Yesterday wheel
turners from across the Hawaiian island’s gathered on the South Side of Oahu
for the finale of the 2014 – 2015 Hawaii Winter Outlaw Series season and The
Scorcher 5 was the ultimate way to conclude it.
Riders battled it out
1 vs. 1 all day on the steep, roughly paved hairpins and by the end of the day
we had our new Scorcher champ as well as our overall Hawaii Winter Outlaw
Series champion.
It is a beautiful,
dry sunny day out and stoke is in the air.
Racers lined up at
the start, decided on what push style they would start, then with the drop of a
rock they were off down the course. There is very limited push area before you
enter the first left hairpin so having a good start was KEY. After gripping
through the first left on the inside smooth patch you get to the big straight
of the racecourse. Steep, roughly 250 feet or so, potholes that at times take
up half the road, full of cracks and topped with w concave. Once rumbling down
the straight you get to the fastest corner of the hill, a sharp right hairpin
that you need to throw a biggg drift for with a nice little smooth inside patch
to link on. This corner is known to make or break riders. Tumbles, sliding into
the dirt and the occasional road rash tends to happen here.
If you survive the
right you tuck hard down the last little straight into the last left hairpin…
id say this is the most underestimated one. Though not as scary as the previous
right, this one can get pretty tricky. Some go for the grip, others drift and
the difference between these lines have resulted in some last minute passes in
the past.
This turn like the
rest is steep, pretty rough and filled with cracks. It does have an inside
smooth patch like the rest of them which all racers shoot for. As soon as you
exit the corner there’s just enough space to tuck for one last second then you
cross the finish line.
After a few rounds of
quick starts, fast drifts, a few crashes n’ passes we got down to our final 4
racers. 2 of them are still in the running for the overall series title.
We have a past
Scorcher winner Dante Alston up against fellow Oahu shredder Ian Coronas who
has been killing it all season. In the other heat we have Maui’s Zach Newman,
who is #2 in the overall points at this point, up against KJ Nakanelua who is
#3.
In the first heat
Dante started in front of Ian. Both riders skated fast and clean making the
course look like butter. At the bottom Dante was able to hold it together in
front to take the win.
The next heat got a
little more interesting. Zach got ahead of KJ in the first corner and into the
straight. Both riders drift clean through the fast right and tuck into the
final corner. When entering the left Zach goes to throw a small pre drift and
ends up over sliding. Still on the small inside patch of the corner, nearly
touching KJ, Zach whips a 180 and finishes the race in switch and crosses the
finish in 1st moving him onto the finals with Dante.
Now the consis are up
and it’s KJ vs. Ian. KJ gets the front position into the first corner and the
straight. Both regular foot riders took a run as clean as it gets and kept it
close. Holding the lead till the finish was KJ by a couple board lengths ahead
of Ian.
The finals are up,
Dante and Zach.
Dante is able to get
in front in the first corner and down the straight. Both skaters tuck as hard
as they can, getting ready for the drift for the right. Dante throws his one
handed backside predrift just ahead of Zach’s… Dante able to link up just a
little bit before Zach. As soon as they grip up they are back into their tucks,
shooting down the final straight followed by running spectators. Dante sits on the corner, Zach drops a hand…
both riders exiting fast. Zach’s exit speed just wasn’t enough to pass Dante
into the finish.
Oahu’s Dante Alston
takes home his SECOND Scorcher WIN.
We left the hill and gathered at a nearby park for the big results and prizes.
We were loaded with
gear and cash to stoke out all the racers who participated. Deck, decks, decks,
trucks, wheels, bearings, bushings, griptape, T’s, gloves, pucks, toe stops,
hugs, high fives and all kinds of other goods thanks to out loyal supporters
who we cant thank enough.
When the points from
this event were all added up a few positions changed and we had our 2014 – 2015
Hawaii Winter Outlaw Series Podium. Maui’s Zach Newman’s Scorcher performance
was just enough to get him into 1st Place overall. Not only did he
kill it by helping organize an epic Maui Challenge… he was on point through out
the whole season and it paid off. Did I mention its his birthday?! Not a bad
day to win the season.
Right in his draft in
second is last years champion Dakota Camp. Coming in third is style master KJ
Nakanelua.
I’d like to thank
everyone involved with the series for helping to make it another amazing
season. We are spreading the stoke of the Hawaiian Downhill Skateboarding scene
more n’ more every year and don’t plan on stopping. Be sure to keep an eye out
on WheelTurnerHawaii.com for details on the next Hawaii Winter Outlaw Series.
The Scorcher 5
1st Dante
Alston
2nd Zach
Newman
3rd KJ
Nakanelua
4th Ian
Coronas
2014 – 2015 Hawaii
Winter Outlaw Series Overall
1st Zach Newman
2nd Dakota
Camp
3rd KJ
Nakanelua
4th Ian
Coronas
Hawaii Winter Outlaw
Series Champions
2010 – 2011 Series
Champion – Mackenzie Yoshida
2011 – 2012 Series
Champion – Mackenzie Yoshida
2012 – 2013 Series
Champion – Nikko Kamanuwai
2013 – 2014 Series
Champion – Dakota Camp
2014 – 2015 Series
Champion – Zach Newman
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