Best Team Rider Joe Ruscito wins Slingshot Bridge of the Gods Event in Stevenson, Washington
Posted Saturday 26 July 2008, 9:30 PM EST
Photos: Tony Bolstad

Congratulations to Joe Ruscito for winning the Bridge of the Gods event on Saturday in the Gorge! And also to Paul Porter (loyal Joe-Photographer and Slingshot rider) for finishing third!

According to race director Gary Reed, "The Slingshot Bridge of the Gods Kiteboarding Festival has historically been a launching pad for amateur kiteboarders attempting to become professionals." So in winning this event, it's perfectly in keeping with Best's ongoing campaign to Help Joe Go Pro. And, if it's true that once you win money by winning an event, you're considered to be a professional, we have succeeded in achieving our goal! (At least, we hope it's true that he's won money ... he needs to take his Team Manager out to dinner, or at least buy her a bottle of champagne!)

Coincidentally, Transcend Apparel is now in production on a special-edition Joe Ruscito shirt, featuring graphics based on a photograph taken by Paul Porter, so make sure you put your orders in now, while these shirts are still affordable and not for sale on e-Bay for some ungodly sum after these two have become REALLY really famous! The shirts should be available for sale in September.

Click here to watch the video on YouTube BOTG Video.

(That's Paul, in the green shirt.)

Judging from this last picture, it appears that Joe did indeed win some money. Good! The Team Manager eagerly awaits her bottle of champagne!