Youth served notice at X Games Los Angeles last week, as Malibu native Tom Schaar captured the silver medal in the Skateboard Big Air event at the Irwindale Event Center.
Schaar, 13, was not even the youngest competitor there. That honor went to 12-year-old Jagger Eaton. But Schaar’s scintillating performance registered high on the Richter scale as he fell just short of the gold medal won by Elliot Sloan. He did, however, finish higher than one of the greatest skateboarders of all-time, his mentor Bob Burnquist, who took the bronze.
“This is incredible. Those are guys I’ve looked up to my whole life. It’s just crazy,” Schaar said. “I felt really good. I did everything I wanted to do. I’m just so happy.”
Schaar shot to renown in April 2012 when he became the first skateboarder ever to complete a 1080 (three full revolutions in the air) on a massive ramp customized for him by his sponsor, Red Bull, near Bakersfield. He was 12 at the time.
Schaar grew up skating at the now-closed Papa Jack’s Skate Park. He is the son of Nick and Regan Schaar, both of whom are in real estate development. Regan also served on the City of Malibu parks and recreation and planning commissions. The Schaars moved to Cardiff, in San Diego County, last August so Tom could be closer to the best skate parks.
Saturday was something like a homecoming for Schaar, who experienced the thrill of performing in front of some of his best friends from Malibu.
Skateboard Big Air is broken down into two separate sessions: gap and full run. After finishing third in the gap session behind Burnquist and Sloan, Schaar roared down the 83-foot-tall MegaRamp with minutes to spare in the final full run session. He cleared the 70-foot gap on a 720 degree spin with an Indy grab and ended it with a flawless 900 after propelling the 28-foot-tall quarter pipe vert 18-feet into the air.
Schaar’s amazing run gave him the lead temporarily with a score of 88.83. Moments later, Sloan responded with a gold-medal winning effort for a score of 90.165. Burnquist attempted one final run in search of his fourth consecutive gold medal this year, but to no avail. He finished with a score of 88.665.
“I couldn’t be more proud. He did really well today and it’s so exciting,” said Nick. “To finish ahead of Bob (Burnquist) on the podium, who is one of his heroes, is really amazing and thrilling.”
Burnquist, a 26-time medalist, befriended the young prodigy when Schaar was nine. Ironically, Schaar practices and trains with Burnquist and Sloan at Burnquist’s house in Vista. The house is a mere 20 minute drive from the Schaars’ home in Cardiff.
“There are so many good parks down there,” said Tom, who finished sixth grade at Malibu Middle School before moving down south. “It all started in Malibu… I kept moving up and getting better.”
Schaar, who in 2011 became the youngest person to complete a 900 (2.5 revolutions), has taken the skateboard world by storm since he landed the 1080 in 2012.
His meteoric rise to prominence continued this past year with a worldwide tour and a trip along the East Coast. He won gold at X Games Asia in the Mini Mega by defeating Burnquist, Andy McDonald and Pierre-Luc Gagnon, each of whom have etched their names in the X Games record books. Next, Schaar scored a fourth-place Big Air finish in Barcelona, Spain, followed by a bronze medal in Munich, Germany, prior to this past weekend’s competition.
With his three closest friends from Malibu cheering him on as he skated this weekend, Schaar reflected the road he has traveled since his days practicing at Papa Jack’s skate park to now competing in the X Games.
“It’s so cool that all my friends are here. It’s really awesome,” Schaar said. “I used to live in Malibu and there weren’t that many skate parks there. I grew up skating there, and now here I am at X Games. I didn’t expect for anything of this to happen.”
After six months of a hectic X Games schedule competing worldwide, including an East Coast swing on the Dew Tour, Schaar finally now gets to settle down and be a kid again.
“It’s insane. He amazes me. He finally gets a break,” said his mom, Regan. “He wants to surf the next three weeks in San Diego.”
Schaar won the silver medal with this jump in Big Air in X Games Los Angeles.