Shredding vs soccer in San Diego

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Post modern, plain fun or a sign of things to come? The tag 'professional athlete' takes a new twist as the world's biggest pro snowboarders meet to play charity 7 a side football.

On September 4th, the likes of Travis Rice, Heikki Sorsa, Mark Frank Montoya, Leanne Pelosi and Erin Comstock joined their desk bound colleagues in surfing and skating, for a seven-a-side football tournament during the Action Sports Retailers trade show in San Diego, California.

It sounds bizarre to a Brit, but 'soccer' is gaining a somewhat alternative following in the US - with snowboard industry types showing a particular fondness for footie. With surfing, skating and snowboarding usually focused on solo achievements, football is filling a gap that our usual pastime's can't fill; building relationships and developing team skills.

More laid back and fun than England's approach to the beautiful game, plus far simpler than American Football or baseball, it's because of these reasons, why you'll spot many a post-work kick about on school playing fields across the US - with many brands, mags, and retailers all part of local leagues.

The World Cup spawned the idea for today's event back in 2004; shred legend Terje Haakonsen was discussing his passion for football with then Whitelines Editor (now Ski Sunday presenter) Ed Leigh,  and the pair dreamed up an event where snowboarding's finest would get to represent their nation, not in the park but on the pitch to coincide with the world cup. But with busy, globe-trotting schedules things were postponed till the UEFA European Cup in 2006, then postponed indefinitely.

Then Ray Palomino stepped in; a Hollywood hot shot producer turned independent entrepreneur, his initial plans were to hold the tournament during the ASP Quiksilver Pro in Hossegor in mid September 2008, with teams made up of nations. But with the dreaded financial constraints across Europe, continent based riders couldn't afford to give up their hard earned travel budgets or time for a non-snowboard event.

So, slightly more logical, things were rescheduled and brought back across the Atlantic to the opening day of the annual ASR tradeshow - also the first stop for many of the new season snowboard film premiere tours; the perfect location to gather riders and industry together in sun soaked San Diego, changing the format to brands s. brands.

Ok, it was friendly but this was no free for all; with many of the riders just back from summer camp, afternoons has been spent training hard - in mixed teams. (Non of this UK girl-boy segrationalism here). And with each team packed with pros you could easily see how the skills, fitness and spatial awareness needed to huck kickers, stick stylish rail tricks, or charge powder were easily transferred from snow to soccer.

Time was tight so from kick off at 9am teams had just two halves of ten minutes to win their guaranteed two games, on the outdoors, walled in artificial pitch. First up was Active Ride Shop (including Snowboard team rider Heikki Sorsa and skate team rider Chris Haslam) who's league status showed as they thrashed Billabong (who included team members flew in from France plus Snow team rider Marius Otterstad) 10-2.

Next up were the Quiksilver / Roxy team (including pro riders Travis Rice, Bryan Fox, Erin Comstock, Alexis Waite, team manager Brian Craighill and more high profile insiders) against Vans - who seemed to have imported most of their team from the Brazilian leagues, getting them in practice twice weekly. It was close but Quik won 3-2.

DVS followed with a team led by pro snow legend Mark Frank Montoya and a gaggle of ladies, but they couldn't beneath the super keen 'Sole Technologies United' (with ex pro soccer player, now K2 pro Leanne Pelosi and all with all palyers cheekily numbered 86) who won 7-0 - courtesy of a few well-placed curved goals from Leanne.

The last of the teams to play their first round were the media team (including a rather reluctant moi) sponsored by Surfrider, who's of team practise showed when we were thrashed by the Burton / The Program team 2-0.

Under blazing So Cal sun, the less honed teams started to struggle in the second half - as the higher the proportion of pros in your team, the better you were expected to do. Second half scores were: Active Ride Shop 2 vs. DVS 1; Vans 4 vs. Burton 1; Billabong 0 vs. Sole Tech 7; and Surfride 0 vs. Quik 10.

After tallying scores, the semi finals saw the Active take on Vans and Sole Tech play Quik. But it was the strong team bonds of Quik (headed and instructed from the sidelines by their Vice President) and the South American passion of Vans that went to the final. Exhausted from a full three hours in the sun both teams were still on fire, with a real competitive edge that saw both Erin and Alexis show skill and lack of fear against the guys with some impressive tackles, dribbling and passes.

Rice also showed he's not just a phenom on snow; he scored the highest number of goals in the tournament. Bryan Fox was also silently but deadly charging up the sides to score and tackle. Outspoken and driven the Vans team kept driving forward and were quick and fast on their feet, but they failed to score again Quik's 6 foot plus goalie. A summer of training together showed as the Quiksilver / Roxy team took the title, after dominating almost every match they played, with a 4-0 score in the final and running around the pitch with their superman cape first prizes to finish.

So what next? It was a fun day with new friendships made for sure, but it's all meant to be for charity - expect equipment and more signed by the athletes involved to be auctioned online at mycharitablelife.com in the very near future. Also, the first in a series of future competitions, this was a subtle start for an idea with big potential; with the feelers out and conversations started the organisers plan a bigger, bolder event for SIA in the winter, then return to ASR and even head to the North Shore of Oahu. Big ambitions maybe, but with these names involved, and more big name sponsors already on the phone, why dream small?

Keep an eye on myspace.com/wegotballstournament for details of future tournaments - and to sign up your team!