Canada’s 16 best ballers took their freestyling skills to the stage today at The Great Hall in Toronto, as they battled head-to-head to claim the title of Canada’s best freestyler, and earn a spot in the Red Bull Street Style World Final. The moves were fluid and the tricks were cool, but it was only one freestyler who battled their way to the top by showing ultimate control of the ball and creativity in style.
Jose Pena made the ball dance effortlessly – spinning, swirling and swiveling the ball with his fancy footwork and showing impressive control with tricks like his face wash and continuous shoulder rolls – to beat out 15 other top freestyler qualifiers from across the country. Wowing the judges with his skill, style and creativity, Jose was not only crowned the Canadian freestyle champion, but is now heading to Sao Paulo, Brazil to represent Canada in the Red Bull Street Style World Final on November 18, 2008!
“I practice everyday after school for three hours,” said seventeen year old Canadian Street Style champion Jose Pena. “It feels great to know that I will represent Canada in the world final but I know now that I will have to take my tricks to another level.”
Red Bull Street Style offers to the world’s best freestyle soccer players the opportunity to compete and display their unique flow of control, style and creativity. Freestylers face off on a special stage, alternating ball possession every 20 seconds while displaying their most wicked ball tricks to beat their rival and move on to the next round. Freestyle players are known to have the unique ability to control the movement of a soccer ball in a way that it transcends into a fluid motion of ball and player.
As the best of the best from coast to coast, 16 top qualifiers from across Canada displayed their ability to control the ball while showing off their moves to the rhythm of music, making it difficult for the judges to make a decision. Fifteen year old Pablo Villalta from Vancouver gave it his all and came in a close second place, with his extraordinary display of footwork and balance that impressed the panel of celebrity judges, which included Rohan Ricketts, star midfielder for the Toronto FC, Entertainment Tonight Canada reporter Rick Campanelli and James Sharman from The Footy Show on The Score.
“All of the competitors should be really proud of their performances,” said Red Bull Street Style judge and Toronto FC player Rohan Ricketts. “As a professional player, I know that it’s definitely not as easy as they make it look.”
“The incredible ball control, style and creativity of the performances made them really entertaining to watch,” said Red Bull Street Style host and freestyle soccer pioneer Steve ‘Eli Freeze’ Elias. “With Jose representing Canada’s huge talent, we’re going to get some serious respect at the Red Bull Street Style World Final.”
As the country famously known as the “Land of Football” and home of Pelé and Ronaldo, Brazil is the ideal location for the World Final in this unique competition between the most talented football freestylers around the globe. The event stage will be set inside the complex of the city’s historic Pacaembu Stadium, which held matches for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, and is now home ground for Corinthians, one of Brazil’s most popular clubs.
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