2011 KIA X Games Asia: Chris Haffy nails the Skateboard Aggressive In-Line Street final
The final contest of the 2011 KIA X Games (KXG) Asia, the Aggressive In-Line Street finals, went down on Monday, May 2nd, at the Jiangwan Stadium in Shanghai, China.
America’s Chris Haffey prevailed over the rest of the field to take home the coveted gold medal. His compatriot, Jeff Stockwell, managed to clinch silver. The last remaining spot on the podium was secured by Japan’s Soichiro Kanashima after he finished in
third place.
With the line-up comprising of some extremely talented skateboarders, the final showdown was expected to be intense. Determined to grab the top honour as well as impress the crowd that had gathered at the Jiangwan Stadium, the riders held nothing back.
While there were impressive performances from nearly all the finalists, it was Haffey who managed to walk away with the win. He made his intentions clear in the very first run, pulling off a few impressive reverse 360s. In his second run, he went on a rampage,
throwing down a 360 top sole, top-side Mistral, Tyre-spin, capping the run with a Blackside.
The outstanding run was clearly the best of the contest, earning him a score of 87.33 from the judges. The score remained unbeataben through the course of the battle and eventually carried him off to victory.
While the effort left him exhausted, Haffey clearly looked satisfied as he got off the podium. Talking to the media, he said, “This really exceeded my expectations as everyone in the field was just so good.”
He admitted that he was fortunate to get some rest after his first heat, unlike Brian Aragon, who was landing his runs in the finals a few minutes after completing his heat and hardly getting any time to rest.
America’s Stockwell remained pretty impressive during the final as well and unleashed his skills without any delay. In his very first run, he pulled off a string of sensational tricks cleanly and finished the run with a 360 spin on the transition pipe. His
excellent performance in the final earned him a score of 84.67 and the silver medal.
Kanashima was the third most impressive rider of the contest. An X Games veteran, the Japanese rider has already won a fair number of medals over the years and added one more to the collection, joining Haffey and Stockwell on the podium. Content with the
result, he said that China was the best location for Asian X Games.
"I like it best in China, said the skater. It's good here, and the fans give me power", he said.
The crowd at the Jiangwan Stadium have been appreciated by nearly all the action sports athletes participating in the 2011 KXG. While the next edition of the KIA X Games is still a year away, the wait has already started to get another dose of the adrenaline-pumping
action.
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