PLG Takes Vert Gold At Summer X Games 15
Pierre Luc competitiveness has wonhim plenty of medals over the years, but this time he skated with a fire and determination rarely seen. After falling on his first two runs, PLG, known for his controlled and perfectly executed technical maneuver’s, let it all hang out. Turning it up to eleven, he threw down so furiously, teammate Alex Perelson shook his head in disbelief, exclaiming, “I expected him to win, but not like this!” Pierre had found another gear and the tricks he dropped in the waning minutes of X Games 15 vert finals were simply awe inducing. Here’s a brief recap from the man himself.
That was one of the best vert finals I’ve ever seen. How much did winning X Games this year mean to you?
The fact that I pulled out of Big Air made winning this one mean a lot more to me this year—and I’ve never had back to back gold medals at X Games. I think Bucky was the only vert skater to do that—so now we’re tied. Because of the intense contest schedule and some minor injuries I just haven’t had the time to train properly for Big Air too, so it was my strategy to just focus on vert—and luckily it paid off!
You said you had a bad case of nerves this year. Why?
Pulling out of Big Air, ha ha. I just couldn’t screw up or my strategy would have been worthless. And when you skate the B.A. event, even if you medal with a bronze or silver, it takes some pressure off you before the main event. By the time vert comes around you’re in contest mode.
Was it simply lack of practice time on Big Air, or is there more to it?
No, I also just didn’t want to be all banged up and sore for Vert. And when you skate MegaRamp all your spins have to be really slowed down—then when you skate the vert ramp the next day it feels tiny. It would actually be much better the other way around—Vert one day and Big Air the next.
The X Games ramp is surprisingly standard—how do you feel about that?
If the format is boring you need a unique ramp. The jam format at X Games is exciting so the ramp doesn’t need to be totally crazy, but somewhere between their standard ramp and the Maloof Money Cup ramp would be cooler for next year.
You fell in your first two runs of finals, WTF?
There was too long of a break between practice and finals and I just got cold. There’s a fine line between staying warm and skating too much and wearing out your legs. I just totally lost my rhythm and it took me a minute to get it back. The second slam, when I kind of crashed off the side of the ramp after my rodeo really got me back in it. It made me mad—and I was like “Now I have to do this!” That’s when I rolled in switch and did that big switch heel frontside 360—then it was game on.
You took some inspiration from P-Rod’s come from behind win in street finals?
Yeah, Paul Rodriguez was behind and then he came back so I was in that same position. I thought about that and it was inspirational. I thought if he could do it, I could do it—I got back in the zone and made it happen.
Tell me about Alex Perelson’s uncanny prediction.
Okay, so we had a big break between prelims and finals, like a few hours. Alex Perelson, Danny Mayer, Rob Lorifice and myself are just killing time and Alex grabs a heat sheet and starts filling things in everywhere. When he was finished, he’d written down the final standing’s, as they would play out later that day exactly. Even down to himself getting fifth place—it was really crazy. I called him that night and was like, “Do you realize you got it all right, like some genius?”
And you owe him 100 bucks?
He pretty much got every skater to agree to give him 100 dollars if they won vert—so he calls me afterward while I’m at dinner with Monster and goes “When can I get my hundred dollars?” He wanted to collectit that night, ha ha.
Bucky won in Boston at the Dew tour last week, and you beat him this week … it’s a crazy back and forth.
Yeah, Bucky has some incredible lines and some really original tricks like the McEgg, his egg plant 540. I knew I had to do something new if I wanted to win this year. That’s why I threw the kickflip body varial Mctwist—I’ve been working on that trick for a year now and it’s the first time I’ve thrown it in the middle of a full run.
Did you “Unleash The Beast” or what?
I threw seven’s, a bunch of fives, my tre#769; flip to fakie, and the kickflip body varial Mctwist—so I guess I did kind of unleash the beast, ha ha. I just knew I couldn’t win doing last year’s run. And also so the judges don’t judge me against myself, it was important to keep it fresh—like rolling in switch. And that’s really what it’s about, doing new tricks and keeping vert exciting.