Skateboarding Competitions

Competition skateboarding ranges from local events where the top prize may be a new deck or set of wheels, to internationally televised events with tens of thousands of pounds at stake for big name skaters.

Major competitions commonly feature Vert, Street and Freestyle skating events but the one with the biggest prizes and the most media coverage is always vert skating. In all skate competitions, each competitor has a limited amount of time in which to score as many points as possible. It is common in skate competitions to have three rounds and take an average of all three, or alternatively just the highest two rounds. Competitions are scored by a panel of judges who take into account a variety of factors when scoring such as:

• Height. The Higher the trick the higher the score. In big vert competitions, a vertical scale can sometimes be seen on the top of the ramp and this leaves judges in no doubt as to who got the highest air. Street skaters meanwhile can compete to ollie over the highest object by stacking crates or cones one on top of each other.
• Rotations. How many times does the skateboarder spin himself or his board before landing the trick? Tony Hawk was the first to complete three full spins from a vert halfpipe.
• Difficulty. Due to the greater risk of falling and losing points, more difficult tricks score higher points.
• Variations. Doing the same trick again and again loses points. Instead, the judges want to see a variety of tricks that show a range of abilities. Vert skaters commonly put lip tricks into their run of airs to get a nice score for variety - in big aerial runs, every air needs to be different from the last. Street skaters have a range of street furniture at their disposal and score higher points by using all of it. Freestyle skaters must perform a range of tricks quickly - of all the skating disciplines, they must exhibit the greatest repertoire of skate tricks.
• Combinations. Really big points can be scored by combining different types of skate trick in a single move. Thanks to the time they spend in the air, Vert skaters may do a hand grab trick and a flip or spin trick in the same jump. Street skaters link tricks together by tricking onto then off street furniture. Performing a manual may even get them to another piece of street furniture without ending their trick. Freestyle skaters, meanwhile, are the combination kings. They link long runs of twist and spin tricks together with manual balances and truck stands in a really impressive display of balance and coordination.

For big name skaters, there are a number of annual skating events that always draw a huge crowd and television coverage. Skating is usually just one of the competition disciplines at such events and shares the media spotlight with other extreme sports such as BMX, Breakdancing (or B-boying), and Motocross Biking. Here are the major skate competitions that happen on a regular, yearly basis.

The X Games

The world's largest skate competition, offering huge cash prizes to the worlds finest. This is the place where Tony Hawk landed his record breaking 900 degree air. The X games are televised all over the world and happen twice a year with Summer and Winter Events. Other sports at the Urban games include snowboarding, BMX and extreme Moto X. Check out ESPN's website to find out more about the twice yearly X Games.

World Cup Skateboarding

Events under this umbrella are held all over the world. Check their website for details of the next skate competition and results for previous events.

The Urban Games

This is the UK's largest street sports competition and attracts world class competitors from many different countries. There is a freestyle skating area in addition to a vert comp. Breakdancing and BMX dirt riding also feature at the UK Urban games. You can check their website to see competitors and event listings.

The King of Street

This is one of the largest skate comps in Europe and attracts skaters from as young as 11 years old. Despite its name there are actually 3 sections in the King of Street - Street, Vert and Girls. The girls section was added in 2007. Check out the CBBC website to see the results of the 2007 King of Street Skate Comp in Birmingham.

Smaller, local skate competitions are frequently held all over the UK in local skate parks. As most of these events do not have a regular schedule it is best to check our section on Where to skate in the UK for details of UK skateparks so that you can find a skate comp near you. Additionally, here are a couple of good websites to find out about local UK skateboard competitions:

• The UK Skateboarding Association post upcoming skate competitions on their website.
• Sk8park.co.uk publish flyers of upcoming UK skate comps on their website.