2009 éS game of SKATE presented by éS footwear

Hood River, Oregon

Posted on Jun 18, 2009

After waking up and boarding the van, our research led us to Voodoo doughnut shop in Portland for breakfast. Voodoo doughnut shop not only has some of the best, and wackiest ideas in doughnuts, they have a mellow hippy vibe that both contradicts and compliments the décor and doughnuts.

Phil got a Bavarian cream- filled pastry that looked a little more like the male reproductive organ, but despite it’s shape, Phil enjoyed his breakfast.

Doug’s glazed doughnut was the size of a frisbee, and the chocolate doughnut covered with rice krispies and peanut butter was a favorite of ours. We got our eat on, then headed to Hood River for the game of skate.

We rolled up to Hood River, Oregon, and were already impressed by the unique downtown atmosphere. The downtown had a super cool vibe along with unique shops and restaurants. After arriving early at the IPS skateshop and setting up early, we had a little free time, so half of the crew and I skated up to the Hood River skatepark to check it out before the game of skate started. It was a long and grueling uphill skate, but it was totally worth it once we arrived at the skatepark. We rolled around for a little bit, then coasted downhill back to IPS for the event.

Only 44 skaters entered the game of skate, but the skaters were psyched, and the skills were not disappointing. The shop owner, Tom “Wally” Inouye, greeted us with open arms and sick shop t shirts for the crew. Needless to say, the crew was psyched. I was surprised when I learned that Wally was featured on the cover of the first issue of Skateboarder Magazine. Wally is also credited for the first wallride and backside air. Pretty impressive. After an interesting day of flip tricks, James McCoy took the gold medal, and earned himself a flight to Cali. Congrats bro! Following the game of skate, we rolled over to the Full Sail Brewing Company for a bite to eat. We stuffed our faces and had a great meal full of laughs, as always.

Following the meal we rolled back to the Hood River skatepark to meet up with Wally and some of the local rippers. The Hood River skatepark is pretty much built down in the woods and the park is actually designed around the trees! This is a very uniquely designed park and was easily the best/most fun skatepark that I’ve ever skated. I can’t speak for the rest of the crew, but I’m sure that they all share the same opinion. It has everything that a well-rounded skatepark should have. I could go on forever about the Hood River skatepark and how unique and fun it is, but I suggest that you search the internet for photos to see for yourself. I highly suggest that if you’re a skateboarder, you make your way to Hood River skatepark before you die. We skated the park for about 2 hours and got some good footage. Wally and the Hood River locals are super rad skaters, as well as some of the kindest people. They definitely made us feel at home. After skating the park and hanging out with the locals, we hit the road and headed back to our hotel in Portland.

While on the freeway, we came to a standstill due to a gnarly accident 30 miles up the freeway. We got out of the van to see what the matter was, and had some fun walking around and “acting a fool” before deciding to barge to the next exit. We took a scenic detour along the Washington side of the gorge, which had beautiful Columbia River scenery as always. Our trip back was fueled with energy drinks and loud music, which got the crew all hyped up for a hilariously entertaining ride home.

I have to give a shout out to Hood River for having the nicest people, a great atmosphere, and of course, the best skatepark ever. Also, credit is due to Wally and the IPS folks. Hood River seems like it would be a great place to call home. Real Talk bro.

Text: Chinner
Photos: Phil Blair