2019 Vans Girls Combi Pool Classic Photos

3/13/2019

The Vans Combi Bowl at the Block opened in 1999. In 2010 they started hosting the Vans Girls Combi Pool Classic. At some point they skipped a year, so 2019 marks the 8th and final year that Vans will host the biggest contest in women’s skateboarding at this location. It’s sad, but don’t get too bummed out because the powers that be have already built a “Reverse Combi” set to open next week at the Vans park in Huntington Beach. This event will continue at the new location and you can expect to see some new lines open up with the mirrored layout. But for now, dig in and check out how some things have already come full circle. —Joe Hammeke

The calm before the storm

Dave Duncan and Kristy Van Doren have hosted every single Girls Combi Pool Classic together

Eleven-year-old Lilly Stopephasius traveled all the way from Germany to invert on the square side of the peninsula and wound up in 2nd place, 14 and under

Thirteen-year-old Indiana Barnard trekked it from Australia and was surprised/stoked to see her sponsor, Autonomy skateboards, made some cheering signs for her and her friends

Looks like those signs worked. Indiana feebled her way into a 3rd place finish in the 14-and-under division

The younger girls keep getting better every year. Twelve-year-old Karen Muto didn’t place in ’18 but this year she crailslid her way into 1st place! Go, team Hosoi!

Fourteen-and-under top-three: Indiana Barnard, Karen Muto and Lilly Stopenphasius. All top-three finishers got a trophy, a fat check, and a Jen O’Brien Autonomy skateboards pro model. Not bad at all!

Then it was time for 15 and over. Fifteen-year-old Michelle Yoon from Buena Park, CA, Smith grinds her way into 2nd place

Vans pro team rider Christian Hosoi knows how to win a contest and is more than happy to share some strategy with his team rider Jordan Santana. “First you do a ten-foot high method…”

The Hosoi strategy worked! Jordan boardslid her way through the corner of the square and finished 1st place, 15 and over

Fifteen-and-over top-three: Michelle Yoon, Jordan Santana and Yuli Lam

Now it’s time for the pros. Cocona Hiraki, Paige LaBare and Hunter Long are ready to roll

Allysha Le, 2011 Girls Combi Pool Classic champion, frontside air into the corner for Thrasher’s weblord Schmitty. Check the video coverage right here

Last year, Ohio’s Gabriel Brownfield skated in the 15-and-over am division. This year she decided to roll the dice and give it a go with the pros. It worked! She put together a solid run that included this invert. She placed 10th and got a check for $1,600—plenty of dough to keep the road trip going

Jordyn Barrett—the 2017 winner—and her friend check the heat sheets

Ten-year-old Cocona Hiraki came all the way from Japan and handled the shallow end of the Combi with backside and frontside nosegrinds every time, landing her in a most solid 4th place

She wasn’t scared of the deep end either, as exhibited by this crailslide through the corner of the square. What’s going on with that crutch?

Danny Bales broke his ankle so he decided to set up the “crutch cam”

Poppy Star, the 2016 winner, was blasting backside airs and took home a respectable 5th place finish this year

Gabriel Brownfield always has time for the fans

By the time the finals started the stands were full and last year’s winner Nicole Hause was keeping everyone on the edge of their seats. She landed in 8th place and took home a sizable check

Even when she’s not entering contests, Nora Vasconcellos is in attendance and always hypes everyone up

Who’s gonna take home these trophies?

Jordyn Barratt had a solid line of tricks, including this eggplant, that put her on the podium in 3rd place

Sixteen-year-old Sakura Yosozumi skated consistently all day and even stepped it up a notch during the finals with this surprise nosegrind and earned a 2nd place spot in the finals

Vans’ own Lizzie Armanto won the very first Girls Combi Classic back in 2010. She returned this year and took top honors, taking home the trophy, the Jen O’Brien pro-model deck and $25,000!

Surprise!

Two-thousand-nineteen Girls Combi Classic Pro division winners: Jordyn Barratt, Sakura Yosozumi and Lizzie Armanto. Thanks, Vans, for always supporting women’s skateboarding and raising the bar with a heavy stack of cash! See you at the Reverse Combi in 2020

Thrasher Magazine