Dirt Finals last season, Larry is back by virtue of winning Da Compound's dirt contest for the 2nd year in a row. This will actually be his 3rd straight year of appearing at the Finals. In 2009 (before BMX Dirt was even a Gatorade Free Flow Tour discipline), Larry qualified for park finals by winninig at... you guessed it, Da Compound. His win this year was even more impressive considering he did it despite being hurt while riding. With experience on his side, Larry will look to build on last year's 4th place showing. Is this his year to go from “flow to pro?”

Name: Luke Parker
Age: 16
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
How he got here: 3rd place at Da Compound
Twitter: @lukeparkerbmx

Luke Parker came to Da Compound all the way from Australia. The 16 year old impressed the judges with his dirt skills, executing a clean nac nac, flip t-down and no-handed tuck. Now about 2 months removed from that contest, we’re excited to see what Parker has to show this weekend.

Name: Justin Spriet
Age: 16
Hometown: Marietta, CA
How he got here: 4th place at Da Compound
Twitter: @JustinSpriet

Justin originally was named the 4th place finisher at Da Compound, but caught a break when that contest's runner-up eventually decided to turn pro. As a result, that spot in finals was passed on to Spriet. Only time will tell if one lucky break can lead to another big break in his career: a prequalified spot in October's Dew Tour contest.

It all started one year ago, with Alex Landeros winning the Gatorade Free Flow Tour's first-ever BMX Dirt final. Who will be the next rider to make the leap? Larry Edgar and Spencer Scott have been here before, but all these riders are hungry. That means one thing: Saturday's final should be intense.

For updates all week, check out the Gatorade Free Flow Tour on facebook and twitter (@GFFT).

Feeling nostalgic? Check out highlights from last year's dirt finals:

But before we get into what's going to happen this weekend, we need to first look back at how we got here. The BMX Finals will field 10 competitors this year, representing 3 countries (USA, Australia, Canada) and ranging in age from 15 (Matt Ray) to 20 (Ben Eylander).

Six of the 10 competitors are from right here in the USA and reside in 5 different states, with California being the only state to boast multiple competitors (Ty Callais, Victor Salazar). Three Australians (Luke Bowerman, Brandon Loupos, Logan Martin) will be in the field, as they look to continue the recent trend of Aussies coming over to the States and absolutely tearing up whatever they ride.

Three of the competitors (Allen Adams, Luke Bowerman, Victor Salazar) will have the added challenge of pulling double-duty this weekend. These 3 have also earned a spot in BMX Dirt finals, which means that after they finish up on the dirt course, they will have about an hour to get over to the Rose Garden and get ready for park finals.

The roster for BMX Park finals, despite being a pretty stacked lineup, features a field full of first-time finalists. With no veteran edge present, everyone will have to stay composed and just focus on throwing the runs they've been working on. Below, we've included the info you need to know on each of the riders.

Name: Allen Adams
Age: 16
Hometown: Hastings, MI
How he got here: 1st place at Flow Skatepark

Allen Adams had a day to remember at Flow. He started off by winning in park with a bag of tricks that included a corked 360 doublewhip. He backed it up by heading outside and finishing 3rd on the dirt jumps, despite suffering a sprained ankle during that contest. Now about 7 weeks removed, hopefully the injury won't hinder him this weekend.

Name: Luke Bowerman
Age: 17
Hometown: Gold Coast, Australia
How he got here: 1st place at Skatepark of Tampa

The first of our 3 Australian on the list, Luke qualified when he took the win at the Skatepark of Tampa, beating out fellow Aussie Danny Campbell in the process. Another dual-discipline finalist, Luke is dialed on whatever he chooses to ride, as this recent video edit shows.

Name: Ty Callais
Age: 19
Hometown: Concord, CA
How he got here: 1st place at Ramp Rats

It was just over one year ago (July 25, 2010) that Ty Callais finished in 4th, just shy of the podium at a Ramp Rats BMX Park qualifying contest. Since then, he entered numerous contests with the goal of getting to the Gatorade Free Flow Tour finals. It all seems to have paid off for Ty, who became the first rider to lock in a spot for finals after winning 2011's stop at Ramp Rats.

