Brink!

**Brink!** is a Disney Channel Original Movie that was released on August 29, 1998.

## Plot

Andy "Brink" Brinker and his in-line skating crew, Peter, Jordy and Gabriella, who call themselves "Soul-Skaters" (which means they skate for the fun of it and not for the money), clash with a group of sponsored skaters, Team X-Bladz, led by Val, with whom they attend high school in southern California.

After Brink gets Val and himself suspended for racing on school grounds, Brink discovers that his family is in financial trouble; so, he goes against the wishes of his parents and his friends and joins Team X-Bladz for $200 a week. He keeps this from his friends until they see him skating for Team X-Bladz in a local competition. Brink's friends feel he betrayed them and agree to a downhill race, Soul-Skaters vs. Team X-Bladz (specifically Gabriella vs. Brink).

Although Brink's original crew chose to ignore him upon discovering his alignment with Team X-Bladz, Val was willing to be his friend again and then agreed to remain on his team. During the race, Val intentionally sabotages Gabriella's part of the course by sprinkling pebbles onto the road. Gabriella wipes out big and sustains minor injuries. At this point, all of the Soul-Skaters disown Brink as their friend; they call him a sell-out and stop talking to him.

Brink meets Val and proceeds to get into an argument with him, quitting Team X-Bladz. In the days before the competition, he meets his friends at the skate yard and tells them of his plan to sponsor the team under the name "Team Pup 'N Suds." They accept Brink as their friend again.

As friends once again, they compete in the competition. At the end, it comes down to Brink and Val in the championship race. Brink, his friends and his family celebrate the long-awaited victory. Immediately after the race, Val is fired from X-Bladz for cheating. Team X-Bladz's manager Jimmy offers Brink the captain position of the team. Remembering that they skate for fun and not money, Brink turns down the offer.

## Cast

* Erik von Detten as Andy "Brink" Brinker
* Sam Horrigan as Val
* Christina Vidal as Gabriella Dellama
* Robin Riker as Maddie Brinker
* Geoffrey Blake as Jimmy
* Patrick Levis as Peter Calhoun
* Joey Simmrin as Arne "Worm"
* Asher Gold as Jordy
* Walter Emanuel Jones as Boomer
* Katie Volding as Kate Brinker
* David Graf as Ralph Brinker
* Kevin Clifford as Garbage Man

## Reception

In 2012, Complex ranked the film at number 1 on the magazine's list of the 25 best Disney Channel Original Movies. In December 2015, Dylan Kickham of Entertainment Weekly ranked Brink! at number four on a list of the top 30 DCOMs. Kickham wrote, "Along with the hilariously nostalgic lingo, Brink! earns its place in the pantheon of great DCOMs for mixing adrenaline, drama and one-time Disney golden boy Erik von Detten." In March 2016, the film was ranked at number 37 on MTV's list of the best DCOMs, consisting of 99 films. In May 2016, Aubrey Page of Collider ranked each Disney Channel Original Movie released up to that point. Page ranked Brink! at number 17, writing, "It's been official pretty much since it aired, Brink! is a classic. And, it's potentially the best aggressive inline skating movie ever been committed to film, though it might also be the only one."