SAN FRANCISCO -- This was Nicky Adams' first trip to the X Games. So, he decided to take a souvenir back home with him to Montreal. A nice shiny gold medal.

Adams, although a newcomer at the X Games, was considered all along to be a medal contender for the aggressive in-line street competition. He is known for his ability to get big airs and pull off clean, technical runs.

He put it all together Thursday afternoon on Pier 30 and beat out Australian Blake Dennis for the top spot, while Aaron Feinberg took bronze for the second year in a row.

	Big-air tricks like this one by Adams were enough to take the gold in in-line street.

In the women's competition, Japan's Sayaka Yabe claimed her second X Games gold medal on the street in three years. Kelly Matthews took the silver, while defending X Games champion Jenny Curry settled for bronze in San Francisco.

Following his victory, Adams did cartwheels across the course, threw his Toronto Blue Jays cap into the stands, and tossed his T-shirt to the fans. Shorty thereafter, Adams, surrounded by reporters, called his mom on a cell phone to pass along the good news.

"I'm really stoked," says Adams. "Really stoked."

In Adams' first run of the finals, he landed a 720 over the jump box and several 360's. He finished his very technical run without any slips or falls and earned a score of 75.25 which put him in the lead.

The very next skater was Dennis, who also pulled off a 720 and landed several 360's and alley-oops. He just edged out Adams with a score of 76.25 to take over first place.

But there was still a second run to be made by both skaters.

Adams final run was full of confidence as he sped through the course with precision, landing a huge 720 and several soul grind that earned him a score of 76.50, boosting him into first place.

"My second run was scary," Adams said. "I was a little bit more nervous than I was with my first run. My first run I just hit a flair."

"I was really nervous for Salerno's last run. I thought he was going to take it. He didn't, and I'm not saying that sucks for him, but it's great for me." -- Nicky Adams In-line street gold medalist

After completing the winning run, Adams skated off the course, pulled off his helmet and banged it repeatedly on a bench. He knew he had done all he could to claim gold.

"My second run I got nervous because I was up there in second place and I wanted to move up but I didn't know how to do it," Adams said. "I just tried to skate a lot faster so I would have more time."

But Adams wasn't wearing gold yet. In the final run of the day, Matt Salerno went all out to top Adams' score. The top qualifier and 1998 ASA Skater of the Year got in a few 360s and a 540 bio-grab. But it wasn't enough to deny Adams.

"I was really nervous for Salerno's last run, I thought he was going to take it," said Adams. "He didn't, and I'm not saying that sucks for him, but it's great for me."

Yabe, who works a full-time job when she isn't skating, does not speak English. But she certainly understood the sound of the crowd during her final run Thursday.

She has stated in the past that her biggest challenge is "the pressure I put on myself to do well at the international level."

Yabe certainly passed the test by speeding through the course, landing a 360, several transfers and a nice backside royale down the rail.