VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – The fun and excitement continues as the qualifiers for the men’s Vertical Ramp and Street Course Semi-Finals begins today at 5:45 PM EDT.

There will be pro skaters mixed in with up and coming skaters from all over the world.

Two Japanese skaters qualified for the Men’s Vertical Ramp. Shion Suganami and Kosumo Fujiki will go up against the skater from Hawaii, Kalani Ferolino. Ferolino got a lot of big air during his trial runs while Suganami and Fujiki showed incredible form as they spun around and up and over the top of the Vert Ramp lip.

One skater to watch is the youngster from Australia, Hudson Walker. Walker has been making a lot of noise recently as he seems to be getting into his groove as his confidence on the Vert Ramp continues to improve. Today, Hudson’s form was great, his extensions, height, and grabs were perfect.

Hudson qualified in second place behind Luke Kahler, one of the favored skaters in the tournament. Kahler is from Huntington Beach, California and according to thebaordr.com is ranked 80th in the world.

The wind picked up overnight and at 3:00 am, the team that manages the High Line Competition decided to take down the lines between the two hotels. One technician said that the winds had started to reach at least 40 MPH and the safety precaution that was in place demanded they crew stow the lines.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is clear and the wind has steadily died down throughout the day. The High Line Competition is expected to go on tomorrow. The schedule will be impacted as they have to complete the competition in one day instead of two. The High Line competition is expected to be completed within three hours tomorrow.

So far, the Base Jumpers who are parachuting off the top of a local hotel have not been able to fly yet. One jumper said that the conditions aren’t right and they don’t want to take any chances. Looking up at the waving and bent flag that flys over the Base Jumping launch platform, one has to agree that it is better to be err on the safe side.

In the ocean, the Jetskies gave the Festival goers quite a show. Without using any ramps to luanch themselves, the Jetski operators somehow did three consecutive flips by using the force of the water as they ramp.

Totally RAD!

The Semi-Finals for the Vertical Ramp and the Street Course begins today at 5:45 PM EDT. You can watch the live stream here by clicking on the link below.

Tomorrow, 3rdstreet.tv will live stream the finals for the Men’s and Women’s in the Vertical Ramp and the Street Course.

Enjoy the show.

Image shot and edited by Don Hughes while onsite in Virginia Beach. Live video courtesy of Jackalope and Tribu.

Earlier this week, a man was shot at the Fairmont Hotel after a disagreement with another individual.

Watch the news video below that offers a recap on some of the most recent news headlines that happened in Santa Monica over the past week.

Some referential content courtesy of The Santa Monica Daily Press, The Santa Monica Mirror, The New York Times, TMX, The Washington Post, and the City of Santa Monica. Music content is cleared via Adobe Content Services.

Artists from all walks of life, in conjunction with Downtown Santa Monica participated in AMP (Arts, Music, and Promenade) set-up small booths to showcase their artwork along the Promenade.

Handmade jewelry, handmade winter hats, paintings, and photography were displayed and for sale for reasonable prices.  

One booth included photographs of the local oceans and the tubes inside the waves.  The photographer, when asked how he photographed such dramatic pictures, he said, “I actually get in the water, with my waterproof camera, and take the photo as the wave crashes over me.”

Music lovers can enjoy the atmosphere as well.  There is a live DJ that is pumping out music that appeals to a wide range of listeners.  There are seats arranged in front of the stage where people can take sip a coffee, watch the happenings, and enjoy the musical and artistic atmosphere.

Mayor Lana Negrete was on site to promote the event. She was overheard saying, “This is a fun filled event….that will help generate revenue for local artists and businesses.”

Getting to and from the event is easy. The Santa Monica bound train terminates at 4th and Colorado. It is a short walk from there. You can also exit the 10 Freeway West at 4th Street and turn right. Parking in downtown Santa Monica is easy too.  Public parking lots are located on 4^th and 2^nd streets.

Police arrested Ivan Angel Plancarte, 20, and later charged him with attempted murder. The police are still searching for the second suspect and are confident they will find him.

The stabbing happened early Saturday morning when the brother and sister, along with friends – who were visiting Santa Monica, decided they take a late night sojourn to the beach and put their feet in the water. While walking toward the water, the group of friends noticed two Hispanic men riding on scooters while seeming to be intoxicated. After some time, they noticed the two men were closer and the group began to feel uncomfortable.

Eventually, the two men approached the group and started to verbally attack them. It is not clear what happened next, but the two men allegedly pulled knives from their pockets and attacked the group. The brother was stabbed five times while the sister was stabbed four times.

The sister provided these pictures to KTLA:

As the altercation escalated, one of the people in the group called 911 who arrived within two minutes. On a side note, speaking from experience, many Santa Monica residents question the validity of arrival time by SMPD. Nonetheless, by the time SMPD arrived on site, they suspects had fled either on foot or on the possibly rented scooters they were previously seen riding.

One Santa Monica resident who has been following the crime said, “Thank God the brother and sister weren’t seriously injured. But,” he continued, “If the criminals rented the scooters, we should be able to find out their identities because they had to use their cell phones, credit cards, and app to rent the scooters,” He stated.

Despite a recent rise in physical violence at the beach and incidents of drunkenness, drug abuse, and marijuana use – the city of Santa Monica is considering allowing for people to openly drink in parts of Santa Monica.

Reference content courtesy of KTLA and Santa Monica Daily Press.

The students on the stage, the students working behind the scenes, and the students playing in the musical pit wowed the audience with the talented capabilities. With a cast and crew of over 150 students, the shows went off without a hitch on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

Jeffrey Huls, the Director of the show, always wanted to produce a musical that featured dance. Huls said he momentarily thought about doing Cats but ultimately decided to go with CHICAGO. Huls knew that he had the female and male student talent that could both sing and dance well enough to do justice to the musical.

The student actors did more than justice to the numbers they performed. They danced and sang their way into our hearts and allowed us to suspend reality for a few hours and enjoy the theatrical experience.

For the uninitiated, CHICAGO, is the story of two women, Roxie and Velma, who have committed crimes and find themselves in prison. While the women yearn for fame and fortune, they have to somehow get back outside to the real world.

Enter, Billy, the corrupt lawyer. Billy promises that he can get Roxie released by manipulating society through the use of the newspaper media. While he ultimately gets Roxie released from prison, his plan fails because Roxie’s trial is eclipsed by yet another sensational murder that consumes the public’s interest.

If you’re a fan of CHICAGO, a fan of community theatre, or just want to see the many talented students at Santa Monica High School, there is still time to see the show. There are three more performances this weekend. You can purchase tickets by clicking this link.

On March 7 and March 8th, the show begins at 7:00 pm PST. On March 9th, the final show time is 3 pm PST.

Some content courtesy of SMMUSD, The New York Theatre Guide, Youtube and Wikipedia. This post is proudly sponsored by: