Picton named IGSA North American Championship site

On the heels of a highly succesful first world class downhill skateboarding and street luge event last fall, the International Gravity Sports Association has announced Picton as a North American Championship Race site in the 2011 IGSA NorAm Downhill Series.
The County’s Kolby Parks initiated the event in 2010, and with a lot of help from family, friends and volunteers, will be at the helm again this year.
Five North American events will make up the inaugural season with races in Canada and the United States.  At season’s end, champions will be crowned in Open Downhill Skateboarding, Women’s Downhill Skateboarding, Jr I and Jr II Downhill Skateboarding, Street Luge and Classic Luge.

The NorAm Downhill Series will be comprised of both World Cup and Continental level races, however all five events will award the same number of points to the winner.  Each riders’ best four finishes will count toward their season points total.  Champions will be crowned in each division at the final race of the season.

“With the growth and success of the IGSA World Cup Series, more and more events have expressed a desire to become a part of it,” said IGSA president Marcus Rietema. “The demand for World Cups has exceeded what the IGSA can supply.  With the launch of the NorAm Championship, more events can be part of a meaningful IGSA Championship.  Competitors who may not have the resources to go after the World Cup Series Championship can now stay on the Continent and race for the NorAm Series title.”

2011 IGSA NorAm Downhill Series
June 11-12                 Vernon DH                                       Vernon, BC, Canada

June 29-July 3           Maryhill Festival of Speed                Goldendale, WA, USA

September 2-4           Winsport Canada Cup                     Calgary, AB, Canada

September 17-18       PEC Gravity Fest                             Picton, ON, Canada

October  8-9               NorAm Finals                                   San Dimas, CA, USA

2010 PEC Gravity Fest world-class

images courtesy stevendraper/polepics ©2010   www.polepics.com

The County’s Kolby Parks is no longer the reigning luge champion but the smile on his face couldn’t be bigger.
Parks brought the excitement of world class downhill skateboarding and street luge to Picton on the weekend for the Prince Edward County Gravity Fest. This 2010 Canadian Downhill Skateboard and Street Luge Championship was be the first International Gravity Sports Association (IGSA) sanctioned race in Ontario.
Seeing the best of the best come down the Pitt Street hill was a dream 25-year-old Parks has had since he was about 13 and first watched Marcus Rietema racing on television. Rietema is now president of the IGSA and was front and centre helping out this weekend as chief steward. Rietema congratulated the entire Parks family (Nancy, Gary, Kolby and Krisha) for hosting the event and ensuring every detail was perfectly in place.
The event welcomed beginners and world champions with competitors ranging in age from 11 to 50.
Competitors raced on a 1.2 km course with a maximum grade of 14 per cent. More than 2500 straw bales lined the track which featured four distinct corners with two separate braking zones that will ensure lots of passing. The favourite spots for spectators were at the finish line, and at “crash corner” (Pitt and York).
Saturday’s racing was under a clear sky, so rain on Sunday added an additional challenge to racers. Many of them spent the morning between practice sessions cutting grooves into their wheels to help with hydro-planing. And despite the rain leading into the finals, racers showed enthusiasm for the sport and camaraderie with their peers.

By Marcus Rietema
Patrick Switzer scored a dominating victory in Sunday’s downhill skateboarding final at the Prince Edward County Gravity Fest / IGSA Canadian National Championships beating George Mackenzie (9th qualifer) and Maxime Garant Rousseau (8th qualifier) to the line on a wet, soggy day.
Rousseau and Mackenzie scored a number of key upsets in the rounds leading up to the finals.  First the pair eliminated number one qualifier Niko Desmarais in the quarter finals.  Then the duo eliminated number four qualifier Mischo Erban in the semi-finals to earn their berths in the final.
Switzer seemed to be saving his best efforts for the later rounds.  He deliberately rode slowly in the early rounds to not show what he was capable of.  In the semi-finals he seemed to uncork his best stuff leaving his rivals far behind.  In the finals he never really seemed to be pushed either.  He simply put the hammer down and rode away from his rivals to earn the Canadian National Champion title.
Luke Melo also had an outstanding weekend.  After winning the Jr II downhill skateboarding title earlier in the afternoon, Luke rode a solid race to earn a place in the finals.  In the race he simply overcooked it entering the right hand “Crash Corner” hitting the bales on the exit.  At that point all his hopes of finishing on the podium were done.
Louis Ricard was the winner of the consolation final earning him fifth place.  Pascal Jean, John Barnet and Mischo Erban finished in that order behind him for sixth, seventh and eighth place respectively.

