20 Most Important Skateboarding Tournaments

Skateboarding has evolved into a renowned sport worldwide, with numerous exciting competitions for both professional and amateur skaters.

This list provides an overview of the most prominent skateboarding events in today’s scene.

Most Important Skateboarding Tournaments:

1. X Games
2. Street League Skateboarding (SLS)
3. Vans Park Series
4. Dew Tour
5. Tampa Pro
6. World Skateboarding Championships
7. King of the Road (Thrasher)
8. Battle at the Berrics
9. World Cup Skateboarding
10. International Skateboarding Open
11. Vans Downtown Showdown
12. Vans Warped Tour Skate Competition
13. California Amateur Skateboard League
14. Phoenix Am
15. Mystic Sk8 Cup
16. Red Bull Hart Lines
17. Vans Shop Riot
18. Copenhagen Open
19. Simple Session
20. Tampa Am

#1 X Games

• 📍 Location: Varies globally
• 📅 Established: 1995
• 🔄 Held: Annually

The X Games, organized by ESPN, is the premier action sports event, showcasing skateboarding alongside other extreme sports like BMX and snowboarding.

Covering both street and vert disciplines, it has provided a platform for legendary skateboarders like Tony Hawk and Nyjah Huston. The competition has expanded globally, with events now in various locations such as Europe and Australia.

#2 Street League Skateboarding (SLS)

• 📍 Location: Varies globally
• 📅 Established: 2010
• 🔄 Held: Annually

Street League Skateboarding (SLS), founded by pro skateboarder Rob Dyrdek, is a professional skateboarding competition series that focuses on street skateboarding.

With revolutionary scoring systems and a unique course design, SLS has attracted top skaters like Sean Malto, Shane O’Neill, and Leticia Bufoni. It has evolved into the official qualification platform for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic skateboarding event.

#3 Vans Park Series

• 📍 Location: Varies globally
• 📅 Established: 2016
• 🔄 Held: Annually

The Vans Park Series (VPS) is the premier park terrain skateboarding competition, featuring both male and female skaters.

VPS showcases the finest park terrain skateboarding talent, promoting a mix of speed, style, flow, and creativity. With its progressive bowl competition format, skaters like Pedro Barros, Brighton Zeuner, and Oskar Rozenberg have left their mark on the series.

#4 Dew Tour

• 📍 Location: United States
• 📅 Established: 2005
• 🔄 Held: Annually

The Dew Tour, primarily sponsored by Mountain Dew, is a multi-disciplinary action sports competition featuring skateboard, snowboard, and BMX events. Set in unique, custom-built courses, the Dew Tour emphasizes creativity, style, and technical skill.

Over the years, it has highlighted supreme talent in the skateboarding community, offering both traditional competition formats and innovative team challenges.

#5 Tampa Pro

• 📍 Location: Tampa, Florida
• 📅 Established: 1995
• 🔄 Held: Annually

Tampa Pro, hosted by the Skatepark of Tampa (SPoT), is one of the most respected and longest-running professional skateboarding events in the world.

Known for its raw, authentic vibe and consistently challenging street courses, the event has a list of past winners that reads like a who’s who of skateboarding, including Eric Koston, Mike Carroll, and Luan Oliveira.

#6 World Skateboarding Championships

• 📍 Location: Varies globally
• 📅 Established: 2011
• 🔄 Held: Annually

The World Skateboarding Championships, sanctioned by World Skate, gathers the world’s top professional skateboarders to compete for the prestigious title.

Featuring various disciplines such as street and park, the event showcases a diversity of skateboarding talent. As the sport gains international recognition, this championship contributes to the growing global skateboarding community.

#7 King of the Road (Thrasher)

• 📍 Location: United States
• 📅 Established: 2003
• 🔄 Held: Annually

King of the Road, organized by Thrasher Magazine, is a one-of-a-kind travelling skateboarding competition that spans across several weeks. It features teams from major skateboard brands competing in a series of gruelling challenges, combining skateboarding skill, creativity, and endurance.

The event has become a beloved and unique spectacle within the skateboarding community, celebrated for its unpredictability and camaraderie among competitors.

#8 Battle at the Berrics

• 📍 Location: Los Angeles, California
• 📅 Established: 2008
• 🔄 Held: Annually

Battle at the Berrics, hosted by The Berrics skatepark, is a unique skateboarding event focusing on the game of S.K.A.T.E., a one-on-one competition format showcasing flat ground tricks.

Co-founded by pro skaters Steve Berra and Eric Koston, this event has become a fan favorite, featuring top skateboarders in a more casual, yet highly competitive atmosphere. Past champions include Chris Joslin, Luan Oliveira, and Ishod Wair.

#9 World Cup Skateboarding

• 📍 Location: Varies globally
• 📅 Established: 1995
• 🔄 Held: Annually

World Cup Skateboarding (WCS) is an international series of professional skateboarding contests. This championship circuit brings together some of the world’s best skateboarders in various disciplines, such as street and vert, through numerous events around the globe.

The WCS has been influential in promoting and expanding skateboarding to a global audience while celebrating the sport’s competitive spirit and fostering its growth.

