King of the Road (skateboarding)
The title of King of the Road is given out once a year by Thrasher magazine. The tradition was started in 2003 by Thrasher editor Michael Burnett.
| Sport | Skateboarding |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Michael Burnett |
| Country | United States, China |
| Official website | Thrasher Magazine |
In the 'King of the Road' contest, three separate, pre-invited teams of professional skaters are each given a book[1] containing a series of challenges. The challenges themselves involve hard skateboarding tasks, as well as more trivial and humorous ones. There are various points available for each challenge, usually dependent on how difficult or uncomfortable the challenge is. The teams compete at the same time over a two-week period, in which they travel across the U.S. to complete as many challenges as possible.
KOTR has been held annually since its inception, with the exceptions of 2008, 2009 and 2018. In 2011, Thrasher and Converse hosted an addition KOTR competition in China, with the participation of four Chinese skateboard brands.[2]
King of the Road 2003
Teams
Team Deluxe
- Dan Drehobl
- Darrell Stanton
- JT Aultz
- Ernie Torres
- Tony Trujillo
Team Tum Yeto
- Ethan Fowler
- Gareth Stehr
- Diego Bucchieri
- Johnny Layton
- Adrian Mallory
Team Volcom
- Rune Glifberg
- Caswell Berry
- Dustin Dollin
- Dennis Busenitz
- Javier Sarmiento
Team éS
Final standings
- 1st Place: Deluxe
- 2nd Place: Tum Yeto
- 3rd Place: Volcom
- 4th Place: éS
King of the Road 2004
Teams
- Team Almost
- Daewon Song
- Greg Lutzka
- Chris Haslam
- Ryan Sheckler
- Cooper Wilt
- Team Girl
- Eric Koston
- Mike Carroll
- Rick Howard
- Brian Anderson
- Jereme Rogers
- Team Real
- Peter Ramondetta
- Dennis Busenitz
- Tony Trujillo
- Darrell Stanton
- Ernie Torres
- Team Zero
- Jamie Thomas
- Jon Allie
- Tommy Sandoval
- Chris Cole
- James Brockman
Final standings
- 1st Place: Zero
- 2nd Place: Girl
- 3rd Place: Almost
- 4th Place: Real
King of the Road 2005
Teams
Team Zero
- Jamie Thomas
- Chris Cole
- Garrett Hill
- John Rattray
- Tommy Sandoval
Team Habitat
- Fred Gall
- Silas Baxter-Neal
- Stefan Janoski
- Kerry Getz
- Danny Garcia
Team Flip
- Geoff Rowley
- Bastien Salabanzi
- Shane Cross
- Arto Saari
- Alex Chalmers
Team Element
- Jeremy Wray
- Mike Vallely
- Brent Atchley
- Tosh Townend
- Colt Cannon
Final standings
- First Place : Zero 4,190 points
- Second Place : Habitat 3,470
- Third Place : Flip 3,460
- Fourth Place : Element 2,680
King of the Road 2006
Teams
Team Zero
- Jamie Thomas
- Chris Cole
- Tommy Sandoval
- John Rattray
- James Brockman
Team Darkstar
- Chet Thomas
- Paul Machnau
- Gailea Momolu
- Paul Trep
- Adam Dyet
Team Baker
- Andrew Reynolds
- Erik Ellington
- Jim Greco
- Bryan Herman
- Leo Romero
Team Toy Machine
- Ed Templeton
- Billy Marks
- Josh Harmony
- Johnny Layton
- Matt Bennett
Final standings
- 1st Place: Zero - 5,530 points
- 2nd Place: Darkstar - 4,610 points
- 3rd Place: Baker - 4,540 points
- 4th Place: Toy Machine - 3,690 points
King of the Road 2007
Teams
Team Blind
- Ronnie Creager
- Jake Duncombe
- James Craig
- Danilo Cerezini
- Morgan Smith
Team Foundation
- Don Nguyen
- Sierra Fellers
- David Reyes
- Angel Ramirez
- Abdias Rivera
Team Black Label
- Chet Childress
- Adam Alfaro
- Brian "Slash" Hansen
- Shuriken Shannon
- Chris Troy
Team Zoo York
- Zered Bassett
- Aaron Suski
- Anthony Shetler
- Lamare Hemmings
- Brandon Westgate
Final standings
- 1st Place: Blind
- 2nd Place: Foundation
- 3rd Place: Black Label
- 4th Place: Zoo York
King of the Road 2010
1st Place Team Nike SB Eric Koston, Grant Taylor, Ishod Wair, Cory Kennedy, Justin Brock. Mystery Guest Marissa Del Santo.
