Original subtitles

[music]

[music]

>> Welcome back

to real skate stories. This

is the Turkey Shoot, an annual contest

run every Thanksgiving. The Turkey Shoot

wasn't just another event. It was a

statement. If you placed well here, you

weren't just good,

you were one of the best in the world.

Today,

we relive why this contest was so

pivotal.

The groms who would become legends

and the park that completely broke the

mold.

If you want to understand why modern

skateboarding is where it is today, you

have to understand 1983.

And now they're kind of going, "This is

unbelievable." I mean, there's something

[music] here that we've never seen

before, and it's more than just the

skating. It's just the the attitude.

It's the whole It's the whole package.

>> By the end of this video, you'll see

exactly how this one weekend at Upland

set the blueprint for every contest that

followed.

The year, 1983.

Skateboarding is on the edge of

something big. What started in empty

pools and backyard sessions is about to

explode into a worldwide professional

sport with real contests, real legends,

and real history being made.

>> [music]

>> But what truly set this contest apart,

what really gave it that legendary

status, was the location.

The Upland Pipeline, the most feared,

the most respected,

and without question, the most intense

skate park

of the era.

The Upland Pipeline Skatepark was the

vision of skater Don Hoffman. He

convinced his parents, Stan and Jean, to

build something radically different. You

see, at the time, existing parks were

too tame, too safe. Don wanted

challenge. He wanted vert.

He wanted a full pipe. He wanted big

bowls, and then

came the monster,

the Combi Pool,

the most intimidating skate structure of

its time.

A massive double bowl design, one

square, one round, connected by shallow

hips,

9-ft 9 transitions, 12-ft deep, rugged

brown coping,

no forgiveness,

no shortcuts. Tony Hawk described the

original Combi as intimidating, rough,

uneven, and hugely rewarding. Once you

found the right lines, this thing

demanded speed, power, precision.

You didn't just skate the Combi, you

survived it.

The locals, they called this place the

Badlands,

a proving ground filled with aggressive

terrain and even more aggressive talent,

drawing the best skaters on the planet.

And on November 25th and 26th, 1983,

it all came together.

At a time when skate parks across the

country were shutting down due to

insurance and liability issues,

Pipeline stood tall,

becoming a last stronghold for

progression and all-out gnarr.

The energy, unreal. For many in

attendance, this was the first time

seeing professional skaters in person.

Really, it changed everything.

This footage isn't just a contest recap,

it's a time capsule, a snapshot of the

moment skateboarding turned

professional.

When wide boards ruled and power,

technical skill, style, and finesse

collided. This was the turning point.

This was Pipeline.

And this was the birth of modern

professional skateboarding.

Bill Ruff, you had a lot of trouble that

first round. Do you think you're going

to make the top eight? No.

No, not at all. The scores are too low?

Too much falling, not enough

consistency.

You've done well well here before. What

happened this time?

I think it was just a fluke. I haven't

liked this pool for a long time, and

sometimes you can ride it, sometimes you

can't. Today happens to be one of the

days I can't.

Uh who do you think has the best

possibility of taking this championship?

Either Stevie or Lance Mountain.

Either one.

>> Who do you think your competition's

going to be today?

Uh probably

I'm going to have a tough time beating

pretty much anyone who entered. Mainly,

Lance Mountain, Mike McGill, Stevie

Caballero.

Who do you think your competition will

be here in the finals? I feel Mickey

Alba, Stevie Caballero, and Mike McGill

will be big threats against me today.

Who do you think your competition is

going to be? Uh pretty everybody.

Everybody's skating really well, so

I'm not saying, you know, who's going to

be the top competition or not, but

everybody is skating really well, so

everybody, I'd say. Who do you think

your toughest competition's going to be

for today's competition? Probably Lance

Mountain. Uh

definitely, let's see, Steve Caballero,

Mickey Alba.

Uh there's a lot of good guys.

Everybody's improving, you know, and uh

everybody's got a lot of tough runs.

Okay, with Lance Mountain. Lance,

you got into it pretty easy. How are you

How are you going to do against Steve

here?

I don't know. Um

I'll do better Santa Cruz if I

might wear it.

Okay, good luck to both you guys.

>> [music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

>> Okay, that's time. STEVE CABALLERO.

>> [cheering]

>> MIKE MCGILL.

>> [music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

[singing]

[music]

[music]

[music]

>> OKAY, THAT'S TIME.

Mike McGill.

Bill Ruff, tell us something about this

pool. Is it a difficult pool to ride?

Um not really. If you were You just have

to ride it a lot. It's like every

It's like wherever you ride, you just

have to ride it more, yeah.

More than the next person to do good.

Whoever rides it the most is going to do

the best.

>> [music]

[singing]

[music]

[music]

[singing]

[music]

[music]

[music]

>> That's it.

Bill Ruff.

What tricks should you Should we be

looking for you to do that's going to

win the contest for you?

Uh

well, if any, I guess uh

an aerial where I take my foot off, it's

the first trick that I do.

