SAN FRANCISCO -- Bucky Lasek (Carlsbad, Calif.) stepped up to unfamiliar territory tonight in San Francisco, climbing on top of the Skateboarding Vert medal stand for the first time. He recorded his best score ever, a 94.25, on his final run to join San Diego area natives and X Games veterans Andy Macdonald (San Diego, Calif.) and Tony Hawk (Carlsbad, Calif.) in one of the 1999 ESPN X Games premiere events.

Lasek pulled out a combination of tricks, including a frontside 540, to win the gold medal in the Skateboarding Vert finals. Macdonald came on strong in his final run, just following Lasek, but just missed the mark with a score of 93.00. Hawk, who already had four X Games vert medals, claimed his fifth medal and second consecutive bronze at 92.00.

"Words can not explain the way I feel right now," Lasek said. "It's an emotional moment. After the second round, I just focused, did some breathing and got my head together."

Lasek earned his first X Games medal last year in the debut of the Vert Doubles competition with the silver medal. He finished fourth on the Vert in 1998 and 1997, falling just shy of earning a medal.

Macdonald earned his seventh X Games medal with the silver tonight. He claimed the gold last year and in 1996. He came close to taking his second consecutive gold on his final run, garnering overwhelming cheers from the crowd.

"I did my best and that's all I expect of myself," Macdonald said. "For some reason I was a little more nervous tonight. Maybe it was the crowd or the chill in the air. After the second round, I let go and felt I had a good run."

Hawk, one of the most recognized extreme sports athletes, added his eighth overall medal and won the event in 1997.

"I felt good about the event and I think I skated to my potential," Hawk said. "I just wanted to make my last run and I did. It was a good crowd and everything felt right.

"I am so proud of Bucky," Hawk continued. "This was a huge win for him."

All three athletes will return to the vert ramp on Sunday. Hawk and Macdonald will team up to attempt their second gold medal performance in Vert Doubles competition, and Lasek will participate in the Best Trick contest.

Bay Area fans crowd X Games venues to set record
Nearly 60,000 extreme sport enthusiasts crowded X Games venues today under great San Francisco weather conditions. At the Games' main venue, Piers 30 and 32, attendance nearly reached capacity as 48,361 spectators came through the entrance. All day long, an ongoing line of fans extended a half mile down the Embarcadero.

At Seal Rock Run, 9,500 onlookers lined the Street Luge course, bringing the one-day total attendance to 57,861.

The previous one-day attendance record was 37,450, set last summer in San Diego.

Line flips through air to win Snowboarding Big Air
Peter Line (Kirkland, Wash.) put on a show for all seasons and stuck his first landing to claim the gold medal in the Big Air Snowboarding competition. Line added his third X Games gold medal on Saturday and fourth medal overall.

"The games have done a lot for me," said Line. "I didn't expect to win. I just had a good ride and won."

Line didn't need his second or third jump for the victory. His first jump, a rodeo 720, carried him through the end and propelled him six points ahead of silver medalist Ben Hinkley (Petaluma, Calif.). Hinkley also used his score of 89.33 from the first round, and Chris Engelsman (Sandy, Utah) took home the bronze at 87.67.

Hinkley was happy about his silver medal finish and said it "was the best feeling in the world."

Line stood atop the medal stand for the third time this year. In January at the 1999 Winter X Games, he won the gold in the Slopestyle discipline and finished second in the Big Air. He claimed his first summer gold when the event debuted at the 1997 games in San Diego.

Christy wins Big Air -- summer style
Barrett Christy (Vail, Colo.) did it in Crested Butte, Colo., at the Winter X Games in January. Now she has done it again. Christy successfully defended her Winter X Games gold in the summer version of the competition by scoring a 86.33 in her third and final run with a 540-flip to defeat Tina Dixon (Salt Lake City, Utah) for the title. Toronto's Janet Matthews finished third.

"I'm trying a 540-flip trick," said Christy before her third run. "It's new to me. I just make it up as I go along." Aside from the Winter X Games and the U.S. Open, Christy did not compete much during the 1998-99 season. She did a lot more freeriding than she has in the past seasons, which she says was "better for my soul."

Dixon now has a collection of X Games medals in the Snowboarding Big Air competition. Today she added a silver to the gold she won in 1997 and the bronze in 1998. In 1998, Dixon captured the title in Big Air at the Winter X Games in Crested Butte, Colo.

Mirra continues reign in Bicycle Stunt Street
Dave Mirra has not lost a Bicycle Stunt competition since a silver medal finish on the Vert in 1996. Saturday afternoon, the most decorated X Games athlete picked up his seventh gold medal by winning the Street discipline. Mirra (Greenville, N.C.) scored 92.90 to defeat Jay Miron (Port Coqitlam, Canada). Chad Kagy (Gilroy, Calif.) placed third.

"My first run went exactly as I planned. I was really, really psyched," Mirra said. "I was so satisfied after the first run. I did my best on the second, but I was just happy with the first. I am here to ride and I had a great time."

He pulled a few new tricks out of his bag, recording a score of 94.00 on his first run, the highest score of the day. He now has taken home four consecutive Street gold medals and his medal count on the course equals his number of appearances in the Games. He has also won a pair of golds on the Vert and last year's gold in Vert Doubles.

Derammelaere beats Dansie in Street Luge Dual Downhill
Dennis Derammelaere's run to the top of the X Games podium was completed today as he defeated Lee Dansie (Bellevue, Wash.) in the final race at Seal Rock Run on the Great Highway.

"It was absolutely surreal," said Derammelaere, who's family and friends were among the approximately 9,500 among the course. "It is the greatest experience of my life."

Derammelaere, who is recovering from a major injury suffered in San Diego a year ago, now has five medals. In 1996, he won bronze in both the Dual and Mass. In 1997, he improved to silver in both competitions. The Novato, Calif., native, has a titanium plate and eight metal screws in his ankle as the result of an ugly accident at last year's Games. He is still awaiting a third surgery.

Biker Sherlock of San Diego beat Bob Pereyra (Northridge, Calif.) in the third-place run for the bronze medal.

The X Games are taking place at Piers 30 and 32 in San Francisco from June 25 through July 3. The Games will bring more than 400 of the world's best alternative sport athletes, who will compete for nearly $1 million in prize money, to the Bay Area. For the 1999 X Games, ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will combine to televise 28.5 hours of original programming (June 27-July 5). ESPN International will distribute the event to a global audience, and ESPN.com will also provide extensive on-line coverage.