Shaun White Wins Skate Vert at 2007 Panasonic Open

Jun 28 2007 / Baltimore, MD

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  The Skate Vert finals of the 2007 Panasonic Open took place Saturday (Jun 23) under extremely summer skies in Baltimore and Shaun White blew past the competition to take his second Panasonic Open title and third overall win on the AST Dew Tour. Bob Burnquist ended up in second with a 91.00 and local favorite Bucky Lasek (87.50), skating in pain, could not keep up and ended up in a tie for 3rd with Andy Macdonald after falling in two runs. Pierre-Luc Gagnon was fourth (82.00) and Alex Perelson fifth (81.75).

The overall format of the event was changed this year, allowing each skater to have three 45 second runs, with the best of the three counting.  This allowed the skateboarders to take more chances with the extra run.  Additionally, the shorter time meant a "down and done" rule was in place, meaning if a rider fell, he was out.  And fall many riders did, especially following their first run -- most of the top scores were locked after the first run, including Shaun White's 94.25, which was the highest winning-score in skate vert in the history of the Dew Tour (Gagnon scored a 94.00 in the 2005 PlayStation Pro).

PHOTO GALLERY    Get a look at the 2007 Skate Vert Finals, including shots of White, Burnquist, Lasek and more in action... View Gallery> MORE DEW TOUR  Ryan Sheckler Wins Skate Park    View Gallery> Read the Story> Be Sure to check our Dew Tour Home for all the latest including BMX Vert and Dirt Results. Coming later today, BMX Park and FMX...

White's winning run was jammed with tricks including a huge heelflip frontside air, backside grab 540, frontside fakie 540 straight into a backside fakie 540 and, of course, a 720.  He was and was basically flawless.

Despite his spotty past in the Dew Tour, when White is on, he is unbeatable, and even his fellow competitors feel it.  Neil Hendrix went so far as to predict that White would "massacre the competition."  White definitely set the bar high by leading the prelims on Friday.  Those same prelims saw last year's second-place finisher in the Dew Cup race, Sandro Dias, be eliminated.

Lasek (pictured, right), the Dew Cup winner in 2005 and '06, said before the competition that he would be getting arthroscopic surgery on his knee in Baltimore on Monday, then rehabbing there until Cleveland's Right Guard Open.  But he was thankful he was able to perform in front of hometown fans.

"They were amazing," Lasek said  "I definitely felt the love."

Check out the full set of results from the finals and prelims:  Full Skate Vert Scores and Results - 2007 Panasonic Open