Search

Florida Vert Series News – Labor Day At Drakes

Florida Vert Series News… Calling all vert crews… Here is your chance for bragging rights in the dog-eat-dog world of the Vert Wastelands. From big sessions to full blown snake sessions, it has gone on for years! Nothing has changed with the FVS event. We just want to add something fun to the mix and recognize the bonds and brotherhood of skateboarding.

The Florida Vert Series event on Saturday September 2nd at Drakes is a grassroots effort that is all about participation not the competition…. We have added a guest stop to this year’s series, and, oh yeah, it’s not in Florida. Well, people started saying “I thought this was the Florida Vert Series?” Yes, that may be the name, but we have lots of friends from all parts of the country and we love road trips! Truth is we wanted an excuse to get out of town for some fun! So we are loading up the van and heading north on I-95 to North Carolina for Labor Day at Drakes “LDAD3” for stop 2 of the FVS.

What is Labor Day at Drakes? LDAD is 3 days filled with skateboarding that kicks off on Friday and doesn’t end till Sunday evening. Things start heating up on Friday as skaters start filling in throughout the day at Drakes for the vert session. On Friday, the skating does not end when the sun goes down on vert ramp…it just relocates to Eastern Skate Supply for a nighttime bowl jam. Saturday is when all hell brakes out with a full day of vert fueled madness and with the addition of the Florida Vert Series, BBQ & Brews is sure to be thriller that will be the HIGHLIGHT of the weekend! On Sunday things start winding down with a mellow D.I.Y. backyard crawl. The sessions progress from various spots around town to the next and skaters will be exposed to little bit of everything that Wilmington has to offer.

Bob Umbel – “LDAD is one of my favorite skate trips of the year and I can’t wait to get back for another gathering and some Carolina hospitality. They have a great skateboard community, I love the scene they have going!”

Adam “Scizzors” Effertz – “I attended Labor Day at Drakes the last couple of years and it is one of the best backyard vertical get togethers in the country and I’m stoked we will get to add the FVS event to it on Saturday Sept 2nd. I look forward to visiting one of my former hometowns and seeing my mom as well. Life is good”                     

The Landlord Brian Drake - Photo: JJ Kefalas

This is how it will go. Each crew member earns points for their division based on place finished. Only the highest placing crew members points will used in each division, regardless of how many skater are representing your crew in that division. Unlimited skaters per crew

“Orphans without a home Vert ramp can be adopted if approved.” Just give Bob and Adam your list of crew members. 

Crew should try and field at least 1 skater per Division

  • 12 & Under
  • 13 – 19
  • 20 -39
  • 40 -49
  • 50 & Up
  • Open

If your crew does not have a skater in a division you will not earn those points.

Example point allocation:

  • 1st = 1000 point
  • 2nd = 750 points
  • 3rd  = 560 points
  • 4th = 525 points
  • 5th = 420 points
  • 6th = 407 points
  • 7th = 395 points
  • 8th = 348 points
  • 9th = 300 points
  • 10th = 295 points

Crew with the highest point total wins Dinner Saturday Night and Bragging rights. The winning crew will be hooked up with 4 large Pizzas, 6 pack of Soda and case of Beer!

We will be Streaming Live coverage of the Masters, Grand Masters and Open Finals on Bob Umbel’s YouTube account.

youtube.com/user/bobumbel

By Skaters for Skaters, so we DON’T have any rules! However, we would like to provide you with some customs, standards practices and expectations for LDAD/FVS…

Friday September 1st

Drake’s Vert Warm Ups 10am till dark.

Friday Night Bowl Jam at Eastern Skate Supply

Drake’s Vert Ramp built by Ramptech

32ft Wide – 10.5ft Transitions – 1.5ft Vert

14ft Flat – 0.5ft Extension x 8ft wide

3ft Channel with pool coping on channel side

Brain Drake’s ramp is a PERFECT backyard ramp!!!

Saturday September 2nd: TITLE SPONSORS: S1 Helmet Co., Demon Seed Skateboards, Keeping Vert Dead, Moonshine Skateboards, Team Pain Skateparks and Vibronic Hemp Wheels have come together for the Open Prize Purse. New event shirts, BBQ and brews, and we will be hosting a good ole fashion Carolina BBQ.

At this time the Open Cash Prize Purse is $3,000

Example Payout:

  1. $1200
  2. $800
  3. $400
  4. $250
  5. $200
  6. $150

Nixon Award – The skaters that attended the first event will obviously have a leg up on the “Recognition of each divisions overall series finisher award”

Rain day Sunday September 3rd

We will have a tent set up next to the vert ramp for skaters to SIGN UP for their division and Pay their $10 entry fee.

Contest will start approximately 10:00am with 12 & Under

divisions:

12 & Under

13 – 19

20 – 39

40 & 49

50 & Up

Open

We may combine/expand any divisions with low participation within reason

We will add a Girls Division if at least 5 girls come out…..  

We will run each division to conclusion “qualifiers, final” then on to the next division

Awards will be presented directly after the Open Final

Each heat gets a 20-25 minute warm-up

(Uses the entire ramp. Skate with Speed, Amplitude, Difficulty, Commitment & Flow with a variety of tricks to maximize your score)

Divisions with 8 skaters or less will be considered a final and will consist of 4 – 35 second runs with your best run counts.

Divisions with 9 skaters or more will have to qualify for the finals. Qualifers will be 3 – 35 second runs and your best run will used to determine who advances to final.

For the skaters that advanced to the final. The final will be a Jam session and will consist of top 6 skaters based on best runs from the qualifier.

Final format:

  • Jam will be 30 minutes
  • No timed runs
  • No Rebates
  • Skate till you fall or finish run
  • 1 overall Jam impression score
  • Judging Criteria remains the same
  • 4-5 Judge Panel
  • All judge’s scores will count

Skater’s scores will be averaged from the judge panel.

Example:

1Judge – 89

2Judge – 91

3Judge – 92

4Judge – 91

5Judge – 90

Skater Score  – 90.60

 

We are pleased to announce Holidayday Inn Express Leland

1020 Grandiflora Drive, Leland, NC 28451

as the preferred choice for accommodations during the Labor Day at Drake’s event

We have a block of 12 rooms held until July 31st after that they will go back into inventory for general public so make your reservations soon! Keep in mind this event is during Labor Day Holiday so hotels will be hard to find and expensive!

call for reservations: 910-383-3300 or online HERE

Group name: “Florida Vert Series = FVS”

Room Rates:

$125 – Double – 2 Double beds + sleeper sofa

$110 – Single – 1 King bed + sleeper sofa

Includes Free Breakfest, Pets Welcome, Indoor Pool

Free Wi-Fi, Refrigerator, 37″ flat screen TV

 

Stay tuned to the Florida Vert Series web-site for updates! Follow FVS on Facebook & Instagram at:

https://www.facebook.com/floridavertseries/

https://www.instagram.com/floridavertseries/

Thanks to all of the sponsors of the Florida Vert Series: S1 Helmet Co., Demon Seed Skateboards, Keeping Vert Dead, Moonshine Skateboards, Team Pain Skateparks and Vibronic Hemp Wheels, 187 Killer Pads, Bones Bearings, Bones Wheels, Thunder Truck Co, Bulletproof Kevlar Laces, Nixon, Skeleton Key, Lake Skateboards, Creature, Purps, Gator Skins, Black Sheep Underground, Immortal Laces, Butcher Block, Speedlab Wheels, Flypaper Griptape, Madrid Skateboards, Tortoise Pads, Embassy Skateboards and Juice Magazine.

Follow Us

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Translate »