I don’t know about you, but I’m still buzzing about the incredible feats displayed by the Dew Tour athletes last weekend. Maybe it’s because I’ve been going over all the amazing photos from our photographers that we are sharing with you in these pages.
    Did you know that according to our friends at Alli Sports, around 73,000 fans turned out, the highest attended event in the history of the Dew Tour. I was thrilled and privileged to have the opportunity to talk with many of the athletes who held us spellbound with their gravity defying tricks.
    On media day Wednesday, our ‘undercover’ photographer Chuck Smith had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Pierre-Luc Gagnon (31, Montreal, Canada; now living in San Diego, Calif.) who had just arrived that morning (Wed.).

 

Q: Do you have plans or anything else you want to do while in Ocean City?
A: No, I really want to concentrate on practicing for the Vert competition.

Q: How did you get into pro skating?
A: When I was nine years old I won an amateur skate contest which got me on the Vans Warp Tour which I also won. They gave me a sponsorship and there I was in the pros. I’ve been with the Dew Tour since its beginning and I won last year’s Vert.

 

Q: What got you into the sport of BMX?
A: My brother Logan and I were training for the 2012 Olympics. After he passed away, I just decided to keep at it and join the pro tour.

 

Q: Have you been able to do anything else in Ocean City?
A: No. I’ve just been in the Park training.

 

Q: What’s up next for you?
A: I’ll be riding in the X Games and just plan to do this as long as I can.

 

    Next up, Melissa had the opportunity to talk with Pedro Barros (16, Florianopolis, Brazil) who won the Skate Bowl competition in his first pro outing.

 

Q: How did it feel to win?
A: It felt amazing just to get to the finals.

 

Q: What have you done since you’ve been here in OC?
A: Played some cards, went to the beach, got to swim a little bit.

 

Q: What’s next for you? Are you going to be in the X Games too?
A: Yeah, that’s the routine.

 

Q: How did you get into your sport?
A: It’s a way of life. I grew up next to a skate park where some legendary skaters came. They had a competition that I won and here I am.
 

   Winner of Skate Vert, with a second place win in Bowl, at the OC event, our “hometown” boy from Baltimore, Md., Bucky Lasek, (38) talked with Melissa.

 

Q: What inspired you to begin skateboarding?
A: My bike was stolen. I was into BMX but I got a skateboard for Christmas. It was easier to carry and I could bring it in the house. I’ve been skating ever since.

 

Q: What’s next for you?
A: I’m planning on skating in the X Games next week.

 

Q: Being from Baltimore, you come to Ocean City all time time. What do you love about our town?
A: Wow! I love the Boardwalk: Fisher’s Popcorn, Jolly Roger, Caruso’s subs, Thrashers Fries - all the crazy food. And the people are off the chain, you know. Just the overall vibe. Then there’s the beach with the surfers, the college kids... it’s crazy. I love it!
 

   We all loved it, too. It was truly amazing watching these guys performing with nerves of steel. They were all so friendly to their fans; when they were done with media interviews, they were obviously conscious of fans waiting to meet them. They took the time to talk with young fans and autograph shirts, shoes, hats and anything else presented to them. For guys who fearlessly fly through the air, they really were some of the most down-to-earth guys we ever met. Hope to see them again next year.