Did Video Kill the Contest Star?
Versus: Did Video Kill the Contest Star?
By Rob Brink
TransWorld Skateboarding September 2004
There aren't many things in this world that transcend classification. Skateboarding, although we'd love to think otherwise, is another one of those things full of labels and genres—and “types.” Within skateboarding, many can be classified and few cannot. There seems to be a very defining differences between the “Contest Pro” and the “Video Pro.” Of course, there are a few who walk the line quite well—Eric Koston, Rick McCrank and Tony Trujillo are a few that come to mind. And until this list gets denser, we have either the video pro, or the contest pro. Neither is necessarily a bad thing—it just is what it is. You decide who has it better—or which is the lesser of two evils.
Mandatory Attire
Contest Pro: Yellow helmets
Video Pro: Bandanas, whips, chains, et cetera
Residing In
Contest Pro: Europe or Brazil
Video Pro: Southern California and maybe with a place in New York
Corporate Sponsorship
Contest Pro: Energy drinks, bubble gum, deodorant, soup, car wax, and generic shoe stores
Video Pro: Cell-phone companies only
Okay, We-Guess, It's-Skateboarding-Related Sponsorship
Contest Pro: Sunglasses
Video Pro: Backpacks
Partying Cronies
Contest Pro: Dave Duncan and Brian Schaefer
Video Pro: Paris Hilton, Jack Black, Tom Green
Visas
Contest Pro: Desperately trying to obtain one
Video Pro: Just put the “dubs” on one
Promptness
Contest Pro: First to be out on the course
Video Pro: First to have the latest Mac gadget
Speaks
Contest Pro: With a smile due to language barriers
Video Pro: To those on his team
Follow Filmer
Contest Pro: ESPN's hanging-from-the-rafters zip-line extreme cam
Video Pro: Homey's VX equipped with extremely large lens
Autographs
Contest Pro: Signs little kids' T-shirts
Video Pro: Signs bar tabs and the occasional pair of breasts
Video Coverage Consistency
Contest Pro: 411 Vancouver Two-Thousand-And-Whatever—year after year
Video Pro: No part sine '99 but
“that part was banging!”
Primary Income
Contest Pro: World Cup prize purses
Video Pro: Anything from product slanging to multi-million-dollar shoe contracts
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