And

a twist over on this wall where I I just

go completely around 360 in the air.

Okay, fantastic. Hope to see you in the

finals. Good luck. All right, THANK YOU.

>> [music]

[music]

>> 547

>> [music]

[music]

>> 547

>> [music]

[music and screaming]

[music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

>> 15 SECONDS.

>> [music]

>> It's kind of a doggy dog situation with

all the top pros here. We've been

having contests all year between, you

know, between each other.

And, you know, every contest is real

battle cuz we we're really trying hard

against each other.

>> [music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

>> 15 SECONDS.

>> [music]

[music]

>> OKAY, THAT'LL DO IT FOR THE GAINER, MARK

ROGOWSKI.

I'M FAVORITE HERE AND I'M SKATING A LOT.

I've been practicing a lot, so I hope I

can do really well. I should be able to.

I got the lines. I'm confident, so Nicky

Alba skates for Santa Cruz.

>> [music]

>> Waiting for his music.

Here he goes, Nicky Alba.

>> [music]

>> Almost hangs up in the corner. Still has

a lot of time.

>> [music]

>> Hits the round pool.

Nicky ripping the aerials in the round

pool right now. Back

aerial back to back.

One more aerial, fell again. It's going

to cost him. Not a bad pretty good run,

so he has a good chance to make that top

four.

>> [music]

>> Tony Hawk's up next.

Top pro of the rider.

Again, one of the favorites TO WIN

TODAY.

>> [music]

>> TONY HAWK IN THE SQUARE POOL.

>> [music]

>> HE'S THIN and wiry, but one of the

strongest skaters for his size.

Does about every aerial trick there is

and invented some of his own.

>> [music and screaming]

>> He's working the round pool.

>> [music]

[music]

>> Oh, there's a barrel hand plant, but he

makes it. Good run for Tony Hawk.

Tony hitting the crowd pleaser.

Three back, Lance Mountain.

Okay, here we go. Lance Mountain, he's

finally ready. Lance is dropping in the

pool.

>> [screaming]

>> Lance Mountain, he's been

top qualifier all day long. Oh, Lance

blasting here. Is he [cheering] saving

his energy for last? Definitely.

He's going to put it to him.

>> [music]

>> Two out of three. Looks like Lance, if

he keeps it up, will take the first

round.

>> [music]

>> WORKING THE SQUARE.

>> [music]

>> 15 SECONDS.

HE'S REAL STRONG.

>> [music]

>> Here we go.

Oh, blast and all aerial. Hangs on. He's

happy about that run.

Lance Mountain. [cheering]

First run.

Come on. Let's hear the energy. It's

important to these guys. These are the

table rolls.

Okay, this is the money now.

Steve must

beat

Lance this round to stay in it. If he

doesn't,

Lance [music] will take it. Lance

winning the first round.

Working the round pool again with Lance.

>> [music]

>> Fella is really tired, though.

Here he goes. Woo!

Off in the square pool, straight down at

acid drop.

>> [music]

>> This is endurance. This little guy, one

of the top riders from northern

California, Stevie Caballero,

working that square pool,

hanging on for dear life here, trying to

stay in the competition and win this

round,

making it one and one and going INTO A

TIEBREAKER.

>> [music]

>> OKAY, THAT'S TIME. KEEP IT UP. THAT'S

TIME. He's standing on his board with a

real strong run. Stevie Caballero

for his second final run.

We'll see what his scores are and we'll

see what Lance has to do

to come out the winner of this

competition here, the Turkey Shoot Pro

Bowl Skateboard Contest here at Pipeline

Skatepark, Upland, California. Here the

scores are coming up. 93, 92, 93, 93.

Four 93s and a 92, that's a 93 average.

A 93. Lance Mountain has to beat a 93 or

they go one more time.

Okay, Lance Mountain is about ready to

drop in the pool now. Here he goes.

>> [music]

>> Boom! Putting the pressure right away

with the front side into the back side

aerial into another aerial into a hand

plant.

Pulling out all the aerial tricks in the

round pool. Now he heads for the shallow

into the square.

Corner carve.

>> [music]

[music]

[screaming]

>> 15 SECONDS.

>> [screaming]

[music]

>> THAT'S 15 SECONDS LEFT. GUYS, HAS TO be

a 93 average. A 93 average.

Can he do it? We'll find out shortly.

That's time. The crowd

>> [applause]

>> plotting a 93. [screaming] He has to be

A 93 for Lance Mountain. They're both

dead tired. Really takes the a lot of

energy skateboarding and these are two

fine examples of top athletes in the

sport of skateboarding.

Scores.

Looks like we have a winner for the Pro

Bowl. It's the winner. It's going to be

Lance Mountain.

>> [cheering]

>> If you love this deep dive into skate

history, make sure to hit that subscribe

button to join the community. One of my

favorite parts of this channel is

hearing your guys' perspectives. So,

before you go, drop a comment and tell

me, who's your all-time favorite skate

legend? Thanks for watching Real Skate

Stories. Catch you in the next one.

Yeah. Now go rip.