Chris Haslam skated his way past 15 other riders to victory in the inaugural 411 Versus Contest, raking in $33,500 on the way! Haslam, who rides for Almost, Momentum and Independent, beat out Greg Lutzka in the final round to take home the $25,000 grand prize.

411 Versus is a unique video contest hosted by Mike Vallely, in which 16 skaters face off in head-to-head matches and viewers log onto 411vm.com or SobeBev.com and vote for the tricks that they like best. "For dudes like me, this contest format is way sweeter because you're not in front of all these people in a traditional contest environment. This is the first video contest where the voters are the judges and they decide who is going to go to the next level," said Haslam.

Versus began in 411VM 13-3, released in August 2005 to an unsure crowd but gained momentum throughout the next five issues to become a worldwide spectacle. "When the contest first started, a lot of people didn't know what was going to happen or what it was about. Then I went to Poland, Austria, and Singapore, dudes were asking me about it! The entire world has been voting on the website," added Haslam.

The original 16 skaters were randomly put in brackets. Tricks were submitted by each rider, with neither skater knowing what trick his opponent submitted. "The coolest thing about this contest is you never know what's going to happen," said Haslam. "You never know what trick the other guy is gonna give up or what the people are going to vote for. You gotta give up your hardest stuff so you can make it to the next round. The 411 guys were good at keeping their mouth shut. Nobody knows anything until they see the next issue. It's sweet!"

Unlike traditional contests with big crowds, five judges and 45-second runs, 411VS is held inside every issue of 411VM (released quarterly). "It's one of the better contests because it's like a best trick contest with unlimited tries and no time limit. Plus, you get money every time you make it to the next round--it's the best thing."

Haslam claimed the top spot by:
Round 1 - Pole Jam 5-0 Varial Kickflip - $1,000
Round 2 - Switch 1-Foot Manual $2,5000
Round 3 - Kickflip Back Noseblunt Board $5,000
Round 4 - Double Kickflip Fastplant $25,000

"The next Versus contest should be crazy! Make sure to log onto 411vm.com in September to vote for who is going to be in the next contest. Thanks to all the kids and everybody that voted, all the participants, Sobe, Tylenol, Skateboarder Magazine and 411 for giving me the chance to be a part of this. You guys rule," said Haslam as he skated off to the bank.

Click below to watch Haslam receive his final round $25,000 check (0:30, 1.5 MB)!