First O&P Extremity Games by College Park Industries a Huge Success
Fraser, MI (August 2006)
- The air was rocking with tunes from Orlando deejay
Bobby Smith of O-Rock 105.9 as more than 500 athletes,
sponsors, spectators and volunteers from the US,
Canada and Europe converged on the Orlando Watersports
Complex, Saturday, July 29, for the premiere O&P
Extremity Games by College Park.
Organized to raise awareness of the ability of individuals
with limb loss or limb difference to compete in
extreme sports, and to highlight the state-of-the-art
prosthetic devices available today, the O&P
Extremity Games by College Park included four judged
competitions in skateboarding, wakeboarding, BMX
biking and rock climbing, for over $25,000 in cash
prizes.
The day got off to a jumpstart. To the delight of
the crowd, as Eric Robinson, president of College
Park Industries concluded the Opening Ceremony,
Keith Requsa and Jay Humphries of the Pieces of
Eight amputee sky diving team exited their plane
and dived down to watch the games on the ground.
Preliminary rounds in rock climbing, wakeboarding,
BMX biking and skateboarding were next, interspersed
with a myriad of exhibitions including gymnastics
(Cori Hendrix, Rochester, MI), martial arts (Ron
Mann, Campbell, CA), four wheeling (Regas Woods,
Orlando, FL), motorcycling (Chris Johnson, Mountain
Park, OK), motocross (Jim Wazny, Merrill, MI) kayaking
and river-racing (Juanita Wilson, Baltimore, MD,
Keith Deutsch, Las Vegas, NV, Scott West, Branson,
MO, Derrick Harden, Johannesburg, MI and Chris Boreland,
Tampa, FL from the Wounded Warrior Project).
Over 50 athletes tackled the 24-foot rock-climbing
wall. Jarem Frye (McMinnville, OR) took 1st place
in the men’s division, Tyler Byrom (Tulsa,
OK) won 2nd and Craig Demartino (Loveland, CO) 3rd.
In the women’s division Loi Ho (Newington,
CT) won 1st, Jessica Long (Baltimore, MD) 2nd and
Shawna Culp (Wheaton, IL) 3rd. Frye’s time
beat Ho’s gaining him an additional Overall
Rock Climbing 1st place for a total cash purse of
$5,000.
In wakeboarding, Sean Reyngoudt (Summerland, FL)
snared 1st place and $5000 with his awesome performance.
Logan Aldridge (Raleigh, NC) came in 2nd and Billy
Tonis (Dublin, CA) took 3rd.
The BMX bikers duked it out in side-by-side runs
through a harrowing course. Anthony Zukowski (Grand
Rapids, MI) placed 1st, securing his $5000. Brandon
Spears (Orlando, FL) grabbed 2nd place and Christopher
Morgan (Mesa, AZ) placed 3rd.
With Jon Comer, professional skateboarder and below
knee amputee, as one of the judges the skateboarders
took on the U-shaped half pipe to demonstrate their
prowess. Charles House (Merritt Island, FL) took
1st and the $5000. Rob Nelson (Kill Devil Hills,
NC) came in 2nd and Garry Moore (Birdsboro, PA)
3rd.
“The event surpassed our expectations. The
athletes were amazing and, definitely, defied any
preconceived conceptions of their abilities, “
commented Eric Robinson. “I’d like to
thank everyone, the athletes, sponsors, volunteers
and spectators, who helped to make the inaugural
O&P Extremity Games by College Park a huge success.
We plan to add more competitions and look forward
to an even more exciting and inspiring event next
year.”
About College Park
Industries
College Park Industries is a leader in the prosthetic
industry, providing the most anatomically correct
prosthetic feet available. The company was incorporated
in 1988 upon completion of the first TruStep Foot
prototype, designed and built by David L. Robinson.
Today, College Park remains committed to the research
and development of the finest prosthetic products
in the world.
College Park’s customers include independent
orthotic and prosthetic facilities worldwide. End-users
of College Park products are lower limb amputees
of all ages who maintain low to high activity levels.
Source: College Park Industries
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