Elissa Steamer nabbed the top spot in the Skate Street competition. Jared Souney © Lat34

One Giant Leap for Women's Skate Street

There was something courageous & heroic about the Women's Skate Street Finals today.  Maybe it was the fact that there weren't any cameras on them (because ESPN isn't going to televise the event) or that the turn out was just about equal to yesterday's Men's Skate Street event, but regardless of the reason it was clear that this was an event the girls could be proud of.

The event was split up as the men's was, with one full run using every section of the course for each skater, and then a five minute jam session on each of the three major features of the course (the manual pads/ledges, the pyramid, and the four-stair-set with a handrail & two ledges).  Elissa Steamer took the top spot, followed by Lauren Perkins and Lacey Baker in second and third, respectively.  Marissa Del Santo, who came in fourth, showed an unbelievable amount of rail savvy when she stomped a kickflip fronstside boardslide down the four-set rail.  Young Lacey Baker also showed her true colors with a trick that would have held it's own in the men's competition, a hardflip down the four-set.

There has been a lot of controversy recently about the lack of TV coverage the girls events are getting.  But a show like this will help a lot in the forward motion of this sport's following.  Cara-Beth Burnside announced today, during the competition, that she's met with the President of ESPN and he's said he'll give the women's events the coverage he can this year, and would be televising them with emphasis next year.

Women's has come a long way, but that's not to say it doesn't have a long way to go.  There wasn't anything too impressive thrown down on the pyramid, and the speed of the skating was much slower than the men's event - but the girls were out there valiantly putting on a display of skateboarding prowess as best they could to please the crowd & themselves.  And it looked to all present like they were trying a whole lot harder than the men did yesterday.  You could tell these girls were a group who still cared who and still cherished the every ounce of the privilege afforded to all of us while pushing on our skateboards.

- Cody Allen