Damn Am Shanghai and Nike SB's City Jam Finals

There are some strange rituals going on in the hotel. These three are pacing slowly while lighting candles in the lobby.

No matter where you go, America is there. Except Cuba. Cuba is the only place I've been with no sign of any American presence whatsoever.

I wonder what kind of hip hop this dude is hustling.

Schaefer and Paul Zitzer are the hosts for the event this weekend.

The Family scooter gangs are everywhere here. America needs a child restraint seat. All China needs is a handlebar.

The street performers here are hippies, too.

Paul Zitzer had to weave through gawkers, street performers, and sidewalk scooter bandits to get through to this simple nose manual on the concrete cheese wheel.

Here starts HiDefJoe's worldwide ollie tour. Put some weed socks on this kid because he's going to HUF everything in his path. First ollie up is this little four set to warm up for his next ollie.

Gap to baby hubba to iced lattle.

HiDefHUF's ollie tour continues with stop number two at this double set.

The next morning, Johnny Tang is showing us some spots in Shanghai. We're all drooling at what's out there and can't wait to hit the van and go on mission.

The warm up spot is where the Contest is at. Paul Zitzer has a feeble grind on the bank to ledge. HiDefJoe has filmer shorts because it's hot as Florida hell here.

The best ground in the world is in China. Just get out of here when the garbage barge goes by. The whiff will knock you on your ass.

Zitzer tests the low ledge with a Poser of the Month while James Craig is on cheerleader duty.

The water doesn't look too clean.

James Craig having Shanghai dreams.

The sun is harsh to the roundeye.

I wonder if we can skate this spot? Yep, for sure. Security doesn't even wake up when you skate by.

We're at this super good and mellow bump to grass gap into a street. Paul Zitzer has an ollie impossible over it.

This place is surrounded by varying banks to gap out of the place. Amazing.

Pause for some people watching.

Pause for some people watching.

This dude "no speeka Engrish." He tried to kick us out at first, but then gave up and then just stood around. After I shot this photo, he felt the need to come over and take a look at him to check himself out.

The security guard was witness to the third stop of HiDefHUF's world wide ollie tour. That looks like a leap over a tall building in a single bound.

Our guy cleaned up after us. Thanks!

Jason is the ultimate Chinese hypeman, kicking off the day by twerking out the Skull Candy girls. I don't know if they were feeling it, though.

Paul Zitzer is one top quality human. He's got entertaining opinions that he only shares with his circle of friends. I hope you get to hang out with Paul and hear them sometime.

DJ Wade breaks out his nice guy look when I point a camera at him.

Red Bull and Vodka, local style, with Paul and DJ Wade.

Congrats to the ams that killed it on the first day. They're hungry just like in the States.

Before we had to get to work on Sunday, we had some time for both shopping and a street skating mission. I know Paul's looking forward to the shopping.

I spy a game of SKATE about to go down at the top of this marble roller coaster ledge.

A 360 flip from James Craig and probably a letter for a few in the crew.

This little three stair was perfect for the age group that was here. Johnny Tang was our tour guide and calls this spot the Love Park of Shanghai. That's a nollie backside heelflip.

James Craig still has skyscraper snaps, especially on nollie half cab heelflips.

Johnny Tang did this switch big heelflip perfectly so many times while filming an insane line here.

Booze at the skate spots is perfectly acceptable.

The majority of older people here run with umbrellas.

It's very modern in the heart of Shanghai.

Texting and driving is a worldwide problem.

The V runs deep worldwide, too.

Now it's time for our shopping mission.

After I shot this, the dude's homie started screaming, "Money, money, money!" I guess some people want to get paid to have their photo taken.

Paul Zitzer is stacking GoPro footage for future grandkids.

This dude's aggressive flute sales pitch technique is to take one out of his bag and try to put it in your mouth so you can play it yourself.

HiDefJoe with his Insta face.

There's no shortage of wacky things for sale here.

This mannequin must be from Brazil, not China.

Apple Pantyhose version 5S.

We all had a nice laugh over this store's name.

This little lady is out front running the family shop.

We're at work now and the Contest has started with all the pros today and some of the ams still joining in on practice. That's Wang Di with a bump to smith.

Thanks Johnny Tang for the hosting and taking us around to some great street spots.

Watch for HiDefJoe's footage on the Ride Channel.

Remember Toan Nguyen? This isn't him, but it reminds me of him. It's Adee on the step up to backside tailslide.

That's Jeremy on a bump to crooks up the rail.

Little Fatty has a step up gap to crooks on the rail.

The bump gap to crooked grind was a popular move. That's Ke Chia En.

Front board up.

Everyone loves kites here. There was easily 20+ in the air each day.

I can't remember who this is doing a nollie heelflip over the bump to bump.

Little Fatty has the classic of course.

The scene around the contest along the river is so good combined with the feel and vibe of the event that Nike created.

A crazy looking nollie inward heel from my Ke Chia En.

A step up gap to frontside tailside.

Best Trick was pure chaos but in all that tossing of Chinaman carcass, some good stuff definitely got done.

Wang Hui Feng with the Zumiez Destroyer Award for the weekend.

The trophy girls and Skull Candy marketing team were around all weekend looking good.

I like the human rope formed for crowd control.

Wang Guo Hua won Best Trick with a 360 flip 5-0 on the hubba.

Brian Peacock with his winning check, amounting to about $5k USD.

Congrats again to the winners and thanks one more time to everyone at Nike for having us out here for the third year of Damn Am Shanghai associated with their City Jam series.

I just got the footage of Wade's epic hangup at our warm up spot. I don't think Wade ever warmed up after this one.