To kick-off the WRS Uploaded competition I will be adding a Blog entry with my picks for each round leading up to the final. In case you are new to the WRS here is a little promo edit.

The WRS Prelim round 1 is in full effect as of the 1st of December but you have until Saturday the 3rd of December to vote. The Europeans won in every match up as far as I am concerned. Click "Read More" to see my picks for the first Preliminary round with a rationale behind the decision to vote and the clip that won my vote from each matchup...

Dre Powell VS Daniel Prell

First off, the two were editted very differently and the editing reflected the style each rollerblader was exhibiting. Dre had a real smooth style and so did the editing while Daniel has a more creative and edgy style which was reflected in the editing as well with a split screen montage. I personally didn't like the split screen because I couldn't focus on either sides long enough to get a good gander at the tricks so I ended up missing both sides. Never the less it shows that Daniel was trying some new tricks and ideas which I always enjoy watching; pushing ones limits. Not to mention Prell was blading with an injured hand. Dre Powell has been around for a long time, which no matter what counts for something. Included in the edit is a line or two which is always enjoyable but both have a good mix of hammers and tech tricks but in the end I had to vote for Daniel Prell.

Nils jansons VS Nick Wood

Both of the clips were a little one dimensional since Nicks was a single bank to curb and Nils was one drop rail after another. Jansons clip was over the top on the danger level and it was clear he had practised those tricks a lot. On the other hand Nick Woods edit looked unchoreographed, on the fly and even had a little DIY in it to boot which is just as much a part of our culture are adrenaline is. Having said that, we've seen Woodster put on a show like this before and it would be refreshing to see him try something different. In the end the vote went to Nils Johansons.

Stefan Horngacher VS Sean Kelso

This was a very interesting matchup. As soon as I watched the two edits I felt like Horngachers was like watching a Freeski video and Kelso was like watching a Skateboarding video because of the high flying use of natural obstacles and the short rail madness respectively. It felt like Sean Kelso was trying to say "I know every grind in the book" and Stefan Horngacher was saying "I can blade anywhere". I prefered the second aesthetic so Horngacher got my vote.

Jacob Jull VS Matthias Ogger

This was a very tough one to judge personally. Jacob Julls edit featured many drop rails and curbs and a high danger level often pushing the limits. Matthias on the other hand had a very balaced feel to it both in terms of the skills he presents and the spots he chose. Simply put Matthias Oggers edit egaged me more and he seems like the more well rounded blader which in my opinion guarentees longevity of the athlete in question, hence Matthias Ogger wins this one in my books.

Written by :

Antihero