US NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
The legend of La Costa lives on with the 2015 Sk8Kings U.S. National Championships of Slalom Skateboard Racing. So Cal Racing and La Costa Boys united again to promote regional racing and foster up-and-coming talent in the original hotbed of slalom. This fifth annual event, held July 11-12 in Oceanside, California, brough
t some of the world’s top racing talent to compete in head-to-head drag racing-style hybrid, high-speed giant slalom and technical tight slalom at the fast and furious Loretta Street hill venue.
Carrying a Main ISSA ranking and offering U.S. National Champion titles to winners, racers competed in Pro, Masters and Amateur classes for cash, prizes and titles. The list of competitors was stacked with world and U.S. champions past and present, including Joe McLaren, Richy Carrasco, Lynn Kramer, Mike Maysey, Brad Jackman, Scott Hostert, Kevin Delaney, Judi Oyama, Joseph Kyle Smith and more. In fact, even Gary Cross, the first world champion (2001) of the rebirth of slalom, was back at it charging in the Masters division this year.
This race is put on by racers for racers, with Lynn Kramer not only competing in the pro division but also heading up the collective and acting as race director. Loretta Street has a steep pitch and challenging surface that makes for one of the gnarliest racing weekends of the season. When the dust settled after three events over two days of racing, Joe McLaren was crowned “Lord of Loretta” for the fifth straight year. Joe swept the men’s pro division, claiming all three national titles, too. Overall podiums in each division are.
Thankyou to Concrete Wave Magazine, Issue Fall No.2/2015
