In many ways the Toyota Challenge ought to be Bob Burnquist's event. As a prominent poster boy for the Toyota Prius, his face and his eco-friendly ride are all over the place this weekend, here in Salt Lake City. Burnquist is one of the most experienced skaters in the world, equally at ease on a skateboard on the vert ramp, in backyard pools, on the street, or on a Megaramp. Hes got the technical chops, big air know-how, and fluid, flowing style to take down just about any skate contest, anywhere.

However, like all the vert skaters on the AST Dew Tour, Burnquist suddenly finds himself very much in the shadow of Shaun White. Currently trailing after White in the overall standings by 99 points, Burnquist is running a distant 2nd in the race for the Dew Cup. Still, he represents a significant challenge to any hopes White may have of sweeping the 2007 Dew Tour.

On the competition level, Shaun has come out here and really made a great start this year, says Burnquist. Hes come out here really strong, hes got that great spinning style, hes got huge airs, hes got power and speed from snowboarding, and hes got great aerial awareness. Its really working out for him this year.

Burnquist is a competitive guy, with one of the longest resumes in pro skating in addition to a decorated career at the X Games, hes been steadily climbing the standings on the Dew Tour with a 4th place overall finish in 2005 and a 3rd place finish in 2006 but hes also known for his meditative calm, his fastidious focus, and his defiant individuality. In other words, hes not about to be snowblinded by the storm of hype thats been created around White or compromise himself to conform to the next-new-thing style.

Im still going to skate the way I want to skate and push the way I want to do it, but it definitely adds to the flavor to have Shaun out here doing what hes doing too, says Burnquist. Its good to see and it changes things up a little bit. Its just different styles of skateboarding apples and oranges and I can only focus on what Im doing. The only thing I can focus on is that Im motivated to skate. If theres one thing Ive learned from skateboarding in these kinds of contests for as long as I have, its that the judges are going to go one way one day, and another some other day, and you can be smart, you can be strategic, but you cant sacrifice what youre doing to try to fit that.

Burnquist hasnt been willing to compromise in other ways either. He turned down tons of offers for corporate sponsorship before signing on to help promote the Toyota Prius, saying his conscience dictates his business decisions.

I definitely dont judge other people on the kinds of decisions they make and the connections they have to make to survive as professional skateboarders. I would just say I feel really blessed to have been able to afford to be somewhat picky, says Burnquist. I kind of use my daughter Lotus as the standard. If I go out there in a big way and put my name out there selling a product that I wouldnt want her to have, then I lose my moral high ground and credibility with her when she comes and asks for it.

Throughout his career Burnquist has used his position in skateboarding as a platform to promote environmental awareness, organic farming, and sustainable business practices. He owns an organic farming operation, Burnquist Organics, and in June, he carried a skateboard into the U.S. Capitol building when the Action Sports Environmental Coalition (ASEC) met with Senator Barbara Boxer and testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

Im really fortunate to have been able to align with sponsors who are very much in connection with how I think and what I believe in, says Burnquist. The Toyota sponsorship is really ideal for me, because its both a big corporate sponsor and, with the Prius and what theyre trying to promote with it, its also not something that makes me feel uncredible and sold-out.

Burnquist grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil (where he turned pro at the age of 14), and theres another matter of Dew Tour pride hed like to discuss hes at least partly responsible for the Brazilian Invasion in Dew Tour skateboarding.

Theres just so many of us now Lincoln Ueda and Sandro Dias on the vert ramp, Wagner and Rodolfo Ramos in Park, then Fabrizio Santos, Tulio de Oilviera, Danilio Do Rosario It definitely makes me really proud to see all those guys here because I grew up with a lot of them and I know how hard it is in Brazil to break through and keep going. Every one of these guys is so positive and everyones just got a really good vibe. Im really proud of all the Brazilians that are here on the Dew Tour, and also all the ones who arent, who are out there making a good name for skateboarding and putting Brazil on the map in all these different directions.

Bob is a man of morals and has built a professional career in skateboarding for over 15 years based on following his own path and staying true to himself.