Cradle Rock Bowl Contest – Bordeaux, France

For the 5th time, Transfert skateshop, was organizing the CRADLE ROCK CONTEST at the skatepark in downtown Bordeaux. It’s been famous for the laid back and relaxed atmosphere and its punk attitude. This year it was chosen to be a leg of the French national championship – 8 months of hard work to meet the demand and to organize it.

Melvin Abdou Salam. BS air. Photos: Fred Ferand

Battling a thirty degree+ temperature the under eighteen year old’s started the contest. Robin Bolain, a ripping eleven year old kid from Lyon, claimed the win with his numerous airs, tailslides and flawless runs while Vince Matheron, from Marseille kept everyone cheering blasting frontside airs and indys all over the park, and a 540 on the hip!

After a bank contest on the river Garonne’s wharf along the SKATEBOARD village, the eighteen and over final started in a cooler atmosphere, but the temperature rose high again when Jeremy Grinblat decided to play the jam format to the max… and all the finalists enjoyed the game.

Jeremy dropped in on everyone, executing textbook fs ollies, and tweaked lean airs, Gauthier Lavernhe always happy in a wild atmosphere, brought in raw pool style, grinding miles of coping at full speed, back and front smithing, doing a perfect no comply tailslide and popping his frontside airs. At the same time, Jeremie Plisson was going so high in the hot sky fearless of landing in the melee with his trademark great style!

Gauthier Lavernhe. Blasting a FS air way bigger and better than the young guns.

But the hot local Melvin Abdou Salam freshly signed by VOX and Santa Cruz didn’t choke in the clutch – he did every trick higher than the others and often switched them. The contest was going crazy with four riders at the same time, the Vox team, waiting to do a demo seemed like they were going to enter the craziness judging by the grins on their faces…

Cody McEntire inside at the Vox Demo.

Benjamin Garcia. Front blunt during the curb contest.

Yohan Lalanne. Stalefish.

Marlon. Ollie fakie.

George Pool. BS Boneless.

Pauliana Laffabrier. FS Air.

Jeremie Plisson. FS Ollie.

Jeremi Plisson. Tail drop off the rail.

Jordan Hoffart. FS Air.

Jeremy Hobon. 180 Ollie.

Jeremi Plisson. Frontside Nosebone.

George Pool. Backside flip off the launch ramp.

Nicolas Vivien. FS air.

Loic Morice. Crail.

Lolodu Porge. FS Ollie.

Alex. Double rail grab. Photo: Fred Ferand

Jeremi Grymblat. Boned out frontside air.

Vincent Milou. Melon grab.

Pierre Gosset. FS air.

Shawn Hale. Nosegrind.

Unknown. Boneless.

Vincent Milou. Sad (aka Melon) transfer.

Marlon. Doubles.

What a great day!

On Sunday, the masters competition took place and even though everyone was tired, the level of skateboarding stood strong. Batman from Angouleme took the first place barely beating a hot Loic Morice.

On a sad note, Julien Chauvineau, owner of Transfert skateshop, the brain behind the organization, torn his knee while warming up for the masters comp… but he kept on running the show from his little chair with an iced knee.

We are really looking forward until next year!

Thanx to: Transfert skateshop, Octopus, Vox, Santa Cruz, Bordeaux ma ville, About skateboard, Confusion mag., Hoax MFG, Artprint, All star gum, TSG, and Nova radio.

words and photos: Fred Ferand

Jeremie Plisson - 2nd place

Melvin Adbou Salam. 1st Place