2nd Place Team C1RCA David Gravette, Scott Decenzo, Sierra Fellers, David Reyes, Robbie Brockel. Mystery Guest Alexis Sablone.
3rd Place Team Converse Angel Ramirez, Kenny Anderson, Sammy Baca, Julian Davidson, Eli Reed. Mystery Guest Lacey Baker.
4th Place Team Etnies Sean Malto, Mike Taylor, Jose Rojo, Willow, Ryan Sheckler. Mystery Guest Elisa Steamer.
King of the Road 2011
1st Place – 6060 points Team Lakai Guy Mariano, Marc Johnson, Daniel Espinoza, Vincent Alvarez, Mikemo Capaldi, Sam Smyth TM, Ryan Lovell, Videographer, Joe Brook, on Photography, Aaron Meza on 2nd Angle. Mystery Guest Andrew Reynolds.
2nd Place – 5680 points Team Vans Tony Trujillo, Elijah Berle, Daniel Lutheran, Johnny Layton, Gilbert Crockett, Griffin Collins TM, Cody Green, Videographer, Joe Hammeke on Photography. Mystery Guest Arto Saari.
3rd Place – 5480 points Team Nike SB Eric Koston, Grant Taylor, Ishod Wair, Cory Kennedy, Shane O’Neill, Bob Reynolds TM, Jason Hernandez, Videographer, Rhino on Photography, Steve Chalme on 2nd Angle. Mystery Guest Leo Romero.
4th Place – 5340 points Team Dekline Chad Tim-tim, Matt Bennett, Nick Merlino, Dakota Servold, Ryan Spencer, Mike Sinclair TM, Jared Lucas, Videographer, Dan Zaslavsky on Photography, Tim Cisilino on Second angle. Mystery Guest Salman Agah.
King of the Road China 2011
Presented by Converse
1st Place – 2930 Points Team Gift Mystery Guest Raymond Molinar.
2nd place - 2710 Team Shox Mystery Guest Angel Ramirez.
3rd place - 2615 Team Society Mystery Guest Kenny Anderson.
4th place - 1930 Team Vagabond Mystery Guest ??? .
King of the Road 2012
| Alien Workshop (1st Place) | Toy Machine (2nd Place) | Creature (3rd Place) | Antihero (4th Place) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Taylor | Leo Romero | David Gravette | Tony Trujillo |
| Gilbert Crockett | Daniel Lutheran | Taylor Bingaman | Andrew Allen |
| Jake Johnson | Collin Provost | Ryan Reyes | Frank Gerwer |
| John Fitzgerald | Jeremy Leabres | Sean Conover | Robbie Russo |
| Omar Salazar | Blake Carpenter | Darren Naverette | Chris Pfanner |
| Aaron "Jaws" Homoki (Mystery Guest) | Austyn Gillette (Mystery Guest) | David Gonzalez (Mystery Guest) | Ryan Decenzo (Mystery Guest) |
| Benny Maglinao (Videographer) | Jared Lucas (Videographer) | Lee Dupont (Videographer) | Preston "P-Stone" Maigetter (Videographer) |
| Joe Brook (Photographer) | Dan Zaslavsky (Photographer) | Chris "Rhino" Rooney (Photographer) | Xeno Tsarnas (Photographer) |
| Chad Bowers (Team Manager) | Mike Sinclair (Team Manager) | Al Partanen (Team Manager) | Andy Roy (Team Manager) |
King of the Road 2013
Teams
Teams were announced[3] August 27, 2013. People were able to follow each team via blogs on the Thrasher site.
