Back before the official format of Battle At The Berrics was established, Mike Mo Capaldi and Eric Koston played a historic game of S.K.A.T.E. to lift the spirits of Johnny Romano, a cancer-stricken Berrics fan.
Soon after, in 2008, skateboard brand, DVS Shoe Company sponsored the inaugural Battle at the Berrics contest. Consisting of a professional game of S.K.A.T.E., the competition involved thirty-two skaters competing in a bracket-style tournament. The competitors included Steve Berra, Eric Koston, Rob Dyrdek, Andrew Reynolds, Mike Carroll, Marc Johnson, Erik Ellington, PJ Ladd, Danny Montoya, Chris Roberts, Donovan Strain, and Sean Malto. BATB was
born and Capaldi became its first champion.
The contest gained traction and has become a world wide phenomenon. The 12th annual Battle at the Berrics is underway and contains the largest tournament bracket that we’ve seen yet. This years tournament is not without its own set of issues, just like previous years, but the contest is on the way. While some battles have been lack luster, due the the pool of contestants, other battles push you to the edge of your seat and biting off those nails. Then there are battles that remind you of the early years, and battles between two skaters impossible to take your eyes from. All the battles and all the superstars there is one that stands out. A battle that originally started all of this..14 years later, these two icons stepped in the arena again for BATB 12. Eric Koston vs Mike Mo!
The battle showed their age, but the talent never leaves pros like that. They had fun, we had fun and ultimately once again the pressure got to Mike Mo and Eric Koston takes the WIN!
