Patrick Switzer finally won the big one.
The Hanover, Ontario native picked up first place in the open division at the Britannia Classic and finally got over the hump after coming close to winning at several other races earlier this year.
"I'm sick of second," he joked. "I knew I was going to be riding with some heavy hitters in the final and a lot of this sport is about listening. If you look up for one second to see who's behind you it can cost you."
The final race saw George Mackenzie lead the way into the final hairpin where he lost control, allowing Switzer to take the inside lane and zoom past Andrew Chapman and Travis Craig to win the gold and $2,000.
"I don't even think about the prize money until it's in my hand," he said. "It's more about the love of this sport."
Switzer also acknowledged that he might not have had the chance to win the race if not for an injury to two time defending champion Kevin Reimer. The Vancouver native was a favourite to three-peat at Britannia but suffered a freak injury during a trial run earlier in the day.
"It looked like there was water on the course because George [Mackenzie] slipped and collided into the hay," explained racer Jackson Shapiera, who was also participating in the run. "It looked like he rolled his ankle and I think it's probably broken. It's really too bad because he would have been a top contender to win."
Switzer said the injury was a crushing blow to the competition and the longboarding community.
"I was close to tears after he got hurt," Switzer said. "He's a world class athlete and a great guy. He's really a part of the community and I'm heartbroken that he got injured."
Reimer was unable to move as first aid officials tended to him and was eventually taken away in a hospital. Several riders seemed to agree with Shapiera that it was likely an ankle injury.
Daniel Pape, a longtime friend of Reimer, hopes to see his buddy back on the podium sooner rather than later.
"I felt nauseous," he said, when asked about his reaction to the injury. "But I've seen him bounce back from worse. But this was just a freak accident, these riders know what they're doing."
Despite the injury to his friend, Pape said the event was a huge success.
"I thought the weekend went really well," he said. "I really think this event is poised to become one of the biggest races in the world."
Check the print edition of The Chief for more on this story.
