“Ecstatic” Hawkins Grabs Gold In Women’s Skate Vert

Kickflips Seal The Deal; Knoop Wins Silver; Hatchell Tops In Men’s Amateur Vert

LOS ANGELES – A pair of kickflips off the vert ramp were worth their weight in gold for Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins today, as she cruised to a win in the Women’s Skateboard Vert Final event as part of ESPN X Games 13.

At 17, Hawkins is already an X Games veteran; she’s been competing since 2003. She won the Women’s Skate Vert in 2004, and nabbed the silver two years ago at X Games 11. Last year she was sidelined with a knee injury – but she came back today with a vengeance.

Hawkins landed two kickflips during the competition, and also came this close to landing several McTwists. “I’m ecstatic,” she said afterwards. “It’s like a dream come true.”

Commenting on the strong field today at The Home Depot Center, Hawkins also added: “If I was a judge, I would have just quit.”

Mimi Knoop took the silver for a wicked combination of jumps: fastplant, frontside invert, and multiple disasters. “The level of riding was so high – I didn’t think I was going to medal,” Knoop said. “It was a good day for all of us. We really took it to the next level.”

Elsewhere at The Home Depot Center, Ben Hatchell won the Amateur Men’s Skate Vert competition with a score of 87.5. He landed a 540° off the ramp and also a kickflip fronstide air into an ollie 360°.