| Enjoi | Birdhouse | Chocolate | Real |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo Foster | Aaron Homoki | Elijah Berle | Robbie Brockel |
| Wieger van Wageningen | Ben Raybourn | Vincent Alvarez | Ishod Wair |
| Zack Wallin | Clint Walker | Raven Tershy | Justin Brock |
| Jimmy Carlin | Clive Dixon | Stevie Perez | Jake Ruiz |
| Louie Barletta | Mike Davis | Justin Eldridge | Kyle Walker |
| Matt Mullen (Videographer) | Adam Mills (Videographer) | Daniel Wheatley (Videographer) | Jeremy McNamara (Videographer) |
| Austin Gardner | Ewan Bowman (Videographer) | Preston Maigetter (Videographer) | |
| Joe Brooke (Photographer) | Dan Zaslavsky (Photographer) | Michael Burnett (Photographer) | Rhino (Photographer) |
| Jerome Case (Team Manager) | Sam Smyth (Team Manager) | John Alden (Team Manager) | |
| Taylor Smith (Mystery Guest) | David Gravette (Mystery Guest) | Auby Taylor (Mystery Guest) | TJ Rogers (Mystery Guest) |
Final Standings
Winners were announced[4] on September 19, 2013.
- Winning Team: Birdhouse
- Phelper's Choice: Raven Tershy
- MVP: Ryan Susim
Web Episodes
The 2013 edition of KoTR was shown in a series of videos on the Thrasher site and on YouTube.
- Teams Announced YT
- Team Riders Announced YT
- Teaser YT
- Episode 1 YT
- Episode 2 YT
- Episode 3 YT
- Episode 4 YT
- Episode 5 YT
- Episode 6 YT
- Episode 7 YT
- Episode 8 YT
- Episode 9 YT
- Episode 10 YT
- Episode 11 YT
- Episode 12 YT
- Episode 13 YT
- Episode 14 YT
- Episode 15 YT
- Episode 16 YT
- Meet The Mystery Guests YT
- Highest Longest Most YT
- Chocolate Yardsale YT
- Real Yardsale YT
- Birdhouse Yardsale YT
King of the Road 2014
Teams
Team were announced[5] September 3, 2014. Mystery guests were announced[6] September 12, 2014 and were all featured in the Osiris video, "The Storm".
| Birdhouse | Flip | Element |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Homoki | Curren Caples | Nyjah Huston |
| Clive Dixon | Louie Lopez | Evan Smith |
| Clint Walker | Alec Majerus | Julian Davidson |
| Mike Davis | Ben Nordberg | Nick Garcia |
| Ben Raybourn | Matt Berger | Dominick Walker |
| Adam Mills (Videographer) | Layne Stratton (Videographer) | Dave Hoang (Videographer) |
| Jake Johnson (Videographer) | Dan Stolling (Videographer) | Mark Stewart (Videographer) |
| Dan Zaslavsky (Photographer) | Rhino (Photographer) | Michael Burnett (Photographer) |
| Jerome Case (Team Manager) | John Nicholson (Team Manager) | Cole Mathews (Team Manager) |
| Peter Smolik | Chad Knight | Tyrone Olson |
Final Standings
Winning team was announced[7] on December 13 in the final Web episode.
Web Episode
The 2014 edition of KoTR was shown in a series of web episodes on the Thrasher site and on YouTube.
