Since hitting the scene in the summer of 1995, the X Games has become one of the biggest dates in every skateboarder’s calendar.
Year on year, the event attracts thousands of avid extreme sportsmen and women in BMX, Moto X and skateboarding keen to show off their new skills or simply admire the professionals pushing all kinds of boundaries in their discipline.
And as the crowds have grown, so has the event.
What started off as an event committed to showcasing the latest talents in each extreme sport, the X Games has transformed into a celebration of what the sports represent with performances from the likes of Metallica and Nicki Minaj in 2015.
It has quickly become recognised as one of the world’s best action sports festival experiences. And this year’s was arguably one of the best yet.
Summer Games number 23, this year the crowds gathered in Minneapolis, Minnesota between July 13th-16th. And it was a showstopper.
If you weren’t lucky enough to attend, here’s a rundown of what went down in the skateboarding events…
The X Games for Skateboarders
To maintain its appeal year on year, the event has had to adapt and evolve.
And this has included changing some of the events…
This year, the event hosted seven different events for skateboarders:
1. Skateboard Vert
What was once recognised as ‘pool riding’, the skateboard vert hit the scene in the 1970s when young skaters drained their swimming pools to practice their tricks on inclines and ramps.
This event has come a long way since the 70s, and now riders are spoilt for choice with venues accommodating this discipline.
This year, Japan’s Moto Shibata took the gold after bringing destruction to the vert.
2. Skateboard Big Air
Each event is extreme by nature.
But the Skateboard Big Air is something completely different…
Athletes are challenged with an 82 foot tall ‘mega ramp’, which launches them across an intimidating gap onto a quarter-pipe ramp.
We can’t get over this beautiful performance from Elliot Sloan – this year’s gold medalist – when he landed an 87 followed by a 900 and an impressively styled landing…
3. The Skateboard Park
With just 45 seconds in the arena, The Skateboard Park asks athletes to show off their riding technique and top tricks.
Whilst Alex Sorgente rode to victory with power and speed for the men’s event, USA’s fearless ripper Brighton Zeuner brought it home for the women.
4. Skateboard Street
Split between three events – one for men, one for women and one for amateurs – this event brings to life every young skater’s favourite street challenges.
From pipe extensions and in-set ledges to jump boxes, ramp transitions and railings, athletes are given the opportunity to demonstrate unrivalled tricks and skills in a 45 second routine.
Japan’s Aori Nishimura stormed onto the course to win it for the women at the tender age of 15! Whilst Kelvin Hoefler took the win for the men.
Jagger Eaton represented the amateurs in this games – another win for the USA.
Supporting the Sport’s Evolution
There’s no question about it, skateboarding is a competitive sport.
It requires a lot of time and commitment from the riders if they want to push boundaries and break down barriers. Which is why there is so much respect from the crowds, even when the tricks don’t go to plan.
But it’s all part of the fun.
Skateboarding is about taking risks and facing up to the fear of failure. It’s about being a part of the sport’s evolution and incredible rise over the past few decades…
“I try to never do tricks that other people have done, to the best of my knowledge. Like, the other day we were going to skate Hollywood again but came to find out that someone else was trying that trick.” – Chris Joslin
From kickflips to backside big spins, the Games is filled with mind-blowing tricks and passionate skaters eager to dig deep and bring something new to the table.
It’s a shame there isn’t a Trick of the Games award!
We recently caught up with one of the sport’s most innovative athletes, Chris Joslin, who spoke to us about his upcoming adventure with sponsor Etnies.
Exploring the Culture
The X Games has always tried to bring that little something extra to the world of action sports. They’ve acknowledged that there’s more to extreme sports than the sport itself, and invite fans and athletes to enjoy the culture in one place each year.
And a big part of this is the music…
“Music is such a big part of the culture around the X Games – it kind of goes hand-in-hand with the competitions. A lot of it starts with the athletes themselves. Most of them are big music fans, and sometimes they’re even good friends with some of our performers.” – Jennifer Rieber, Producer at ESPN.
The Games has seen the likes of Metallica, Nicki Minaj and G-Eazy perform for the crowds in the past. This year, it was headlined by three incredible, yet very different acts:
- A Day to Remember
- Flume
- Atmosphere
And they went down a storm!
Here’s to the next one
As usual, the games were an epic cocktail of daredevil tricks and outstanding skills.
Year on year, the athletes up their game and bring something new and exciting to the world of skateboarding.
We can’t wait to see what’s next…