SacTown came out in force Saturday night to see the aerial assault on display as the Gravity Slashers took to the floor of the Arco Arena. Things jumped off quickly with Shawn Nielson going upside down twice in his run, including a nac flip that helped him score an impressive 85.8. Our second competitor was the tenacious Keith Sayers. “Say Ya” had his best run of the year, 86.8, and it won’t be long before he finds himself back in the finals. Derek Burlew wasn’t able to crack the top 4 Friday and was looking for a little redemption on Saturday. He pulled out all the stops doing an impressive cliff hanger and a perfect double grab Hart attack look back. His 89.9 had him on the bubble with two riders left in the first half. Dustin Nowak broke cover next and had a solid run but came up short of the number for a transfer spot posting an 86.4. Rich Kearns finished things up for us and laid down the top preliminary score with a 92.5.

Heath Frisby brought his Ski-Doo out for the fans to admire during our first break and did a couple of basic tricks. He came to the landing ramp for a quick chat and the crowd seemed to really enjoy hearing from the best trick gold medalist. He promised to come back after the Subway Restaurant finals and get inverted for the fans at Arco Arena. He made good but upped the ante a little by bringing Nick Dunne and Keith Sayers to the floor with him for a triple flip which they pulled off perfectly.

The second half of qualifiers started off with the local kid Nick Dunne. Nicky took his time getting started and I know he was feeling a little added pressure being so close to home but the crowd was fully behind him. He kept it together nicely and made his way to the finals with a 91.5. Drake McElroy rolled next and kept the crowd pumped for a total of 87.0. Julian Dusseau went to the floor hoping to advance from his new starting spot 8th. He is used to going first and the extra time waiting obviously served him well because he locked up the second qualifying spot with a 91.8. Greg Hartman got funky with the crowd dancing on his bike to “Low” to start his run off. He was feelin’ it but again tonight came up one trick short and was only able to post an 86.9. The last rider vying for a spot in the finals was Brody Wilson. The “Wilson Express” started strong but a dead sailor hurt his chances for the finals and he was only able to put up an 84.0.

The crowd was pumped and with all the noise they were making we had them judge for the whip contest. Burlew, Dunne, DMC, Dusseau and Wilson all set up for bragging rights tonight. “Six guns”, Wilson and Dusseau put up good whips but the crowd was feeling DMC and Burlew. The loudest cheer of the season decided our winner and it turned out to be DB.

After his win in the whip contest Burlew had to make a quick turn and be the first guy out for the Subway Restaurants finals. He made a serious bid for the win by throwing in a BASE jump to score a 90.3. The kid from just down the block, Nicky Dunne came out next to a rousing ovation and slammed it from start to finish hitting a super flip and a BASE jump as well. The judges agreed with the crowd and gave “Six Guns” a 93.0. Dusseau ran third and worked in a side show and a no footed can to heel clicker but he came up short with his 92.0. Rich Kearns smoked the tires on his way out of the tunnel and mixed in a cordova flip along with stripper flip on his way to a 92.3, but that wasn’t enough for the win giving Nick Dunne his first win of the year.

The crowd was awesome here in Sacramento and the riders to a man said they had a great time. We are headed to Phoenix, AZ next week and you should get you tickets now! Stop by Gravity Slashers on Facebook and say hello, if you have any questions or comments e-mail me at mxannouncer@hotmail.com . David Kinsley