As most people would have guessed by now, Bill Bryan took top honors at Vilano this year.  Not only did he win the skimboarding competition but he also won the crossover tour earning himself an extra grand.  These were the top six in the skimboarding event:

1. Bill Bryan
2. Erik Christensen
3. Jason Wilson
4. George Bryan
5. Steve Boomhower
6. Brad Evers

The waves at the skimboarding competition were less than desirable this year.  Friday and Saturday the conditions were much better for surfing than skimboarding.  Afternoon skim sessions were plagued by stiff onshore winds which made reaching the already far out waves that much harder.  Morning sessions were rumored to be much better but I didn't get to experience them due to my love of sleep, and affinity for staying up late.

I didn't get to attend the crossover portion of the event but everyone said it was a great time.  The top four in the surfing event were:

1. Erik Christensen
2. Bill Bryan
3. George Bryan
4. Aaron Gaul

The top three in skateboarding were:

1. Drew Daniello
2. Steve Boomhower
3. Bill Baxter
4. Keith Peery

Erik Christensen was hot on Bill's trail to win the overall crossover competition but Bill would have needed to get third in the skimboarding portion to make it happen.  Needless to say, it was not to be.  Erik got second but was not able to bump him from the top spot in the skimboarding portion.  Steve Pullara was really happy with the way everything turned out.  One of the coolest things he told me about it was the fact that at the beginning of the skateboarding event some of the pro skater judges were asking themselves why they were doing this.  They expected that watching a bunch of skimboarders try to skateboard would be the most boring thing ever.  But by the end of the contest they were truly impressed by the amazing crossover skills of the competitors.  It's all about blowing minds.

On Saturday night everyone gathered on the beach to watch the new Tenth Street Bros film Vortex Children (which is really good).  At the end of the film a bunch of footage from the crossover tour was included.  The film was capped by the best personal fireworks show I have ever seen, the gnarliest bottle rocket war I have ever seen, and some night skimming by way of headlights.  It was a good time.

Some of you may be wondering where all the skimboarding shots are.  The truth is that the waves in the afternoon were really not worth taking pictures of, so I didn't.  I didn't have the motivation to get up early just to shoot shots on this particular trip.  So I apologize.

Thanks.

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