King of the Road 2015
Teams
The 2015 teams were announced[8] August 25, 2015. The Mystery guests were announced[9] September 2, 2015. Team Birdhouse was the winner. Elijah Berle was the MVP. In 2016 this season of King of the Road aired as eleven hour-long TV episodes on the VICELAND channel.[10][11]
| Birdhouse | Toy Machine | Chocolate |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Homoki | Blake Carpenter | Raven Tershy |
| Clive Dixon | Billy Marks | Justin Eldridge |
| Clint Walker | Daniel Lutheran | Johnny Jones |
| Mike Davis | Axel Cruysberghs | Elijah Berle |
| Ben Raybourn | Collin Provost | Stevie Perez |
| Adam Mills (Videographer) | Ryan Lee (Videographer) | Daniel Wheatley (Videographer) |
| Ryan Lovell (Videographer) | Jon Holland (Videographer | Federico Vitetta (Videographer) |
| Rhino (Photographer) | Joe Hammeke (Photographer) | Sam Muller (Photographer) |
| Jerome Case (Team Manager) | Mike Sinclair (Team Manager) | Sam Smyth (Team Manager) |
| Heath Kirchart (Mystery Guest) | Forrest Edwards (Mystery Guest) | Jereme Rogers (Mystery Guest) |
Web Episodes
King of the Road 2016
Teams
The 2016 teams were announced [12] October 14, 2016. Team Enjoi was the winner. Jackson Pilz was the MVP. In 2017 this season of King of the Road aired as eleven hour-long TV episodes on the VICELAND channel.[13][14]
| Enjoi | Deathwish | Creature |
|---|---|---|
| Louie Barletta | Mike "Lizard King" Plumb | David Gravette |
| Jackson Pilz | Jake Hayes | Kevin Baekkel |
| Ben Raemers | Jon Dickson | Sean Conover |
| Enzo Cauleta | Jamie Foy | Chris Russell |
| Zack Wallin | Neen Williams | Willis Kimbel |
| Dan Stolling (Videographer) | Ryan "Beagle" Ewing (Videographer) | Noah Quale (Videographer) |
| Carson Lee (Videographer) | Jon Holland (Videographer) | Ewan Bowman (Videographer) |
| Joe Brook (Photographer) | Sam Muller (Photographer) | Chris Rooney (Photographer) |
| James Craig (Team Manager) | Jay Thorpe (Team Manager) | Sam Hitz (Team Manager) |
| Samaria Brevard (Mystery Guest) | Leo Baker (Mystery Guest) | Nora Vasconcellos (Mystery Guest) |
King of the Road 2017
Teams
The 2017 teams were announced [15] July 6, 2017. Team Element was the winner. Evan Smith was the MVP. This season of King of the Road aired in 2018 as eleven hour-long TV episodes on the VICELAND channel and the Thrasher website.[16][17]
| Element | Real | Foundation |
|---|---|---|
| Madars Apse | Robbie Brockel | Aidan Campbell |
| Nyjah Huston | Chima Ferguson | Corey Glick (AM) |
| Tyson Peterson (AM at start of KoTR) | Jack Olson (AM) | Nick Merlino |
| Mason Silva | Kyle Walker | Dakota Servold |
| Evan Smith | Zion Wright (AM at start of KoTR) | Cole Wilson |
| Jamie Foy (Mystery Guest) | Aaron "Jaws" Homoki (Mystery Guest) | Axel Cruysberghs (Mystery Guest) |
| Ewan Bowman (Videographer) | Tim Fulton (Videographer) | Jon Holland (Videographer) |
| Tom Mull (Videographer) | Dan Stolling (Videographer) | Don Luong (Videographer) |
| Chris Rooney (Photographer) | Joe Brook (Photographer) | Sam Muller (Photographer) |
| Cole Matthews (Team Manager) | Justin Brock (Team Manager) | Mike Sinclair (Team Manager) |
References
- "King of the Road 2014: The Book".
- "King of the Road China".
- "King of the Road 2013: Teams Announced".
- "King of the Road 2013: BIRDHOUSE WINS".
- "King of the Road 2014: Team Profiles".
- "King of the Road 2014: Meet the Mystery Guest".
- "King of the Road 2014: Episode 11".
- "King of the Road 2015: Team Profiles".
- "King of the Road 2015: Meet the Mystery Guests".
- "King of the Road". IMDb.
- "'Thrasher' Magazine's 'King of the Road' is Coming to VICELAND".
- "King of the Road Season 2: Teams Announced".
- "King of the Road". IMDb.
- https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/viceland-king-of-the-road
- "King of the Road Season 3: Team Profiles".
- "King of the Road". IMDb.
- https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/viceland-king-of-the-road