FISE Chengdu 2019 – Skateboard Street Contenders
There have been some fresh faces stepping up on the 2019 FISE World Series (FWS) Skateboard Street podium – and they’re stealing a lot of attention!
Spurred on by a homeland advantage, Japan’s new generation of skaters threw down gnarly lines at Hiroshima to kick off FWS. Ryo Sagawa landed trick after trick: his switch frontside flip and a hardflip front board on the down rail had our jaws on the floor (and the 10,000 points up for grabs in the bag).
Following in the 20-year-old’s footsteps, Japan’s Ike Keyaki swept to 2nd position in another onslaught of young talent. Aged only 18, he had big shoes to fill to reach the podium, but proved that pressure was no hinderance to his game plan as he gained a massive score of 90.10!
One month later, Ike’s cool, calm style again proved fruitful on Montpellier’s concrete skatepark, although his near-perfect performance couldn’t stop USA’s Ke’Chaud Johnson topping the leader board.
Ke’Chaud duelled Ike’s composure with unparalleled speed and power. Gliding across the concrete, the American was already in contention for the win when he landed the biggest trick of the weekend. On the buzzer, he flew over the gap and straight up to take 10,000 points!
Ike’s consistency after the first two legs of the Series maintains his overall lead of 18,000 points. Close on his heels are the Hiroshima and Montpellier winners, Ryo and Ke’Chaud.
Last year’s FWS Champion, Riso Tury, is some distance behind in 4th, but if there’s anything we’ve learned about action sports, it’s never to discount a Champion! At the FWS Launch Event in Saudi Arabia, Riso showed us what he was capable of, snatching silver in the Battle of Champions.
Current positions
1. Ike Keyaki – 18,000 – Japan
2. Ryo Sagawa – 17,700 – Japan
3. Ke’Chaud Johnson – 17,200 – USA
4. Riso Tury – 12,600 – Slovakia
5. Brandon Valjalo – 9,000 – South Africa
FWS skateparks have witnessed lots of memorable moments this year. Take a look at how some of these have shaped the current standings…
Ike Keyaki’s FISE Hiroshima 2nd place
https://dai.ly/x766ewf
Ryo Sagawa’s FISE Hiroshima Winning Run
https://dai.ly/x766d2m
Ke’Chaud Johnson’s FISE Montpellier Winning Run
https://dai.ly/x79xmy4
Riso Tury’s FISE Battle of the Champions 2nd place
https://dai.ly/x74bcah
Check out more FWS memorable moments on FISE Instagram before FWS 2019 wraps up in Chengdu, 31 October–3 November.
