Hoedown 2011 by Jordan Smith
Quoting Jordan Smith:
Every year for the last fifteen years, rollerbladers from all over the world gather once a year at Eisenberg Skatepark in Plano, TX.
They come together compete in one of the most grueling contests of their sport. Eisenbergs Skatepark is officially closing and the 15th annual Showdown at the Hoedown was the last of the series.
This is a catalog of the events I captured on 10/29/11 at the Hoedown. I have been attending the Hoedown since 2005.
Photo: Randy Edwards (more). Songs: White Ring – IxC999 ; Salem – King Night
Hoedown: Time Machine
2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005.
2011 Winner: John Sullivan.
2010 Winner: CJ Wellsmore (full results).
2009 Winner: CJ Wellsmore (full results).
2008 Winner: David Sizemore (full results).
2007 Winner: Chris Haffey (full results).
Tags: hoedown, hoedown 2011
November 1st, 2011 at 1:42 pm
JAREN GROB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 1st, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Why is it closing?? suxx pretty bad!
November 1st, 2011 at 2:10 pm
too bad this contest stop …
this one looks pretty bad though , i means check out last year edit , tricks , names , style were bigger , not hating on those guys they all did a great job, but as it’s the very last of time hoedown toke place so i would have love to see bigger names came to support.
anyway congrats to everyone and a special thx to Mr. Arlo himself for all he does for the sport
November 1st, 2011 at 2:15 pm
because the park is closing at it says : “Eisenbergs Skatepark is officially closing and the 15th annual Showdown at the Hoedown was the last of the series. “
November 1st, 2011 at 2:33 pm
what happen? why closing? wheres the pros?
November 1st, 2011 at 2:43 pm
The pros don’t want to skate big comps anymore because they’re afraid they’ll get hurt, or maybe butt-hurt if some amateur beats them.
November 1st, 2011 at 3:03 pm
that was just crap not evin 1 pro
November 1st, 2011 at 3:08 pm
shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit o yes that was shit
November 1st, 2011 at 3:14 pm
WTF Jacuzzi not win?!
November 1st, 2011 at 3:21 pm
^ agree with FU….jacuzzi..all the way.
November 1st, 2011 at 3:32 pm
Appeared to be a real lack of big names there which is a shame.
A much, MUCH bigger shame though is that such a famous skatepark that has hosted such a famous event for so many years has to close.
Take it that’s just through a lack of visitors to it? So sad that things like this happen.
Skate Factory in Germany
Roller Parc in France
Eisenberg Skatepark in America
That’s three massive losses, not to mention some of the companies that have gone under (Mindgame of all companies!) and it’s heart-breaking to see.
A question in relation to the business/finance side of things-did these parks allow skateboarders/BMXers in? I never saw footage of any of them containing skaters and bikers. If they didn’t it may have been a business shot to the foot.
November 1st, 2011 at 3:42 pm
why the fuck did jacuzzi not win???
November 1st, 2011 at 3:55 pm
I remember when Eisenbers opened and it was on ESPN for ASA. I think Cesar Mora touched the ceiling on the vert ramp or something. But, there was a whole story about it and how it was an old shopping mall turned into a skatepark and that it was in memory of Arlo’s grandfather. It was a well known place, and who has known about it since then? What exposure has it received since then?
I know a lot of pros weren’t there, but Arlo was there. I can’t speak for him, but I would have to say he was more concerned with the people skating than the people who weren’t. All I know is that when Eisenbers closes and zero pros show up for the last Hoedown, it tells me that rollerblading is in big trouble. All of you who think it’s cute that rollerblading is “underground” and “pure” are blinded by your counterculture obsessions. Grow the fuck up. Without some mainstream exposure, rollerblading is going to be stuck in the current shit spot that it is. Just let it get divided a little bit more and see what happens.
November 1st, 2011 at 3:56 pm
the last 2 years the contest has died. I’m not sure if it is a lack of promotion or people just don’t want to come out to the comp anymore. Even though no Big names were their all the people that skated in it killed it. It doesn’t matter that their were no big names. It’s nice to see a decent amount of people at the event supporting it.
November 1st, 2011 at 4:00 pm
jacuzzi got robbed
November 1st, 2011 at 4:06 pm
Soo did I miss something awesome that john Sullivan did because from.what I saw jacuzzi was killing it….
November 1st, 2011 at 4:06 pm
Soo did I miss something awesome that john Sullivan did because from.what I saw jacuzzi was killing it….
November 1st, 2011 at 4:16 pm
rollerbladings gonna die if you dont bust your asses, you all know that
November 1st, 2011 at 4:21 pm
@Darthroller: This park was insane big. 1. They allowed Bmx and boarders on all sessions. I would think it’s because they know it’s for Rollerbladers. I mean the first thing you see when you go in there is the skate shop then the walls of fame with the skates Arlo used to win his first X-games all the way up to Feinberg. Then you have obstacles that’s really hard for Boarders to do unless they get really good and they love wax inside. Both other sports need it and hate it.
