GOLDENDALE, Washington (STPNS) -- They love us. They really do love us. And next year, the skateboarders from around the world who participated in the International Gravity Sports Association?s World Cup on the Maryhill Loops want to bring their world championship races here.

Marcus Rietema, IGSA president, announced Saturday night that, after speaking with many of the competitors and sponsors, they have chosen to hold their world championships here next year.

They plan to race the loops over Labor Day weekend, 2008.



?We really had a great time in Goldendale and I?m looking forward to returning next year, Rietema said Monday during a phone interview as he was returning home to Glendora, Calif.

Lorraine Reynolds, of Golden Event Planning, echoed similar feelings.

?They are having a great time,? she said Saturday. ?They really like it here.?

The downhill racers had begun arriving by last Monday, and by Wednesday there were 107 skateboarders, lugers and gravity bikers in town, mostly camping at E?Kone Park.

It was a nearly flawless week of racing, according to the competitors. They suffered only two setbacks. An overnight wind messed up some tents at the Maryhill Loops, and during practice earlier in the week a Vancouver skateboard broke her shoulder, collar bone and two ribs, and punctured a lung when she crashed into a straw bale. She was taken to a Portland hospital and was released earlier this week.

Throughout the week, the racers were treated to nearly nightly entertainment and morning breakfast of pancakes, coordinated and prepared by local volunteers.

Maryhill Festival of Speed

International Gravity Sports Association

Final Results ? Sept.15

Downhill Skateboarding  

1. Scott ?Scoot? Smith, Vancouver, Canada

2. Mischo Erban, Vancouver, Canada

3. Kevin Reimer, Vancouver, Canada

4. Martin Siegrist, Basil, Switzerland

5. Nate Lang, Vancouver, Canada

6. Noah Sakamoto, Oakland, Calif.

7. Nico Desmarais, Montreal, Canada

8. Thomas Edstrand, Vancouver, Canada

9. Billy Meiners, Portland, Ore.

10. J.M. Duran, Honolulu, Hawaii

11. Fredrik Lindstrom, Stockholm, Sweden

12. Jim Ziemlanski, Vancouver, Canada

Street Luge

1. Mathias Lang, Stuttgart, Germany

2. Justin Tolman, San Diego, Calif.

3. Riley Meehan, Glendale, Calif.

4. Peter Eliot, London, England

5. Erik Shaffer, Salt Lake City, Utah

6. Mike McIntyre, Glendora, Calif.

7. Chris McBride, Bellevue, Wash.

8. Paul Busse, Napa, Calif.

9. Beni Weber, Zurich, Switzerland

10.Claus Meijer, Gothenberg, Sweden

11. Rick Wilson, San Diego, California

12. David Dean, Columbus, Ohio

Classic Luge  

1. Riley Meehan, Glendale, Calif.

2. Mathias Lang, Stuttgart, Germany

3. Chris McBride, Bellevue, Wash.

Junior Downhill Skateboard

1. Riley Meehan, Glendale, Calif.

2. Brian Peck, Hartford, Conn.

3. Spencer Brinson, Needles, Calif.

Womens Downhill Skateboarding

1. Brianne Davies, Vancouver, Canada

2. Chiara Poscente, Vancouver, Canada

3. Carly Richardson, Vancouver, Canada

Inline Downhill

1. Tobias Wohrle, Germany

2. Scott Peer, Glendale, Calif.

3. Davide Tacchini, Italy

Gravity Bike  

1. Mike McIntyre, Glendora, Calif.

2. Matt Shaw, Vancouver, Canada

3. Jon Williams, Redlands, Calif.