This article is part of the continued coverage of the '06 Top Challenge competition in Montreal, If you haven't already you should check out the Top Challenge Gallery  and the Top Challenge Coverage Video - Silverfish owes a great deal to the on site photographers; Daniel Vachon, Alexandre Ferland, Martin Duguette ; Brian http://brian.cancerkills.net/.

 

2nd and 3rd of September sliders from all over the US and Canada joined the local sliders of Montreal swelling the number of skaters performing a highly adept level of sliding prowess to over 30. Set over 3 days the riders sessioned both in the grand stage of Top Challenge as well as the hallowed hills of the Mount Royal Fire Station far away from the fan fare and formal nature of the competition.

Two riders from the west side check out the view. The dred on the right had hitchiked all the way from BC to attend the competition. Sean would later be caught trying to set mis-matched wheels on his slide deck in preperation for hitting Mount Royal. A quick word and he was running a set of mint sergio sliders. We take care of our own. The guy on the left would later be scarred for life by watching a half naked european run around the roybar. This was shot during the riders meeting, other than the times alloted for sliders little else was mentioned that specificly had to do with them. When the sun finally set we rolled to the Firestation on Mount Royal for an Outlaw Session.


This was the prize for the outlaw race, Badass.

The outlaw session was a style format one run two judges, with an elimination run at the end for the final riders to all run together. It was intense riding with so many skilled riders and for days to come it is most likely this session that prevented the sliders from cracking under the intense pressure while performing for so many fans in the open arena of Top Challenge. The run had a drawn our drop into a sweeper right. Many riders ate the curb and once the line was found even more were sailing through with style.


Poor pic, but it was a sick session and any one that was there would appriciate the reminder. If you have a better copy e-mail me.


Outlaw Podium. Noah, Sean, Dahl, WillJ and ET. Dahl later melted down the Eagle and now has a grill that says "KillerSkillz"

After killing it for hours on end the riders decided to roll out and save some skin for the next day. Not before WillJ got a sick reminder of his fun time in Montreal.

 

Yup, if you are wondering, yea that was AFTER he cleaned it.


Race Day, The conditions were less than desirable for sliders but everone was still stoked.

With the contest format allowing for little time for riders to take contest style runs, the riders all decided it would be more in the spirit of things to bomb the hill whenever they got the chance en mass. This would be a first and the judging would be done on the fly. The riders anticipated the first run and waited for their chance. When they got the word they were down.


Yup, 24 Sliders going down the run all at once. Nothing is more intense. Yes there were bails but it would thin the crowd a bit allowing the watching spectators a while to enjoy the rodeo clown antics of these sideways sliders. I mean, don't they just look happy as a monkey with a bannana?


Did I mention this fine young lady yet? Really? Okay well this is G. Or at least I think her name is G. Well it doesn't matter anyways she hates me. But that is neither here nor there. She has style and flow, not to mention a firey attitude and  spirit to match. It took 3 hours at barraka to convince her to compete. It was well worth it, although she was taken out early by a tragic injury it was still good to have a female of her poise demonstrating to the crowd that girls can rip too.


This dude was skilled and he had awesome facial hair, his extensions were solid and he had sick edge control. I really wish I had been able to ride with him more.

 

 
Good example of his pressed out extension, he would pull these back in with no effort. Maybe not the most flashy style but to pull off a clean stance like that with a smooth return takes skill.


Smooth manual colemans, both he and crappy were pulling these all day long. Both on Mount Royal and a session we hit later that night. It was interesting to watch how two riders who rode together and obviously evolved their forms while training in close proximity still managed to do the same slides tailored to their own style. This is a good pic of the corner as well showing the gauntlet of french enthusiasm the riders were greeted by. Time and time again when the runs were over the crowed eagerly anticipated the sliders, often verbally.


This was a solid pear-o-lito but it was nothing compared to the one he pulled the next day that was like 75' long. Then again it was raining and he was on a hill and he did have time to get some more blood. He kinda lost allot.

yup, ninjas call it the SF for short.

 
He is tall, and his power is very obvious in his slides. He got insainely better when he realized the competition was over. He trains with Dahl a great deal and has honed his skills to a razor sharp edge. He has the skillset and power to execute some advanced slides. There is no telling how far he will take his riding.


Sliding is the disposable sport. We don't just thrash perfectly good decks and wheels. We shred ourselves as well. We aren't wrecking planters in a downtown parks. We are tearing every fiber from our clothing while seeing truly how close we can get to the earth as it whizzes by our face. You can't market clothing to us as there is no similarity in our style until the end of the session and then the only resmblance we have to eachother is the pitbull chew toy aura our warriors garb takes on. Yes, these are the shoes of a warrior.


Yea and while we are on the subject of dress, check out the DIY job Dahl did on his knee pads. Innovation in action.


Innovation? Uhm, I have no Idea all I know is that this takes crazy intent to lay down, he has a small puck on his helmet and a fearless nature that allows him to do this. This is the move that solidified the judges call. Skill, paired with intent, is style.


Then again so is the simplicity of a good stall in a corner.


He was waiting at the wrong stop.


The slider pit, this is where the rodeo clowns waited for the truck to return the racers to the top of the hill. The mood in the pit was similar to, well nothing I have ever expirienced. However it did go to show how truly devoted sliders are to demonstrating their skills. 


So many great riders , So many  good people...


Good height, good control...


Ninja Visage


24 Sliders - One Hill and David Blaine's Skateboard


The walk back up the hill. Respect to the warriors in the arena...

I mean does it look to anyone else like they are swooping in for the attack. Yea man west coast for sure. Nah, WillJ ain't worried, he's a ninja, can't kill him he ain't  got no blood left. By this point he is running on hate, energy drinks and the scabs he is picking off his shredded arm to regain protein. Watching Dahl and Sean skate is awesome even if they are trying to kill my brother.

 

 
Montreal Skills in action, good shot of not only a killer extention on a drift but also a shot of what sort of pavement the riders were dealing with. Very broken up and hardly a hill. But they rode on it, and  killed it.


The Stoic Warrior - This represents to me the embodiment of how the Top Challenge Slide Contest was. A singularity every rider riding alone, even en mass. Seperated from the crowd and eachother by the definition of their own skill being described through action. There is nothing to be taken away, nothing to loose. The hill gives to the rider, with every slide.


"If the riders could be careful of the sound equipment"
1^st Chris Dahl, 2^nd WillJ, 3^rdFabrice, 4^th Sean
A celebration worthy of warriors.

"Better to die voluntarily crashing than to have the enemy send you down in flames."
-Billy Bishop