Pat Ngoho - Protec

BTO- How do you feel about the current popularity of bowl contests and have there been any changes that you’ve noticed in regard to format, participants or judging?

Pat- I feel the judges do the best within their capabilities. Bowl riding has a long tradition and compared to vert it requires a broader range of abilities and I think the judges realize this and try to incorporate this into their criteria.

BTO- What are the differences among the bowl riding contests that you’ve noticed. New Zealand, Australia, North Shore, Dew and Combi?

Pat- The formats are all very similar and that is unfortunate. They need to mix it up the a little. Why not have a death race the day before in the combi with cones, like what Bucky does at his parties and incorporate that into the scores. They could do a  head to head, a team comp, or make everyone skate on a penny!

BTO- Do you feel any changes should be made or what–if anything–would make them better?

Pat- That is just it. This is skateboarding. It can always be better and if not better how about different. Something to amuse the ADHD.

BTO- Where do you think or where would you like to see bowl contests headed in the next few years?

Pat- Skating is the ultimate and as we all get older we realize how sick it is. In this amateur riders meeting photo of the First Gold Cup you can see Hosoi, Lance, Hawk, Miller, Freddy Desota, Billy Ruff, Jim Gray and many others and just about everyone is still skating and at a pretty good level 30 years later, it is so rad.

As we get set for the Combi comp, I can remember the last Gold Cup Comp of the series at Upland so vividly.  I remember walking to the store with Mike Hirsch and Billy Ruff and I bought creme thinking it was milk and spitting it out and they were laughing. I remember Hosoi slamming on an acid drop and he got up, wiped off the pain and kept going and that was a time when punk music was in full swing and there was so much going on in every direction. Things now are much more commercial. It’s just a sign of the times but its great to see this next generation get stoked and build their own skate world.- Pat Ngoho

Thank you to Pat Ngoho for taking the time with us and for the Gold Cup image. Thank you to MRZ for the Combi image. Skate- Ozzie