GRINDTV Newswire - via Alli Sports (May 10, 2010): Following a gold-medal-winning performance at the Vancouver Olympics in snowboard halfpipe, Shaun White will now be vying for a new title to add to his collection - SkateboardingWorld Champion. White's opportunity for his second major accolade of the year will take place at the Dew Tour's Skate Open, International Skateboarding Federation (ISF) Skateboarding World Championships June 25-26 at Boston's legendary TD Garden. Tickets forthe first stop of the 2010 Dew Tour are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com starting at just $15.

"Winning my second gold medal at the Olympics was unbelievable, and I'm excited to get back to skateboarding," White said. "After taking a year off, the Dew Tour's Skate Open is the perfect place for me to kick-offmy summer of skating."

Highlighting the athlete roster for the Dew Tour's Skate Open, two-time Olympic gold medalist White immediately switched his focus to skateboarding for the remainder of the 2010 season after claiming his second consecutivegold medal in the men's snowboard halfpipe competition at the Vancouver Games. Almost as accomplished on the vert ramp as he is in the halfpipe - capturing the 2007 Dew Cup with three straight event titles before taking home an X Games gold medal that samesummer - White will be competing at the Dew Tour's Skate Open - his first skateboarding contest since his recent Olympic snowboarding victory, and his first time competing for the title of Skate Vert World Champion.

In addition to White, top skate athletes from around the world will be competing at the Skate Open in both skate park and vert, including defending Dew Cup champion and Skate Vert World Champion, Bucky Lasek. Boston-local Andy Macdonald, up-and-comer Alex Perelson and vert legend Bob Burnquist will also be among those competing at TD Garden against White in a fierce battle for both the Skate Open win and the title of ISF Skateboarding World Champion in the vert discipline.

The defending Skate Park World Champion and three-time Dew Cup champion, Ryan Sheckler will look to repeat his World Champion status again in 2010. However, he will have to contend with the likes of Paul Rodriguez,Chaz Ortiz and Greg Lutzka.

A sneak peek at the skate park course for this year's Skate Open, ISF Skateboarding World Championships is available by visiting www.allisports.com

The Skate Open schedule of events is as follows:

Friday, June 25 - Gates open at 3pm
3:00pm Festival Village opens
3:45pm-5:00pm Women's SKB vert prelims
5:15pm-6:45pm Men's SKB park prelims, Group
17:15pm-8:45pm Men's SKB park prelims, Group
29:00pm-10:30pm Concert at City Hall Plaza
Saturday, June 26 - Gates open at noon
Noon Festival Village opens
4:00pm-4:45pm Women's SKB vert finals
5:00pm-6:00pm Men's SKB vert finals
7:00pm-8:00pm Women's SKB park finals
8:30pm-9:30pm Men's SKB park finals
**Schedule is subject to change**

Since the beginning, street skateboarding has been an outlet of expression for those, who for the most part, don't want to follow the stream into the bear's mouth. It's a solo thing, that's why it appeals to those who shy from organized sports. The guys who have been in it for the long haul will definitely remember the days went it was not accepted, but now with this explosion of worldwide popularity, it's as mainstream as the fore mentioned salmon.

Now, with all this exposure and profit potential corporate America is drooling all over itself in anticipation of its slice of word, metal and urethane pie. And what does this bring? Contests, duh. America's a capitalist country, it needs competition, and Americans need to know who is the best. Thus, we have skate contests, which aren't a bad thing. The guys that don't like them have the video outlet to go to, and the guys that want to compete have their options.

What's the point to all this? The contest guys have too many options when it comes to the mega contests. I'm talking about the big guys, "The Fortune 3": Cole, Sheckler and Rodriguez, they're skateboarding's indicators, if you see them at a contest you know there's some serious coin involved. The problem is they've all won different things, so technically we don't know who the best competitive skateboarder is.

There's just so many super-contests and no organization: Maloof Money Cup, Dew Tour, X Games and now Drydek's Skateboarding League. They all have different formats, and if I remember correctly from science class the way to figure something out is to create a control. Sooner or later some of these are going to have to merge. Cole has won Maloof and The Dew Tour Championship, Rodriguez has won Maloof and the X Games, and Sheckler has won the Dew Championship and the X Games. See, not one of them has won the same two.

Skateboarding should take a lesson from surfing on this one. If you want to be the best competitive surfer in the world you join the ASP World Tour. You start on the Qualifying series and work your way up to the main tour. Kelly Slater has won the World Title nine times, he is the best competitive surfer ever. That's that. Skateboarding's contest world on the other hand, is like a fire drill in that giant Asian country that's been all the rage of late.

Chris Cole at the Maloof Money Cup.

Yesterday, Paul Rodriguez edged out Najah Huston and Keegan Saunder to take the 2010 Tampa Pro. It's considered by many to be the most prestigious skate contest in the game, and now Rodriguez has proved, once again, that he has both sides of the spectrum covered. He is currently the reigning champ of X Games street, a cooperate mainstream contest for the masses, and now the Tampa Pro, a core skate contest for true skateboarders.

Some sides notes Peter Ramandetta proved he's the real deal by pulling in 4th, and Ryan Sheckler made his return to competition after an injury to take 5th. Matt Miller won Best Trick for his backside noseblunt up the ledge. Stay tuned for more coverage.

Full Results:

1. Paul Rodriguez
2. Nyjah Huston
3. Keegan Sauder
4. Peter Ramondetta
5. Ryan Sheckler
6. Torey Pudwill
7. Luan De Oliveira
8. Danny Fuenzalida
9. Greg Lutzka
10. Chaz Ortiz
11. DennisBusenitz
12. John Rattray

Best Trick:

1. Matt Miller
2. Torey Pudwill
3. Sierra Fellers
4. Jordan Hoffart
5. Joey Brezinski

Skate Photographer extraordinaire, Atiba Jefferson, took out 2009 X Games Street Champion, Paul Rodriguez, in a game of the S.K.A.T.E. the other day. Atiba's no slouch on a skateboard, he used to be semi-pro, and get shots in the mags and stuff, but that was some time ago. Now, he's one of the most respected photographers in skateboarding, and has even branched out into taking portraits of NBA players like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant for Slam magazine.

Well anyway, check P-Rod get taken out by a photog in the video below:

Check out some more footage from the Baker Death Wish crew's recent visit to the Paul Rodriguez skate park in LA.