I had a feeling it was going to happen. We were all feeling it and it is becoming a reality. When they finally separated park and street, as it made sense, instead of mixing the two and bringing two very different types of riders together, you could tell new riders were going to stand out in each discipline. And as park became more and more like a well-built skatepark, as opposed to a box jump contest, those creative riders we know and love came out of the wood works. And not only did new riders rise to fame, but typical park riders adjusted their riding to incorporate a more creative setup.

Out of the 20 or so riders in eliminations, the top 10 go on to compete in the finals, and some of these 10 wouldn't be caught dead in a park contest 5 years ago. So without further ado, here's the top 10:

1. Dennis Enarson
2. Scotty Cranmer
3. Chase Hawk
4. Daniel Dhers
5. Gary Young
6. Garrett Reynolds
7. Kyle Baldock
8. Diogo Canina
9. Ryan Nyquist
10. Brett Banasiewicz

Now, let's assess how these individuals got to the finals. As you can see in the video below, Dennis Enarson can mix it up. He rides every obstacle, does every trick, incorporates every style possible in every single run, from stylish, big airs to technical, diverse tricks. Scotty Cranmer took some notes out of Gary Young's book and literally jumped from one end of the course to the other, finding new lines and gaps nobody had thought of and was rewarded generously. My favorite name in this event, if I may have a bias as a journalist, is Chase Hawk. He is the kind of guy that can win a contest without a single flip, whip, or barspin, and he's coming close to winning the world's most prestigious action sports event with that strategy. Daniel Dhers found whatever operated like a box jump or a quarterpipe on the course and did the same tricks he always does. Gary Young, a fresh new face on the X Games podium, also found some creative lines as per usual and used parts of the course no other tires touched.

Garrett Reynolds, no stranger to X Games medals, put on a typical display of quick hands and technical prowess that may be wearing thin on the judges. We'll see if he can bring something new to the plate during the finals to get onto the podium. X Games newb Kyle Baldock wasted no time doing stuff nobody else can do, including a frontflip off of nothing really. It's not a jump... It's a ledge... And he frontied it. Diogo Canina is another rider who benefited from height and speed, evident as technical riders who rode slow and low were underscored. Ryan Nyquist, an X Games competitor for 13 years who has acquired 13 medals total, also qualified with a display of textbook truck drivers. Brett Banasiewicz experienced unfortunate bike issues and had some shortened runs and missed runs, but still managed to make the last spot so he can fix his bike and really have a run at gold in the finals.

Watch everybody in the Cult family from top riders like Dakota Roche to local hook ups like Andrew Castenada to the leader of it all Robbie Morales get down at the Vans Skatepark. Cult is taking over SoCal in true cult fashion...

A nice, long skatepark edit of Chase Hawk. This isn't the typical blasting style edit though; this displays Chase's technically diverse riding with a variety of manual maneuvers and peg-work. Howboutit?

Robbie Morales and the guys at Vans Shoes explain the recent collab and how the companies tie in together so well, sharing several riders and such. Keep an eye out for those Cult collab shoes and Vans collab grips in the future.

Odyssey held one hell of a jam in Austin called Texas Toast. This is the best event I have ever seen, ever. I will do anything I can to attend it next year. Dirt jumping is the best ever; obstacle riding is the second best. Check out a TON of great riders going crazy on this crazy course and even see Mike Aitken go through the trails first try, no run-up.





Speaking of Aitken shredding again, TJ Lavin, after his career-threatening injury, has decided to enforce full-face helmets at his backyard trails. This is cool, but I would personally enforce full-face and certified half-cut helmets, meaning no bucky lasek classics unfortunately. Full-faces are great, but they restrict sight and for some they throw off balance.