Darin Howard saw the inaugural Maloof Cup skateboarding championship at the Orange County Fair last year, so he can attest to its improvement.
“I was here for the finals last year,” said Howard, a San Francisco resident. “I think the new course is refreshing.”
That was welcome news to event sponsor Joe Maloof, the owner of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and the Palms Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, especially considering $600,000 was spent to erect the custom-built skate park.
The casino owner in him gambled that it would be a good investment.
“I lost a little money last year, which is fine,” he said. “[But] this year we got tremendous sponsorship, and we’re going to make money and put it toward next year.”
The event attracted some of the best names in skateboarding.
Famed skateboarders Bob Burnquist, Pierre-Luc Gagnon and Jake Brown helped design the skate park’s Mini Mega Ramp.
“What we do well today, we must do better tomorrow,” Maloof said. “With the help of the skaters, I wanted to make it better.”
Skateboarders came from around the country to see the competition.
Dennis Busenitz came from Portland, Ore., to watch the event.
“I’m excited for all of it,” he said. “I plan to just take it all in — to see what happens.”
Some audience members came to the fairgrounds exclusively for the competition.
“I came just to see this competition today and Sunday,” said Michael Oscampo of Costa Mesa.
The winners of the three-day tournament will get $450,000 — the largest payout in any skateboarding competition.
So far, Maloof’s experience with the competition has been positive.
“Last year, I just loved the whole thing, and I didn’t want to leave.”
To Do at the Fair Today:
Duran Duran
Miss the ’80s? Well, tonight is your chance to see Duran Duran perform at 7:30 at the Pacific Amphitheater. Reexperience the decade that brought us neon spandex and MTV. Admission will be required.
Arts Demonstrations
If you’re an arts fan, you won’t want to miss the visual arts demonstration at 4 and 8 p.m. at the Promenade Stage. You can also learn how to use paint with watercolors at 6 p.m. at the same place.
Maloof Cup
Today is day two of the Maloof Cup, and the competition is sure to intensify. The world’s best professional skateboarders will be at the Action Sports Arena all day, battling for the biggest purse in the skateboarding world. Additional admission will be required.
