Auckland, 16th April 2011. After an intense final featuring eight of New Zealand’s finest skateboarders Bjorn Johnston (New Plymouth) walked away with the top honours at Auckland’s first Billabong City Squared Skateboard Invitational.

Check out the event wrap up:

Billabong City Squared Auckland 2011 from firstfloor on Vimeo.

With a bad weather forecast forcing the relocation of the event from it’s planned venue of Aotea Square, to indoors,at a disused warehouse nearby in central Auckland the event escaped the constant downpours that arrived on the day of the competition.

In the safety of this warehouse the annihilation began. Bjorn’s ruthless switch stance attack of the rail and ledges with tricks like a switch backside bluntslide and a switch nosegrind gaining him the top spot on the day and $3,000 cash.

Tommy Fynn (Auckland) earned second place, along with the best trick section for his backside noseblunt down the centrepiece rail. Tommy took home, along with his two giant noveltycheques, a Pacific Blue flight package for travel anywhere in Australasia and $1500 for his efforts.

A stomped backside 360 ollie and a huge frontside flip over the rail secured Sean Cupples (Feilding) third place and $750.

There was a tough fight during the seven heats that lead up to the final. As head judge and long-time skateboarder Rhys Campbell explains, “this was probably one of the best comps that I've been at in New Zealand. Everyone really stepped it up and did gnarly stuff. It was cool to see a comp that wasn't just a game of skate but with some actual balls to the wall, do or die, type stuff.”

Mitchell McCarthy (Auckland) went heavy in his heat, with a backside tailslide and a kickflip backside lipslide down the rail, amongst other tricks, but failed to put together this same energy in the final. Dallas Marshall stood out too pulling off a kickflip noseslide down the ledge, and backside flips and 360 flips down the stairs. Jack Woodrow impressed the crowd and judges with his switch frontside Smith grind down the ledge.

Professional skateboarder and judge Justine Watene summed it up well, “That is the most amazing skating I have ever seen. The fact that this is what these kids do on a daily basis is wild!”

Final Results
1st. Bjorn Johnston (New Plymouth) $3,000
2nd. Tommy Fynn (Auckland) $1,500
3rd. Sean Cupples (Feilding) $750
4th. James Kingston (Christchurch) $500
5th. Jack Woodrow (Christchurch) $250
6th. Mitchell McCarthy (Auckland) $150
7th. Dan Kaspar (Auckland) $100
8th. Dallas Marshall (Christchurch) $75

And here's a little behind scenes edit the boys pulled together:

The Billabong City Squared Skateboard Invitational is fuelled by Monster Energy drink with support from Sony, Amazon Boardstore, George 96.6FM and Manual Magazine.