Name: Ben Eylander
Age: 20
Hometown: Lansing, IL
How he got here: 1st place at Circus Skatepark

Despite being the eldest competitor in the field at 20 years of age, the Gatorade Free Flow Tour contest at Circus was the first major contest Ben had ever entered at the time. Now the stage gets even bigger as he heads to the Finals. If his riding at Circus is any indication, look for some 360 variations in Ben's run. See Ben in action in this video edit he put out last November, which was filmed largely at Circus.

Name: Mike Gray
Age: 18
Hometown: Newmarket, Ontario
How he got here: 1st place at 4 Seasons
Twitter: @MichaelGray10

Canada's lone representative, Michael Gray finds himself in park finals after a victory at 4 Seasons, a stop which always brings out a ton of talented local riders. Mike's already been doing big things in the Canadian BMX scene. He won the amateur division at the Toronto BMX Jam in 2010, before stepping up to ride with the big boys this year. And he's cranked out edits like this one from his home park. The 500-mile trip to Milwaukee certainly worked out for Mike, and now he's got one more trip to make this week.

Name: Brandon Loupos
Age: 18
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
How he got here: 1st place at Mission Valley YMCA
Twitter: @BrandonLouposyo

Brandon came to the States as part of an Aussie caravan making their way across the U.S. The group traveled from one coast to another to compete in Gatorade Free Flow Tour contests on back-to-back weekends. After finishing 6th at Skatepark of Tampa, narrowly missing the cut for the final round, the 2nd time proved to be the charm for Brandon. He showed up to Clairemont and locked up the last spot in park finals with a win, thereby postponing his return trip to Australia for just a few more weeks.

Name: Logan Martin
Age: 19
Hometown: Brisbane, Australia
How he got here: 1st place at Jaycee

Back in February, Logan showed he was a force to be reckoned with after placing 3rd in the Australian BMX Games in the street/park division. The only 2 riders on the podium ahead of him were pro BMXers Kyle Baldock and Vince Byron. And if you've seen what Baldock and Byron have done at the Dew Tour already this season, then you know there's no shame in losing to them. One of the tricks Logan was stoked to pull during his winning run at the Greenville, NC Gatorade Free Flow Tour contest was the frontflip barspin. We'll be keeping an eye out for that one this weekend.

Name: Jordan Prince
Age: 16
Hometown: Louisa, KY
How he got here: 1st place at Incline Club

What really makes Jordan's road here so impressive is that he has only been riding for two years. With no skatepark near his hometown, Jordan and his friends built ramps in his driveway and learned how to ride. Take a look at this edit to see them for yourself. While at Incline Club, he pulled off his first-ever double tailwhip. Will that be the trick he needs to reach the podium in Portland?

Name: Matt Ray
Age: 15
Hometown: Woburn, MA
How he got here: 1st place at Rye Airfield

The youngest competitor in the field, Matt Ray will be representing New England this weekend. In 2010, he finished as the runner-up to Josh Lane at the Rye Airfield stop. Matt was able to flip the script this year, as he was the only rider to finish ahead of Lane in 2011. Matt did some filming in the streets of Boston earlier this year, and you can see just how smooth he rides.

Name: Victor Salazar
Age: 18
Hometown: Fountain Valley, CA
How he got here: 2nd place at Da Compound

Our other crossover talent is Victor Salazar. Originally named the runner-up at Da Compound, Victor caught a break when that contest's winner eventually decided to turn pro, meaning that the spot in finals was passed on to Victor. He's coming off a dirt victory this past weekend, so he'll be looking to carry that momentum all the way to Portland as he competes in both events.

And there you have it - your 2011 BMX Park field for the Gatorade Free Flow Tour finals! Park finals are going down this Saturday at 5:30pm PT inside Portland's Rose Garden. Past winners have included Mike Spinner, Kevin Kiraly, Mike Payne, Matt Whyatt, and Glenn Salyers, Who will be next to follow in their footsteps?

For updates all week, check out the Gatorade Free Flow Tour on facebook and twitter (@GFFT).

Relive history. Watch highlights from what went down in 2010's park contest: