The death of vert ...?
On the 3rd of April, ESPN announced that this summer's X Games aren't going to feature vert skateboarding. "It's time. It's been time... It's no secret that the vert field has stayed the same for the last decade. It's no secret that there aren't any vert ramps for kids to ride outside Southern California," says X Games General Manager Chris Stiepock.This is a huge shock to skateboarding, to kids who skate the vert ramps outside of California (wait until they realize they've been riding a lie), and especially to pro vert skaters! Now, if you are a vert fan or skater, your biggest venue is a clear choice - the AST Dew Tour. Interestingly, for the last couple of years the Dew Tour has had a little pack of very young kids (we're talking 7 to 10 years old) who ride the vert ramps before the competitions begin (read more). Vert is dead? What?
The X Games do have an event to take its place - the "Superpark". They promise it will make your local skatepark look puny and probably cry itself to sleep. So, skateboarding will be Superpark, Street and Megaramp.
In ESPN's article on the story, Pierre-Luc Gagnon points out that without vert, how in the world will people ever learn to ride the Mega Ramp? And Andy Macdonald argues that this is too extreme of a move - that instead things should be altered, not totally removed. Of course these guys have a lot invested in vert, but they do make good points.
In my opinion, vert skateboarding is definately the less popular style of skateboarding for skaters to do, but it is easily the most popular form of skateboarding for non-skaters to watch. Vert skateboarding is where the spectacle is at - and I would think that the X Games would be very interested in pulling in non-skater fans (they equal more money). When the average skate fan watches the X Games, I don't think they enjoy watching the Street competition so much as the Vert and Mega Ramp. In those contests, you can easily see that what these skaters are doing is difficult, amazing, and should be respected. With street skating, it all looks less amazing to the non-skater. You loose a lot of your "Wow", which is what they are looking for at something like the X Games. Personally, I think they are shooting themselves in the foot, but it will be interesting to see what the Superpark looks like! It can't be too amazing, or they'll be creating a competition based around something that most skaters don't have access to ... just like with vert.
What do you think? Is this a good idea? Do you ride vert? Do you hate vert? This is the second time vert has been announced dead - will this time be just as wrong as the last? Leave a comment below!
Photo © Jamie O'Clock
Comments
i want to see what “superpark” is like first, but i think its a big mistake to axe vert.i dont ride vert but the air they get and the tricks are breathtaking
The superpark does sound kind of cool… but vert was how skating got popular. Without vert there never would have been any bob burnquist, Tony Hawk, all those guys that like defined skateboarding.
Who cares, it is the x-games. buncha fronters anyhow. if anything this SAVES very and kills street. oh, no wait, there is nothing like street in the x-games.
Really, I doubt anything the x-games does will change a thing for real skaters who skate for skatings sake, not for the big bucks. Although I really do feel sorry for Sheckler and his big bucks, I mean, he had to take a skate tour of Europe rather than go to prom. Poor kid.
im tryin ta get a free skateboard cuz i cant afford it and i really would love to skate can any one help me out??
I skate everything I can skate, and I personally like all types of skateboarding. Vert is cool, and I think it should still be in the X-games.
And “kelly”, I’m sorry, but I can’t help you out on that matter.
Peace!
The X-Games need to look at some old footage of Vert compitition when they used to have halpipes back-to-back and side role-ins. This allowed for skaters to be more creative and show more versatility. And as for t-rad, a skater turns pro to make the big bucks and not just for the love of skating or they would do it for free.
Vert is by far the most exciting for television audiences and especially non-skaters. How can they abandon it all together. Maybe they should have included it into the “super park” instead of taking it out all together!
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getting paid for skating can coincide with doing it for a love of skating. simply getting paid does not kill your love. but some people seem to skate just for the money, others get paid but seem to skate out of pure love.
Looks like xgames changed their mind.
http://expn.go.com/expn/story?id=3338823
I for one am glad, I can’t skate vert, but love watching.
to 1 trudad ppl do skate for the love of it its just cheaper to be pro or sponsered not just for the money and the vert should stay its sick i skate street but vert is still sick as hell
Wow! Kill the staple of the X-Games… What will corporate USA think of next?
I’m glad they changed their minds. But the Superpark will also feature vert, expect not as tall and ominous
princeofvert.com
princeofvert.com
i think that vert is pretty much the non skater sport. but the thing is.. when i was little b4 i started skating the fliptricks and grinds amzed me. i was way more interested in that and i still am. i think they did the right thing taking it out. i have nothing against vert, but i think it was a good move
Vertical skateboarding needs to say forever… period. Face it, without it, we would not have street skateboarding. We have to remember that Street evolved with the Z-boys finding pools in the 70s when the surf in California P.O.P. was very low, Tony Alva popularizing the Frontside Air, Alan Gelfand scooping his tail to create his seldom nickname “the Ollie”, to Rodney Mullen’s freestyle evolution of Alan’s trick into a horizontal plane, and the time zone moves on. When Tony Hawk tweeked Alan Gelfand’s move into snapping his board and getting those high airs above the pools, making those sweet late grabs, there’s just no denying that it evolved into something greater. I am getting into vert very soon. It is going to take alot of physical and mental conditioning; but for what its worth, I definately consider taking this challenge.
I live in El Paso TX and I love vert and I skate but there are no vert ramps a million miles near for me to skate:[ and I've been wanting to skate a vert ramp so I went to san diego's YMCA skate park were I skated vert for the first time:] I think its because kids dont have any oportunities to even try vert like me.