While the rain fell at the Ride Shakedown (Canada's largest snowboard contest) at Mont St. Sauveur, Quebec this weekend, skateboarding was represented under the Push.ca tent where it was warm and dry.

The Push.ca Half-Time Show went down between the semi-finals and finals of the snowboard contest. It was originally meant to be a skate contest on the the staircase rail set-up at the bottom of the snowboard course (sheets of plywood would have been layed down for a runway and landing: no joke), but the rain forced the event into the Push.ca tent where a best trick contest was held on the mini-ramp that we brought in for the weekend. An extension was added to the deck, and a dozen skaters had 45 minutes to win $2,000. With legendary local skater Nic Cote of ULC Skateboards on the mic, the session sparked up instantly and the tent was soon packed with spectators.

A packed house under the Push.ca tent.

Pat Tremblay, who put on a one-man demo earlier (never before have I seen anyone skate so hard while smoking a cigarette), charged hard, as did Hugo Belak and Thomas Parent... Actually, forget that: everyone was ripping. 11 year-old Gab Venoit won the crowd over quickly, and caused a collective gasp when he slammed hard on the ramp's flat bottom. Luckily the youngster was OK, and will no doubt live to skate another day.

Pat Tremblay

Casey McDonald proved to be the most determined, attempting blunt to noseblunt re-entries on the extension over and over until he landed one cleanly. He also landed a kickflip nose stall revert just before the session ended. When the masonite dust settled, the cash purse was divided up between three skaters: McDonald, Parent and Tremblay, who each earned an evil $666.

The man they call Pickle.

Thanks to all the skaters who competed. The list included:

Casey McDonald (winner: $666)
Thomas Parent (winner: $666)
Pat Tremblay (winner: $666)
Gab Venoit (11 years-old!)
Simon Gagnon
Alexis Lacroix
Anthony Oulette
Pickle
Jeffery Titus
Vincent Baldo
Xavier Doyan
Hugo Belak

Watch for an exclusive Push.ca video from the Half-Time Show coming this week!

Photos: Richard Roth

Check out our gallery of photos from the Push.ca halftime show.