Once again Mr. Mike Kays has put himself through hell to bring you the latest PASS (Pacific Amateur Skateboard Series) contest at the Hickam Hangar Air Force Base.

In an attempt to prevent a reenactment of the padless destruction of the T&C Contest and éS Demo last year, all skaters at this event were greeted with a full military code pat-down before entering the 250 maximum person capacity Hangar. Possibly inspired by the new fruity colors of all the ramps at the Hangar, the intent of the pat-down, or should I say heavy-petting, seemed a bit questionable. While checking for pads (or lack of pads) under articles of clothing, some skaters were denied access to the skategrounds, while others seemed to pass the chain linked gates with minimal headgear and minimal hassle.

Nick Yamasato tweaks an ollie | Anton Glamb nose grind thing

Fortunately, that’s about where all the limp wristed fun ended as a fierce contest quickly ensued. The divisions were large, with the sponsored division possibly topping the list with 20+ competitors. Each division was broken down into 6-10 person heats, where the top 3 skaters of each 2 minute heat advanced to the semi finals. From each semi-final, the top 3 advanced to the finals to compete for the top 6 placings. Multiply all this by the number of divisions in the contest and you have whole a lot of skateboarding. Interestingly though, the Sponsored division finals were broken down to the top 8 skaters who then competed in a head-to-head bracket-style elimination. The Sponsored division quickly became a test of endurance, as even the 8th place skater would have to skate and be eliminated on (I think) three different 45 second runs. Seemingly an eternity later, Nick Yamasato’s consistent kickflip grabs and large transfers led him to his first ever sponsored division victory.

Other highlights of the contest would be the little kid who did k-grind bs lipslides on the bank-to-bank flat rail; Chuck Mitsui’s blunt fakie on the fence off the quarterpipe (missed it... no video); Robbie Mendez tailsliding over the doorway; Jarrett Bush’s huge madonnas; Team "I Love New (Chase) York" who did consistent kickflips off the center piece; and finally it was entertaining to watch Skillet’s drunken ass fall all over the street course.

Little Brandon Kays flies the gap even though his bro has fled the islands

Ryan Lau's boyish charm helped him get into the Hangar with minimal gear

Jarrett Bush with a large
and loud madonna

Well deserving first place,
Nick Yamasato benihanas

Robbie Menendez learned tailslides
over doorway and did it in his run

Darrin Lee demonstrates
how to do a perfect kickflip

Skillet demonstrates how to get drunk and bend at the waist on nollies