Where: Austin, Texas
When: April 6, 2008

AUSTIN, TEXAS- A beautiful Austin day, with clear skies and highs in the 80s was the setting for Under360 productions’ second annual "Grind: Action Sports and Music Festival" presented by Scion and Tigé Boats. This is the first event of the 2008 Grind Series, featuring a wakeboard rail jam, skateboard competition, live music from Eve 6 & Mickey Avalon (among others), vendors from the action sports community, and other festival activities for kids of all ages. The event was a great opportunity to see these sports up close and in your face.

The Boardstop.com Wakeboard and Wakeskate Rail Jam featured local and professional riders such as Keith Lidberg, Tino Santori, Gabe Lucas, Tom Fooshee, Clint Tompkins, Bret Little, and many more all battling it out for the $1000 Boardstop.com First-Place Prize for wakeboarding for wakeboarding and the $500 Texas Shreds First Place Prize for wakeskating. The finals were a whos-who of Pro rail riders with Tino and Keith going head-to-head for the first place prize. In the end Tino took home First-Place with a 270-transfer to the high-rail, 270 out and a couple of 180-transfer to nosepress backside 180-out. Keith Lidberg took home Second-Place with a switch toeside 270-transfer to backlip and Tom Fooshee took home Third-Place prize.

In the wakeskate division, it came down to defending Grind Champion Bret Little and Texas pro wakeskater Clint Tompkins. It was a fierce contest, with Clint kickflipping onto the funbox and Bret doing a couple shuvits onto the funbox, but Bret's boardslide gap of the ghost frame took home the Texas Shreds $500 First-Place prize. Clint did not go home empty handed though with the $250 Second-Place prize. Bret was the only wakeskater to attempt the ghost rail all day. Coming in Third-Place place was local Chris Collinge.

The skateboard competition was the sleeper hit of the event. A giant street course was constructed on site, so over 40 local and professional skateboarders could compete in a Jam format for over $1200 in prize money. Max Taylor took home First Place and the giant $700 check, followed by Manuel Castro in Second-Place with the $400 prize and finally Grant Jensen with the $100 Third-Place prize. Austin-local No-Comply skate shop was also on hand for skateboard demos throughout the day.

Not to be outdone, the bands put on a stellar display of live music throughout the day. The crowds packed in to see headliners Eve 6 and Mickey Avalon. Combine that with the rail jam, a skateboard competition, great food, graphic artist exhibits, custom boat and wakeboard accessories, skateboard demos and equipment, and much more, you’ve got what is quickly becoming the ultimate Action Sports festival in Austin.

Special thanks to: Ed at Boardstop.com for always being there to support the community; Tim at Wetsounds for the eardrum bursting PA and occasional helicopter and F-16 fly-bys; The Texas Wake Team for their assistance in setup, rider registration, and teardown; Greg Lawrence at Lake Lessons and Blake Hess from Texas Ski Ranch for their microphone duties throughout the day; Kip at Tigé Boats; Evelyn and Kevin at Scion; the team from Ski Dock; Clint with Epic Film Production; Swami Studios; and Joey with FuelTV! Without all of their support none of this would have been possible!