To the comment of no Pros. Jaren Grob won Xgames twice for street. That definitely counts as a pro plus he had his own skates for Roces. There were a few pros there, unfortunately the “Hoedown” in their eyes isn’t enough points to get hurt or go to texas for even though it’s one of the best parks ever.
November 1st, 2011 at 4:25 pm
rollerblading is already dead, everybody tries to sell their skates and nobody buys.
November 1st, 2011 at 4:28 pm
Jacuzzi killed it. Skaters vote amongst themselves for the winner. Hometown slant this year.
November 1st, 2011 at 4:37 pm
hard to believe tho. its half dead for years, but theres a core left still
November 1st, 2011 at 4:53 pm
john sullivan has the worst style ever.. nothing creative, just a bunch of fairly difficult tricks.. what a joke.
November 1st, 2011 at 5:17 pm
Songs used in the vid? I’m liking em.
November 1st, 2011 at 5:32 pm
john Sullivan didn’t deserve to win from what I see in this edit
November 1st, 2011 at 5:34 pm
Jacuzzi murdered, eaven the audience recognized he was the winner. yeye, sux to be him i suppose
November 1st, 2011 at 5:46 pm
Seeing Sullivan’s name next to pro’s like Wellsmore, Sizemore, Haffey, Aragon, and Bailey is like seeing Erick Rodriguez’s name up there. We all know his tricks are never gonna be that good. No offensive to Sullivan.
November 1st, 2011 at 5:52 pm
Thanks for the response dyed red deshis.
Sad times for rollerblading.
November 1st, 2011 at 5:58 pm
Jacuzzi was killing it…… why didn’t he win?
November 1st, 2011 at 6:04 pm
Grob is not a pro. Grob was a pro. He was not as good as many of the people skating in that comp. Counting him as a pro for this comp makes this whole conversation even that much sadder.
November 1st, 2011 at 6:05 pm
2011 Winner: Andrew Jacuzzi
November 1st, 2011 at 6:20 pm
This brings me to my next point. We do not appreciate young talent in this sport at all. Back in the day, most of the pros were teenagers. Now, it seems like you have to be at least 20 to turn pro. Beyond that, most of the pros now are at least 26+. You have to be up someone’s as to turn pro right now. You telling me Cudot shouldn’t be a pro?
Also, look at the rollerbladers who are am. Jeff Dalnas is way better than most pros out there. Yet, you see Oli Short, Tassone, and Brandon Smith being listed as pro. Nothing against those guys, but come on.
Then, to completely show you how fucked the whole situation is, take a look at the SSM team page. There is a whole bloodline thing or some shit. It looks like Shima realized the whole thing is so embarrassing that they should change the name to try and at least give it a different look.
Again, I am not hating on the rollerbladers or the industry. I am just trying to prove to you stupid fucks who think it’s cool for rollerblading to be so underground. The more underground it gets the more people are going to hire their friends to skate on their team and be pro instead of the people who really deserve it.
Friends are going to stick to each other, and good luck trying to develop young talent when all of the pros are friends of company owners and half of the ams are pros who are getting shafted.
November 1st, 2011 at 6:21 pm
yeah anyone know the songs in this video and yea Jacuzzi should of won without a doubt!
November 1st, 2011 at 6:49 pm
Who was Judging that?? Andrew Jacuzzi got robbed!!! Who was Judging that?? Andrew Jacuzzi got robbed!!! Who was Judging that?? Andrew Jacuzzi got robbed!!!
November 1st, 2011 at 7:07 pm
Jacuzzi won both the contest and best trick right?
November 1st, 2011 at 7:18 pm
um john sullivan won? um april fools?
November 1st, 2011 at 7:25 pm
congrats to sully he was killing it!! he was banging trick after trick w/ great style & consistency, but he didn’t skate much of the park most if not all his tricks were done in fun box in the middle of the park or the rail/ledge section. i don’t think i saw him skate the rainbow box nor the death ledge over the two quarters, while most everyone else was stuck trying pull one hammer trick over & over on these much larger a whole lot more complicated obsticles (which some riders did accomplish jaw dropping ones) he was comfortably spinning into trick & spinning out of trick w/ effortless flow & style… Jacuzzi was all over the place man!! imo Jacuzzi should have won. dude was skating almost everything flowing being creative, but he would get stuck in quite a few trix, which affected his consistency, but man once he would pull them off, sum of them trix they were pretty amazing!! specially that last trick backslide-ao topsoul-half calve topsoul 90 out which was done once the comp was already over.
1.Jacuzzi
2.Sully
3.Rankin/Banning
4.Newsom
November 1st, 2011 at 7:39 pm
Jacuzzi 2011 winner!
