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Ryan Decenzo didn't limp his way to the podium, but the 25-year-old British Columbia native said that an injured ankle actually helped him win Sunday in skateboard street at the Dew Tour in EnergySolutions Arena.
"I didn't flip my board as much because my ankle was hurt," Decenzo said, "and that probably made me more consistent."
Decenzo, who injured his left ankle earlier this month in the Maloof Money Cup in Washington, D.C., edged stars Greg Lutzka and Paul Rodriguez, who finished second and third respectively, to claim his first win in 10 Dew Tour events.
The street final highlighted the last day of the Dew Tour's Toyota Challenge, a four-day action sports bonanza in and around EnergySolutions Arena that featured BMX and skate stars such as Jamie Bestwick, Shaun White and Pierre-Luc Gagnon.
For the win, Decenzo finished with a score of 87.18. He cemented the score on his final trick with a nollie heel board slide, a skilled display of radness that sent his Huntington Beach, Calif., roommate — Tooele native Adam Dyet — into a frenzy.
"He's my favorite skateboarder in the world," Dyet said.
Dyet didn't qualify for finals and instead urged his roommate to success in his own home state.
"I told him he needed to win the Salt Lake stop if I didn't," Dyet said.
Skateboard street made its Salt Lake City debut this weekend. The event replaced skateboard park in the Dew Tour's lineup. The differences in the events are subtle, but the biggest is that concrete was actually poured onto the floor of EnergySolutions Arena.
"This is the best course in Dew Tour history," Lutzka said.
Decenzo finished fifth in skateboard park at the Toyota Challenge in 2010 in an event with a much more star-laden field. Last year, Chaz Ortiz — the eventual Dew Cup champion — finished first in the event while Ryan Sheckler finished third.
Since then, both have signed exclusive contracts with Street League, a competing skate circuit, somewhat diluting the Dew Tour field.
Lutzka said the exits of those dominant skaters have opened the door for others, such as Alec Majerus, Ke'chaud Johnson and Manny Santiago — newcomers who reached the final round.
"It's getting harder and harder to win because of the young kids that are coming up," Lutzka said.
Decenzo knows all about that, even if he is one of those young kids.
Before Sunday, he had finished second in three Dew Tour events, including last month's stop in Portland, Ore. As a result, he didn't know whether he had done enough to win in Salt Lake.
"I wasn't able to watch what everybody else was doing," Decenzo said, "but I was thinking I've got to be in the top three."
boram@sltrib.comTwitter: @oramb