Best of the west 2015

BEST OF THE WEST 2015

THE SKATE-CIRCUS IS ON THE ROLL FOR 2015! MEET THE AMAZING ACROBATS, WONDER AT THE HIGH-RISE JUMPERS, SEE HOW THEY ESCAPE THE KINKED CLAWS OF PREDATORY OBSTACLES, RAMPS AND BANKS AND FLIP OPPORTUNITY TO THEIR OWN SUCCESS. LAUGH AND TREMBLE AT HOW THEY FALL AND STUMBLE AND ORDER YOURSELF A HOT-DOG AND SOME CANDY TO GO WITH YOUR ENTERTAINED SMILING FACE WHILE RELAXING AND SUPPORTING THE RIDERS. WE SET UP TENT IN BRUGES AND KORTRIJK, VISIT THE GREAT NEW DUTCH PARK PIER 15 IN BREDA AND COME HOME TO CLASSIC SPOT ROESELARE BEFORE ENDING IT ALL IN RAMPAFFAIRZ FOR THE SERIES’ FINALS. COMPETE IN THREE CATEGORIES, IN A BRAND NEW FUN SPECTACULAR FIVE-MINUTE RUN FORMAT WITH VERY FAIR CHANCES! GET IN THE RING, FACE THE SKATEPARK AND RETURN A GLORIOUS WINNER! CLOWNING AROUND ALLOWED!

WHO WE ARE

IN 2006, BEST OF THE WEST STARTED AS AN ANNUAL SERIES OF COMPETITIONS IN THE WESTERN PART OF BELGIUM. IT WAS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE COUNTY OF WEST-VLAANDEREN, THE 5 CITY COUNCILS OF OOSTENDE, BRUGGE, KORTRIJK, ROESELARE AND THE WELL RESPECTED SKATEPARK ZUMIEZ. IN 2012, BEST OF THE WEST BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL EVENT WITH A STOP IN AMSTERDAM . THIS CHALLENGE WAS MET WITH SUCCES AND IN 2013 THE EVENT HAD A STOP IN EINHOVEN (AREA 51) AND PARIS (FAR’N’HIGH) SINCE 2014, BOTW HAS GROWN TO BE EVEN MORE THAN A SKATEBOARD COMPETITION. BOTW IS ALSO A NON- PROFIT ORGANIZATION. BEING AN NPO WE CAN INVEST MORE TIME IN SKATEBOARDING IN BELGIUM AND FUNCTION AS A NEGOTIATOR BETWEEN THE SKATERS AND THE CITY COUNCILS. A DEDICATED FIVE MAN STRONG GROUP CONSISTING OF LIFELONG SKATERS, SKATECULTURE AND SKATE-INDUSTRY ENTHUSIASTS AND OUT TO PUSH AND HELP SKATEBOARDERS AND SKATEBOARDING IN BELGIUM AND EUROPE

WHAT WE DO

THE FIRST GOAL IS TO BRING SKATEBOARDERS TOGETHER FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND OFFER THEM A GOOD TIME. WE ALSO OFFER THEM THE CHANCE TO COMPETE IN THESE CONTESTS AND WIN SOME CASH OR OTHER PRIZES. OUR SECOND GOAL IS TO OFFER SKATEBOARDERS IN THESE SMALLER TOWNS A TEMPORARY SKATEBOARD FACILITY DURING THE COLDEST AND DARKEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR. IT ’S ALSO A TOOL TO SHOW LOCAL POLITICIANS THAT SKATEBOARDING IS ALIVE IN THEIR TOWN AND THAT LOCAL FACILITIES ARE NEEDED.

WHEN AND WHERE

NEW RULES

CATEGORIES

BEST OF THE WEST IS OPEN TO ALL SKATEBOARDERS, ALL AGES, ALL LEVELS. WE TRY TO KEEP IT AS FAIR AS POSSIBLE FOR EVERYBODY SO OUR CONTESTS ARE DIVIDED IN 3 CATEGORIES:


• 14 YEARS AND YOUNGER (YOUNG RIPPERS SKATE FOR FAME AND SKATEBOARDSTUFF)

• 15 YEARS AND OLDER (MORE EXPERIENCED GUYS SKATE FOR FAME AND SKATEBOARDSTUFF) 

• ALL AGES OPEN (BRANDSPONSORED SKATERS AND ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS SKATE FOR HARD CASH)


WE ALLOW MAX 40 RIDERS PER CATEGORY

CONTESTFORMAT

THIS YEAR WE SAY GOODBYE TO THE CLASSIC ONE-MINUTE RUN FORMAT. INSTEAD WE HAVE OPTED FOR A TENNISTABLE FORMAT WITH 5 MINUTE JAMS. PARTICIPANTS WILL FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE AND LESS STRESSED WHEN SKATING IN 5 MINUTE JAMS WITH ‘5 SKATERS AT THE SAME TIME THAN HAVING TO SKATE ALONE IN A SINGLE MINUTE RUN. NOW THERE IS MORE MARGIN FOR ERROR SO SKATERS CAN TRY MORE DIFFICULT TRICKS. THE TENNISTABLE MODEL AND THE MIXING OF THE GROUPS AFTER EVERY ROUND ALLOWS US TO GIVE MAXIMUM OF CHANCES FOR PARTICIPANTS TO REACH THE FINALS.

Qualifications

• 40 SKATERS DiVIDED IN 5 GROUPS A B C D E
• A B C D E ARE 5, 5 - MINUTE JAMS WITH 8 SKATERS
• THE 5 BEST SKATERS OF EVERY GROUP PROCEED TO ROUND 2

• 25 SKATERS DiVIDED IN 5 GROUPS A B C D E
• A B C D E ARE 5, 5 - MINUTE JAMS WITH 5 SKATERS
• BEST SKATER PER GROUP ADVANCES STRAIGHT TO SEMIFINALS
• OTHER 4 SKATERS PER GROUP GET A SECOND CHANCE TO QUALIFY IN ROUND 3

• 20 SKATERS FROM ROUND 2 ARE DiVIDED IN 5 NEW GROUPS F G H I J, SO EVERYBODY MEETS NEW OPPONANTS
• F G H I J ARE 5, 5 - MINUTE JAMS WITH 4 SKATERS
• BEST SKATER PER GROUP ADVANCES STRAIGHT TO SEMIFINALS

Semi finals

• 10 SKATERS ARE DVIDED IN 2 GROUPS K AND L
• K AND L ARE 2, 5 - MINUTE JAMS WITH 5 SKATERS
• BEST SKATER PER GROUP ADVANCES STRAIGHT TO FINALS
• THE OTHER 4 SKATERS PER GROUP GET A SECOND CHANCE TO QUALFY IN THE SECOND SEMI - FINAL

• 8 SKATERS FROM SEMI - FINAL 1 ARE DEVIDED IN 2 NEW GROUPS M AND N
• M AND N ARE 2, 5 -MINUTE-JAMS WITH 4 SKATERS
• BEST SKATER PER GROUP ADVANCES STRAIGHT TO FINALS
• THE OTHER 3 SKATERS PER GROUP GET A FINAL CHANCE TO QUALIFY IN THE THIRD SEMI - FINAL

• THE LAST 6 SKATERS FROM SEMI - FINAL 2 GET A FINAL CHANCE TO QUALIFY IN GROUP O
• O IS A 5 MINUTE JAM WITH 6 SKATERS
• THE BEST SKATER OF THE GROUP PROCEEDS TO THE FINAL

Finals

• THE BEST SKATERS OF GROUPS K L M N O SKATE TOGETHER IN A 5 MINUTE JAM THE BEST SKATER WINS

RESULTS