2006 has been quite an interesting year for defending Dew Cup champ Bucky Lasek. Always pushing his skating to the limit, but failing to come up with a win until the Toyota Challenge, Laseks fate remained uncertain for most of the Dew Tour season. Add the fact that he had to contend with X Games gold medalist Sandro Dias, snow/skate jedi Shaun White and switch master Bob Burnquist, as well as a long list of the sports finest, it only compounded the pressure for the hard-hitting skate vert legend.

With two second place finishes in Louisville and Portland and a third place finish in Denver, even Lasek was questioning himself when asked about defending the 2005 title. And with Dias busting tricks like the gnar-jar, Shaun stomping the 720 and Burnquist dropping more switch tricks than you can count during their often flawless runs, it certainly didnt help the situation. However, if there is one thing that the judges like to see, it's consistency; and as anyone who knows Laseks skating, thats always the name of his vert game.

By constantly placing within the top three during the first three stops of the season and slaying the final two competitions to shreds in San Jose and Orlando, Lasek did what no one else could and continually built upon his overall points to come out on top in the very end. As the saying goes, patience is a virtue. Clearly, he had this in the back of his mind all along.

Congrats Bucky on defending your title and walking away with it, yet again, in 2006!