Skate life til ... victory

Ryan Sheckler is still ‘only’ second overall at the Action Sports Tour. The skateboard community however still thinks he’s going to bag his fourth consecutive overall victory. Seven reasons why they could be right.

1. Unbeatable consistency

 

Since 2005, Ryan has won three of the five AST events every year. In 2008 he has already garnered two victories. Keeping this in mind, and in order to keep his year-average up, he still has two chances.

2. Arm now healed

 

In Cleveland Ryan only achieved eighth place – his weakest AST career result to date. (Before that, he’d never come worse than fourth.) The reason here was a recent broken arm – which is now sufficiently healed.

3. Self-confidence boosted by most recent triumph

 

That his injury was the only reason for this bothersome aberration was proven by Ryan at the third event, the Wendy’s Invitational in Portland, Oregon. With a score of 89.50, he dominated the Skate Park finals and celebrated a superior victory.

4. Skating may be his life ...

 

Ryan may appear to be a sunny boy. But behind that dapper exterior is a hard-working top athlete who entirely devotes his life to the sport. His new forearm tattoo also symbolizes this, with the words ‘Skate Life Til Death’.

5. ... but not the only purpose

 

Ryan protects himself from business myopia with side jobs, which also keep him on his toes. He’s just finished shooting the third season of ‘Life of Ryan’ for MTV. In his hometown San Clemente, California, he contributed to the construction of a skatepark. And for his own charity project he’s constantly collecting donations – most recently at a charity golf tournament.

6. Toughest rival his best friend

 

One other aspect that wards off an unhealthy doggedness in the fight for the cup is the way the list of the top placings reads. Paul ‘P-Rod’ Rodriguez, for example, the current overall leader, is one of Ryan’s best friends. ‘You just can’t write the guy off,’ P-Rod sighed after Ryan’s triumph in Portland. ‘But this year I’m going to give him a real run for his money!’

7. Second X Games gold

 

And last but not least, he’s already achieved at least one of his goals for the season: At X Games 14, Sheckler picked up his second X Games gold medal, having scored the first one in 2003 as the youngest X Games winner in history – at the modest age of 13.