November 1st, 2011 at 8:20 pm
So good to See Jaren Grob the monster out there again–anybody know what trick he did for best trick?
also good to see chris fleener murkin.
November 1st, 2011 at 8:34 pm
was that even a comp?
November 1st, 2011 at 8:47 pm
oookkkk….. and why didnt Jacuzzi win?? oh thats right because sullivan is from texas..
November 1st, 2011 at 8:55 pm
No offence to the winners, but Andy Jacuzzi won Hoedown in my book!
November 1st, 2011 at 9:13 pm
sullivans mad sloppy yo.lol
November 1st, 2011 at 9:19 pm
I hope someone else who knows how to operate a camera filmed and is making an edit. my eyes hurt after all that close up and zoomage. good skating tho, jacuzzi killed shit.
November 1st, 2011 at 10:27 pm
So what’s with the pros not going to the big contests this year? The pro turnout at the Barn Burner and the Hoedown was pretty much nonexistent. Do they hate Barn themed contest names?
November 1st, 2011 at 11:03 pm
biggest load of shit i have ever watched!!!!waste of my life il never get back.
November 1st, 2011 at 11:04 pm
they all sucked
November 1st, 2011 at 11:46 pm
doesn’t it seem like they say it’s the last year every year, then it just keeps on going.
November 1st, 2011 at 11:52 pm
HOW THE FUCK DIDNT ANDREW JACUZZI TAKE 1ST??? WTF??? WTF IS JOHN SULLIVAN DUDE WTFFFF
November 2nd, 2011 at 12:06 am
there is some trash talking on this, but ya gotta admit these guys were basically killing it and they skated hard as heck. even though they are not “big names” i give all these guys props and think they closed out the hoedown pretty damn well.
restecp
November 2nd, 2011 at 12:15 am
Great edit Jordan! Eisenbergs is one of the best/most realist skateparks ever.
By that I mean old school, dirty, grimy, not lit very well, the ramps, ground and rails are all a bit sketchy, graffiti everywhere and best of all, its a rollerblader park. Love how you showed this Jordan.
Sure there weren’t any pros this year but it showed just how strong the rollerblading scene is in TX. This might be the last Hoedown (in this location) ever but one thing I learned from this Hoedown is that rollerblading will never die. There is simply too much love.
Props to OGs Jaren Grob, Chris Fleener and Jason Howard for competing.
And special thanks to Arlo, Vickie and the rest of the Eisenberg family for making this competition possible. I know I speak for lots of people when I say Hoedown weekend is my favorite weekend of the year.
Hope to see everyone in the new location next year!
November 2nd, 2011 at 2:52 am
Thanks for the great edit. I wished I could’ve been there this year.
November 2nd, 2011 at 6:52 am
the pros killed this park over and over no wonder they’re over it.
look at what haffey did a few years ago in that skatepark he would have won easily in 2011 with the same tricks!! wasn’t he there last year and didn’t even enter? ahahah LIKE A BOSS
November 2nd, 2011 at 7:34 am
this was only my 3rd Hoedown but IMO it was just as good as the last 2.
Thanks DJ ^ for the good music and keeping the crowd crunk! The new obstacle was crazy and the locals did not disappoint. Really hope that this isnt the last one :(
November 2nd, 2011 at 10:02 am
Maybe there was no prize money to justify people coming from further afiled. I think Some of you guys are under the impression that ‘Pros’ get their flights paid for whetever comp they fancy attending. In reality very few flights are paid for by the sponsors these days for even the top guys, so think about that paired with low prize money and you can see why there are no pros taking a chance to go out there and boost their low income with poor prize $ that might not even cover some of their flights to Texas.
November 2nd, 2011 at 11:17 am
Jaren Grob is a fucking animal! Guy still kills it!!! Straight amazing… Much props man!
November 2nd, 2011 at 11:41 am
Jacuzzi took all day to land a few tricks, while Sullivan was laying down trick after trick. That is why he won.
November 2nd, 2011 at 1:19 pm
That was Andrew Jacuzzi’s competition…he killed shit
November 2nd, 2011 at 1:28 pm
jacuzzi’s switch ups on rainbow were amazing
johns tricks were stacked. good job john
and what are you talking about not big names JAREN GROB WAS THERE!!!b cab ao fish was nuts
November 2nd, 2011 at 1:31 pm
Hi
That is my point exactly. There is no money in this sport, and there never will be without “selling out” as everyone puts it. If rollerblading doesn’t sell out pretty soon, it will be completely fucked.
November 2nd, 2011 at 3:34 pm
jacuzzi should have won. sullivan didnt skate near as good as he did. shit was fixed.
November 2nd, 2011 at 3:37 pm
yup sully has wack style and andy should have taken 1st.
