
Now that we've seen the new ISX judging system, one that instantly scores the skaters in this trick-by-trick format the bigger picture is beginning to take shape.
First and foremost, we have an idea of who is going to shine. Names like Nyjah Huston, Shane "Nugget" O'Neill, Torey Pudwill and Sean Malto. With the exception of Nugget, a guy who's talent had been known by the skate industry for some time but to the mainstream is a bit of an unknown, these names should come as no surprise.
We now also know who needs to either change their Street League approach, or simply step their games up. These are the guys who were expected to do very well, for two of them anything short of a win is a disappointment. This list includes: Chris Cole, Paul Rodriguez, Chaz Ortiz and Greg Lutzka. These skateboarders make up slots 5 through 8 in the overall standings. Cole, who is currently ranked 5th, and Rodriguez, who is currently ranked 7th, really need to bounce back from disappointing finishes (for them) in AZ. Remember, these are the only two skaters to ever win a Maloof Money Cup. Then there's Ortiz and Lutzka who have had stellar years over on the Dew Tour with Lutzka currently ranked 1st overall and Ortiz 2nd.
Finally, the AZ stop put a little bit more proof to the hunch we all had about the straight up video guys. These are the skaters that have put together some of the best video sections skateboarding has ever seen, and at the same time have been virtually unknowns in the contest world. Dyrdek wanted the best skateboarding had to offer, and these guys certainly are, but not so much in a competition. Look for names such as: Mark Appleyard, Davey Gonzalez, Dylan Rieder, Mike Mo Capaldi and Brandon Biebel to struggle once again. All of these skateboarders have had incredible rolls in videos over the years. Appleyard in all the Flip videos, Gonzalez in the most recent Flip video, Extremely Sorry, Mo Calpaldi and Biebel in Fully Flared and Dyaln Rieder in Mind Field and .Dylan (a Gravis short film). But in the setting of skateboarding as a sport these guys will probably remain extras.
The qualifiers will start Friday and it will be interesting to see who makes it through, since everyone has to qualify. And the main event is Saturday, by the end of the day, a somber day in American history (9th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks), we will have a better idea of what Street League Skateboarding is amounting to.
Here are the current standings straight from Street League:










