King of Clermont

On April 11, 2009, longboarders from across Florida descended on the hills of Clermont for the first downhill outlaw race in the state, dubbed the King of Clermont. Talk was heard well before the event on who thought they were going to win the race and take the crown for themselves, a heated battle was sure to come.

The morning of the race started out well for a first event, with 19 people wanting to race and at least twice as many as an audience.  As practice was just beginning, the cops broke up the session; not something an outlaw wants to see.  The crew managed to load up in the shuttle van and avoid too much damage by the cop, but our spot was blown.  We moved onto our alternate location and got things started.

The heats were well matched, with heavy packs coming into the final corner at once.  Early favorites were Brent Dubendorff, Taylor Smith, Nick Moran, and the Miami crew members of Santiago Cadavid and Diego Rodriguez. All won their early heats minus Diego, who was passed on the inside by Santiago forcing him into the sand, standing out as one of the most heated battles of the day.

The finals shaped up to be Brent, Taylor, Santiago, and the darkhorse, Ryan Van Olst from Tallahassee.  Brent took the early lead and held onto it, leaving the rest to fight for second and third.  Coming in second was Santiago, and third was Ryan, who put on an admirable performance after his bail during the practice run.  The winner Brent Dubendorff brought home $200 in cash, a Rayne Avenger, and the title of King of Clermont.

Thanks to dozerdoggie and Keith Hollien for donating prizes, Speedo for running the shuttle van, Bobby Stack for providing T-shirts and stickers, Gulf Coast Rob for donating to the cash prize and providing video recording,  and the many spotters and volunteers for making the event safe and successful.

Be on the lookout for the Clermont Invitational in the coming months.  8 invited riders, high cash entry fee, and a huge cash payout for the winner!

By Wes Foster

Edited by Shawn Tseng

Photos by Shawn Tseng