November 2nd, 2011 at 3:51 pm
how da fuck did that guy sullivan won ?? he was the lamest… if there would be no jacuzzi or keaton this contest would be the shitties !!
November 2nd, 2011 at 4:27 pm
1st place only got $500 maybe that’s why there was no turn out for pros. And yeah, Jacuzzi probably should have won instead he got 5th. Sullivan was the hometown guy so he had a lot of votes for him. I’m pretty best trick was for Grob’s full cab fish on the rainbow.
November 2nd, 2011 at 5:40 pm
I was there. Jacuzzi was amazing, but Sullivan knocked out trick after trick and was super consistent.
Jacuzzi’s last trick was after the comp was over, so unfortunately it did not count.
November 2nd, 2011 at 6:15 pm
you can lay trick after trick but what does it matter when it just looks like mushed up shit, Jacuzzi got robbed again
November 2nd, 2011 at 6:16 pm
jacuzzi and newsome for pres!
November 2nd, 2011 at 10:17 pm
Okay that’s it’. I’M SO fucking tired of you groms talking about what makes a pro and what doesn’t. Guess what. Once pro always pro. You have an option of being an active pro or not but either way you’re a pro unless you got onto The RB team. Shout outs to David Jones. Jaren Grob is and always will be a fucking pro. His status doesn’t change just cause he’s not active. Spizer is still a pro and he’s not doing the whole comp and video thing. So is Matt Andrews and he’s not even on a team right now. other than that There’s a few pros that were there. Nobody current but still a pro is a pro. If this was skateboarding and Tony Hawk was skating it would you say there weren’t any pros or would you just STFU.
November 3rd, 2011 at 3:00 am
thats right deshi clean your vagina out. while I can agree with you coming off like an ignorant dick isnt the way to get your point across. BTW JACUZZI SHOULD HAVE WON THAT CONTEST. HOMETOWN GUY WON BECAUSE IS JUST THAT HOMETOWN. HIS STYLE WAS AWFUL. nuff said.
November 3rd, 2011 at 3:48 am
Good effort by Arlo. But shit it’s nothing like it used to be ay. This looks more like a little get together of people in nice clothes. Not a damn showdown at the Hoedown.
November 3rd, 2011 at 1:01 pm
Jaren Grob gets paid to rollerblade. Rollerblading is how he pays the bills. Last I checked, that means he is a professional rollerblader. Just b/c you don’t see him putting out edits or touring for companies it doesn’t mean he’s not a professional rollerblader.
November 3rd, 2011 at 8:36 pm
Perhaps that explains a little bit about what is wrong with rollerblading. We have guys killing who are am and get nothing while guys like Grob can conveniently take breaks and still “pay the bills” from it. Not hating on Grob, but that is pretty fucked as far as I can tell.
And again, as I said, let’s not develop any young talent and give young people any goal to shoot for. “Exuse me ‘Grom,’ you have wait until you are 26 and have sucked every dick in the industry before you can be sponsored.” That’s totally fucking awesome.
November 5th, 2011 at 9:17 pm
first and formost the edit was good and jordan knows more about editing then probobly any of you.
second andy laced some ill steezed out shit but you know what? he landed about a 10th of the tricks john did. have any of you kids judged a contest? have any of you kids skated in a contest like this before? Better yet how long have you been skating? the facts are at the end of the night john did just about as many tricks in the final round as the rest of the competiors. doesn’t matter your preference on clothing or trendy tricks of the present. john killed it and that’s the end of that.
Yeah no pro’s showed up cause it was for $500. get used to it cause our economy is collapsing along with rollerblading so be ready for contests with 3-5 pros showing up. (that is only if things really do get as bad as a lot of us think)
To the young idiot talking about sponsoring kids, do you have any clue what it takes to be a pro? and no one over the age of 20 looks up to a child skating reguardless of his tricks. Not saying you have to be a beer drinking low life or a clean cut straight as an arrow brian aragon but your role models are people that are older and wiser and better at life then you. thats why they are pro. because you can market the shit out of them compared to a child. something companies are finally getting is that a team/company should have something of a similur feel and style in order to project an image that reflects the companies outlook. if you want a team of children then we can call fisher price up and they can send them out some adjustable skates with plastic wheels. Sorry for the sarcasim but that is just life.
I really do think more pros kind of had an obligation in my opinion to show up to the actual last hoedown at eisenburgs but in the industry most pros are more worried about getting their shirts printed on american appearl shirts and trying to figure out how they are going to pay for they’re $20,000 worth of camera gear that they use to film internet videos.
all the while dumb children complain on message boards instead of saying “man i’m grateful there are still some people out there actually skating”.
grow up before you chase away all the old folks that built this “sport”. why do you think there are so few left?
November 6th, 2011 at 7:42 am
this guy knows what the fuck is up^