Albuquerque, NM
As the final games of the first round of SKATE were winding down, a lone skater signed in and became the 123rd competitor at the Los Altos Skatepark, hosted by The Beach Zone in Albuquerque. Being the 123rd skater meant he would be playing in 3-way games of SKATE all day long. This would be no easy task in blistering heat against 122 hungry skaters - but the heat, in the air and on the ground, did not faze John Thomson. Defending champ Paul Hockett and newcomers Brian Jackson and Andrew Torralvo could not hold off John Thomson as he battled his way through his 6th round of multi-skater games to win it all and take home that Boost Mobile i425 phone, an éS Game of SKATE Gold Medal and the all-expenses-paid trip to the finals in July, during the Maloof Money Cup, being held at the Orange County Fairgrounds.