Report: Mr Popularity 2008

I wake up in a puddle of my own drool. The fact that I can feel its warmth is a good sign that I’m alive. I’m laying on a cold floor. When I open my eyes, all I see is darkness, there is a faint strip of light in the distance. My eyes adjust, and suddenly, the light doesn’t look so far away. I take a deep breath and my sense of smell catches the foul aroma of what I think is urine and vomit. I must have passed out drunk after last nights party. I must have passed out drunk on the floor of the hotel bathroom. This is my morning after in Kamloops BC, Mr. Popularity Contest 2008, waking up hungover in a strange place is expected.

Nestled deep in the Northern Cascade Mountain Range roughly 2 hours away from any major city or even the US/Canadian Border, lies the city of Kamloops in the provence of Brittish Columbia. Kamloops is known for one of the finest outdoor concrete skateparks that Canada has to offer. I might even go as far to say, one of the best outdoor concrete parks that North America has to offer. An unlikely location for such an awesome skatepark, but not unlikely that every year the most skilled skaters that Canada and the Northwestern US has to offer, names such as Richie Eisler, Tommy Cheung, Shawn Adair, Dustin Werbeski, Joey McGarrey, Randy Juarez, Jake Dotson, and Dallas Dirty, gather ever year to compete for the title of Mr. Popularity.

This years contest was run in a jam session fashion. Two obstacles in the park were selected for the competion. One obstacle and all the skaters in a 10 minute round made one heat. Points are awarded for best skaters in each heat. Bonus points issued to the skater with the best trick. To say the level of skating was amazing is an understatement. There was such a dynamic range of skating. At one end you had big disaster hammer tricks, on the other you had very technical spin tricks all done with steez and creativity. Creativity is the opposite of objectivity. To have objective judging is a complete fail.

Announcer Todd McInerny really tested his trick vocabulary with this contest. Excellent announcing on his part. He kept the crowd hyped and called the tricks right.



First round highlights include Jake Dotson, Budget Threads team rider, wowing the crowd with every which way spin to disaster grind.





Dallas Dirty caught my eye with disaster 360 front porn



Second round went equally impressive. Canadian legend Richie Eisler utilized most of what he could and executed steezy grinds and linked them into lines.



JT Truit from Tacoma, Washington got creative on the rail doing a variety of switchups including this topsoul to unity.




Defending champ Dustin Werbeski pulled some steezy grinds like this backside torque down the rail.



Second round ended up going to Tommy Cheung from Vancouver BC. The crowd went wild when Tommy rail gapped over the downrail to disaster soul and disaster acid.



Final results for the contest ended with Tommy Cheung taking first place with Best Tricks in both heats, Jake Dotson in close second and Dallas Dirty rounding out the top three. A grommet award was given to a young man (who’s name I was unable to get) performing grinds on obstacles clearly larger than his entire body.



All in all, Mr. Popularity Contest is a contest and I look forward to, every year. Canadians are some of the most friendly people, regardless of the contest title, the event feels more like a huge skate session than a contest. A good time is definetely to be had at the contest afterparty. If there is such a thing as too much fun, laughing, drinking, and enjoying the company of my fellow rollers. Mr Popularity Contest would be that such thing.

Photos and words by Erik Allas

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