After three years of near perfect weather, the 2010 Downtown Throwdown finally served up a reminder that this rail event takes place in The Emerald City of Seattle, Washington. But if you think one little rainstorm is going to stop Krush Kulesza and Snowboy Productions from hosting one of the best rail events of the year, you've got another thing coming.
Downtown Throwdown
Think rain was going to keep these shreds away from the Throwdown? Then you don't know Seattle, son. Gallery
The Downtown Throwdown is a snowboard contest in the middle of Seattle's Pioneer Square, where every walk of life is bound to stumble upon this massive display of imported snow and scaffolding. From neon clad snowboard bros to cardboard totting locals that call the Square home, the DTTD always draws an eclectic mix of spectators. This year was no different and even though the rains came, so did the fans.
There seems to be a new guard of high royalty rail kids that show up to every major event and absolutely tears it apart, and there was no way they were going to pass up this opportunity to prove themselves once again. Their bravado should be noted, as standing on top of the two story drop-in to rail, to barrel jib, to wallride seemed intimidating enough in near perfect weather. But add in rain making the snow unstable and the rails either death-slide fast or scorpion-sticky and you are talking about scary on a whole new level.
The over-energized Johnny Lazz was there landing a mind melting amount of spin in/spin out rail tricks, while his completely calm counterpart Forest Bailey showed everyone what all the hype was about and crushed every feature. Ryan Paul has made a name for himself as one of the premier jibbers in the game and I don't think there was a rail trick he didn't land perfectly. Nick Visconti and Scott Stevens unveiled never-seen-before jibs like Nick's one-footed fastplant combos, and Scotty's front hand spring over the barrel jib. Ben Bilocq and Jake Kuzyk are known for their amazing video parts and definitely brought an overabundance of style with them. Austen Sweetin and Austin Hironaka belted out creative and consistent lines that no doubt have earned them the title of hometown heros. Jess Kimura was the only female rider and if you haven't jumped on the fan wagon, you better buy your ticket, because she's changing the face of women's snowboarding. She was throwing switch front boards with better style then any of the dudes. Jess is the real deal.
When the wet snow stopped spraying and the boards stopped spinning, the crowd belted out their excitement and the riders exchanged hugs and high fives. The "celebrity" judges (Zac Marben, Sean Genovese, Pat Milbery, and Darrell Mathis) had a hard choice in front of them. But at the end of the day, there was one rider who didn't miss a beat and landed more tricks in a couple of hours than some pros land all season. Minnesota native and all around ripper Ryan Paul was awarded the top honors, with Scott Stevens and Forest Bailey rounding out the top three. Kudos to Krush and Snowboy Productions for hosting another amazing event. We look forward to next year, minus the rain.
2010 Downtown Throwdown Results
1. Ryan Paul $3000
2. Scott Stevens $2000
3. Forest Bailey $1,000
4. Jake Kuzyk $750
5. Ted Borland $500
Zumiez Best Trick: Johnny Lazzareschi $1,000
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