If you’ve ever been to southern Washington, you know the landscapes could be considered breath taking. This past week was no exception. With hundreds of new windmills scattering the skyline, unpredictable weather, and skateboarders from all over the world, the Maryhill Festival of Speed was better than ever.
The week started with riders trickling into town and ready to skate. There was a bit of a hiccup due to some miscommunication with the EMT’s, which resulted in a late start on day 1. Spirits were far from dampened and the U-Hauls made their way to the top. The free-riding commenced along with the smiles and we rode Mary hard into the night.
This year the junior’s were out in full force with over 20 riders in total. Fellow Canadians George MacKenzie and Nick Jean did us proud, while young guns like Liam Morgan and Samuel Rojas Jr. (Tactis Sk8 Shop Team Rider) from California caught everyone’s eye. With their style and recently acquired racing skills, they were a force to reckon with. The women were well represented with a solid crew from the Great White North. In the end it was the one and only Brianne Davies taking the win. Dominique Vukorep of North Van was giving her a run for her money but crashed in Cowser’s (aka Seismic) Corner, allowing Brianne to maintain her lead to the finish line.
An interesting twist kept our spirits up when in house Aussie, Adam Yates, decided to compete in Classic Luge (aka butt-boarding). In a field of 22 racers, Yates finished 3rd after battling his way up from 10th position off the start line. Not to mention having almost no experience on one of these contraptions… I guess living in Vancouver has paid off as the rain didn’t seem to faze him!
As per usual, the Downhill Skateboarding Open Class was the race to watch. With insanely talented riders from around the globe, there was never a dull moment. The heats were stacked right off the bat and proved for tough competition all day. As the heavy rains set in, riders were scrambling for grooved wheels like Aqua Hawgs and a pair of dry socks. This didn’t deter anyone and the competition was on! Crashes were frequent which kept the audience in anticipation, never knowing who would cross that line first. Matt “Hoodie” Shaw was there to get the side bets going, and Bricin “Striker” Lyons pumped the crowd full of energy all day long. Douglas “Dalua” Silva of Brazil surprised everyone with his consistency in the rain and ended up finishing 2nd. Nate Lang finished behind Dalua in 4th after James Kelly made a pass just before the finish line for 3rd . Heavy hitters like Mischo Erban (who was dominating all week ) and Scoot Smith ended up in the bales, but still finished an impressive 5th and 6th amongst all the carnage. In the end it was Patrick Switzer of Ontario taking the win.
The awards were held at the race course for the first time, and Chris Chaput of Abec 11 made sure it was nothing short of green, pink and spectacular. We had boxes of shwag to toss to groms, who were especially frothing on the new Monster Hawgs, while some fresh decks were awarded for things like “most heart” and “up and coming juniors”. People were stoked.
The night continued with barn parties and dice rolling, which proved to be profitable for some. Rumors have it that Team Canada held it down and continued to win the party. With the clouds blown over, the windmills spinning and broken tents being disposed of, the Maryhill Festival of Speed came to an end. Until next year sweet Mary, and God Bless America.
Words by Carly Richardson
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