Louis Bouchard won the Classic Luge Canadian National Championship  and Quinn Dubois the Jr I title. Luke Melo wons the Jr II Canadian National Champion title.
Results below photos

Prince Edward County Gravity Fest / IGSA Canadian National Championships
Open Downhill Skateboarding Top 10

1. Patrick Switzer
2. George Mackenzie
3. Maxime Garant Rousseau
4. Luke Milo
5. Louis Richard
6. Pascal Jean
7. John Barnet
8. Mischo Erban
9. Niko Desmarais
10. Mike Jakubiec
Street Luge – Results
Pos No Surname First Name Nat Best Points
1 27 Bouchard Louis-Etienne CAN 1:33.635 316.87
2 9 Touchette Bob CAN 1:34.091 304.63
3 33 Kinnish Nick GBR 1:38.591 298.82
4 5 Parks Kolby CAN 1:36.297 293.53
5 8 Lavoie Bob CAN 1:34.627 288.62
6 4 Kamink Nick CAN 1:36.840 284.03
7 2 Kleinstueber Justin CAN 1:41.703 279.71
8 6 Anderson Brennan CAN 1:37.367 275.61
9 53 McGowan Langdon CAN 1:44.987 271.70

Classic Luge – Results
Pos No Surname First Name Nat Best Points
1 27 Bouchard Louis-Etienne CAN 1:36.693 316.87
2 5 Parks Kolby CAN 1:40.142 304.63
3 33 Kinnish Nick GBR 1:38.508 298.82
4 8 Lavoie Bob CAN 1:35.951 293.53
5 4 Kamink Nick CAN 1:50.492 288.62
6 53 McGowan Langdon CAN 1:46.583 284.03
7 10 Brickenden Cam CAN 1:56.123 279.71
8 6 Anderson Brennan CAN 1:43.347 275.61
9 40 Dubois Quinn CAN 2:05.279 271.70
10 2 Kleinstueber Justin CAN n.a. 267.95

Downhill Skateboard – Results
Pos No Surname First Name Nat Best Points
1 3 Switzer Patrick CAN 1:30.370 316.87
2 43 Mackenzie George USA 1:32.769 304.63
3 49 Garant Rousseau Maxime CAN 1:32.599 298.82
4 23 Melo Luke CAN 1:30.498 293.53
5 50 Ricard Louis CAN 1:33.211 288.62
6 42 Jean Pascal CAN 1:33.915 284.03
7 25 Barnet John CAN 1:31.793 279.71
8 1 Erban Mischo CAN 1:31.033 275.61
9 39 Desmarais Nikolas CAN 1:30.029 271.70
10 14 Jakubiec Mike CAN 1:31.464 267.95
11 17 Tibbles Braden CAN 1:33.205 264.35
12 46 Lavoie Ben CAN 1:40.916 260.89
13 51 Komarov Dmitri CAN 1:35.477 257.54
14 53 McGowan Langdon CAN 1:36.813 254.30
15 34 Ketner Aaron CAN 1:37.181 251.15
16 48 Hellreigh Noah CAN 1:42.458 248.09
17 11 Domerecki Keenan CAN 1:31.380 245.12
18 30 Readings Justin CAN 1:33.973 242.22
19 10 Brickenden Cam CAN 1:34.453 239.39
20 47 Triponez Yan CAN 1:34.828 236.62
21 44 Wilcox Andrew CAN 1:35.266 233.92
22 52 Tremblay Ludovic CAN 1:38.469 231.27
23 45 Gilbert Fred CAN 1:40.080 228.68
24 55 hebert Emilie CAN 1:45.854 226.13
25 16 Napier Matthew CAN 1:37.374 223.64
26 13 Harris Evan CAN 1:37.991 221.19
27 22 Camball Scott CAN 1:40.474 218.78
28 56 newton James CAN 1:40.947 216.41
29 32 Ouimet Charles CAN 1:41.672 214.08
30 18 Zimmerly Justus CAN 1:42.975 211.79
31 12 Epp Jason CAN 1:46.939 209.53
32 450 Finocchio Quin CAN 1:35.340 207.31
33 24 McGowan Matthew CAN 1:40.856 205.11
34 29 Cholette Jean-Michel CAN 1:42.913 202.95
35 28 Pidgeon Simon CAN 1:44.839 200.82
36 58 Williamson Scott CAN 1:45.146 198.72
37 57 Davenport Brian CAN 1:45.395 196.64
38 21 Dron Maggie CAN 1:54.959 194.59
39 40 Dubois Quinn CAN 1:58.182 192.56
40 41 Korczak Ryan CAN 1:40.535 190.56
41 6 Anderson Brennan CAN 1:42.159 188.58
42 26 Livingston Matthew CAN 1:48.019 186.63
43 20 Leslie Andi CAN 1:56.745 184.70
44 38 Jurisa Trevor CAN 2:06.795 182.78

Women Downhill Skateboard – Results
Pos No Surname First Name Nat Best Points
1 21 Dron Maggie CAN 1:54.959 316.87
2 20 Leslie Andi CAN 1:56.745 304.63
3 55 hebert Emilie CAN 1:45.854 298.82

Junior II Downhill Skateboard – Results
Pos No Surname First Name Nat Best Points
1 23 Melo Luke CAN 1:30.498 316.87
2 30 Readings Justin CAN 1:33.973 304.63
3 48 Hellreigh Noah CAN 1:42.458 298.82
4 450 Finocchio Quin CAN 1:35.340 293.53
5 35 Milonti Anton CAN 1:53.928 288.62
6 32 Ouimet Charles CAN 1:41.672 284.03

Junior I Downhill Skateboard – Results
Pos No Surname First Name Nat Best Points
1 40 Dubois Quinn CAN 1:58.182 316.87
2 38 Jurisa Trevor CAN 2:06.795 304.63