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The 1st Annual Pat Wachter Pro Bowl Contest

Intro

Saturday

( 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Results After-Party )

Sunday

( 1 2 3 4 )

Women's "Ring the Bell"

Overview as the women begin

Cressey Rice frontside grabbing

Courtney Payne works the shallows like a mini-ramp

Ladonna Williams gives it a try

Cressey takes out a bell frontside

Sue slings a bell backside

Cressey takes out a tough to hit bell on the flat wall

Duncan wraps up the contest

� At some point, our own Brian Kelly had told Dave Duncan about a little game us "old guys" play in the bowl that we like to call "Ring the Bell" (taught to us by our Atlanta brothers). It involves placing small cowbells all around the bowl on coping at random spots. The trick is to see who can ring the most in one run. Duncan took right too the idea, and was all for using it today. Rather than the usual longest this or highest that type "fun" contest, we would be seeing some "Ring the Bell" action! The first to get to play were the women. Most all of the women skaters from Saturday stayed around for today's events. It was a nice way for them to make some extra money as well. Brian had put up a good bit to give out through the day. For example, Duncan would give out $10 for each bell hit in a run. Again, it was a pretty cool way to offer up some extra cash. For the women, the ones who didn't get prize money yesterday all made a little cash today. Cressey Rice and Susie Strege continued to battle it out for the top spot. Courtney Payne and Ladonna Williams made some impressive runs and some spending cash to boot.

Masters' and Locals' "Ring the Bell"

� The bell ringing fun continued with the Masters and Locals group. Again, those that did not head back home after yesterday all made it into the event. Again, Dave Duncan was kind with the cash, and those that didn't see prize money yesterday all made a few bucks today. Dave Duncan even got in on the fun. Duncan was one of the few to take out all 7 bells in one run while hitting a bell on each turn. That's 7 bells in 7 walls for those playing at home, and not an easy feat by any means. At the end of the contest, Dave Duncan stopped everything to make a special announcment and hand out an award. For being the oldest competitor in the contest and having the balls to skate with the pros through the most heated sessions all weekend, Mark Eddings was given a gift certificate by Brian Kelly to use at the Ride skate shop to buy himself a badly needed, new complete set-up. Mark is a legend in the Alabama skateboarding history, and this award was both well deserved and long overdue. All of us that know Mark and many that just know of him by stories were all stoked and gave him a standing ovation. It was a great moment, and we appreciate Brian and Dave for doing that (as well as those others close to Mark who were really behind it all).