#10 International Skateboarding Open

• 📍 Location: China
• 📅 Established: 2016
• 🔄 Held: Annually

The International Skateboarding Open is a prestigious competition organized in China that aims to promote skateboarding within the country and to elevate its global presence.

Featuring street and park disciplines, this annual event has attracted international competitors and helps to cement China’s position as a rising player in the world of professional skateboarding.

#11 Vans Downtown Showdown

• 📍 Location: Varies globally
• 📅 Established: 2005
• 🔄 Held: Irregularly

The Vans Downtown Showdown is a unique event featuring custom-designed obstacles created by leading skateboard brands, challenging skaters in different ways.

With its innovative approach, the competition has made a mark in the skateboarding world, providing skaters and fans with an ever-evolving and entertaining spectacle. The event has been held across various locations since its inception, including cities like Los Angeles, London, and Paris.

#12 Vans Warped Tour Skate Competition

• 📍 Location: United States
• 📅 Established: 1995
• 🔄 Held: Annually (until 2018)

The Vans Warped Tour Skate Competition was an integral part of the Vans Warped Tour, a traveling music and extreme sports festival that lasted for over two decades.

Skateboarders were able to showcase their skills on custom-built ramps while being part of a larger cultural movement that promoted skateboarding alongside punk rock music, bringing together a unique blend of fans and participants.

#13 California Amateur Skateboard League

• 📍 Location: California
• 📅 Established: 1982
• 🔄 Held: Annually

The California Amateur Skateboard League (CASL) is dedicated to developing the skills of young and upcoming skateboarders throughout California.

With a focus on nurturing talent from an early age, CASL has contributed significantly to the growth of skateboarding by providing a platform for future professional skaters. Many celebrated pros, such as Tony Hawk and Ryan Sheckler, have participated in CASL during their early years.

#14 Phoenix Am

• 📍 Location: Phoenix, Arizona
• 📅 Established: 2002
• 🔄 Held: Annually

Phoenix Am, hosted by the renowned Cowtown Skateboards, is a prestigious and highly competitive amateur skateboard competition that attracts young talents from across the globe.

The event focuses on street skateboarding and has helped to launch the careers of numerous skateboarders, such as Nyjah Huston and David Gonzalez. This iconic competition has significantly impacted the skateboarding community by creating a platform for budding skateboarders to showcase their skills.

#15 Mystic Sk8 Cup

• 📍 Location: Prague, Czech Republic
• 📅 Established: 1994
• 🔄 Held: Annually

The Mystic Sk8 Cup, in the picturesque city of Prague, remains an iconic event within the European skateboard scene.

Featuring both street and bowl contests, the tournament attracts international competitors and embodies the creative spirit of skateboarding. With support from top brands and an eclectic mix of entertainment, the Mystic Sk8 Cup continues to leave a mark on skateboarding’s global landscape.

#16 Red Bull Hart Lines

• 📍 Location: Detroit, Michigan
• 📅 Established: 2015
• 🔄 Held: Annually (until 2018)

Red Bull Hart Lines, created by pro skateboarder Ryan Sheckler, was an innovative skateboarding contest held in Detroit’s iconic Hart Plaza.

The unique event focused on speed, technical skills, and creativity, blending street and park skateboarding elements. In its short existence, the event fostered community engagement and showcased world-class talent like Nyjah Huston and Curren Caples.

#17 Vans Shop Riot

• 📍 Location: Europe
• 📅 Established: 2009
• 🔄 Held: Annually

The Vans Shop Riot is an annual skateboarding contest that emphasizes local skate shop team camaraderie and competition across Europe.

With a creative format that celebrates teamwork and strengthens the skateboarding community, the Vans Shop Riot has become a staple event for many skaters across the continent. The event fosters a spirit of unity and collaboration, while showcasing the skills of shop-sponsored skateboarders.

#18 Copenhagen Open

• 📍 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
• 📅 Established: 2007
• 🔄 Held: Annually

The Copenhagen Open, also known as the CPH Open, is a week-long skateboarding festival that takes place in various spots around the vibrant Danish capital.

With its distinctive blend of skateboard competitions, street and park events, art, and music, the Copenhagen Open has become one of the most highly anticipated skateboard happenings in Europe, promoting the city’s unique skate spots and attracting global skaters.

#19 Simple Session

• 📍 Location: Tallinn, Estonia
• 📅 Established: 2001
• 🔄 Held: Annually

Simple Session, taking place in the Estonian capital of Tallinn, is an esteemed international skateboarding and BMX contest featuring a custom-built indoor course.

With skaters from around the world participating, the event is not only a fierce competition but also a vibrant celebration of skateboarding culture. Esteemed athletes like Torey Pudwill and Kelvin Hoefler have showcased their skills at Simple Session.

#20 Tampa Am

• 📍 Location: Tampa, Florida
• 📅 Established: 1995
• 🔄 Held: Annually

Tampa Am, hosted by the Skatepark of Tampa (SPoT), is the amateur counterpart of the renowned Tampa Pro competition.

As a proving ground for the up-and-coming skateboard talents, Tampa Am has fostered the careers of numerous skateboarders who later turned pro. Its authenticity and focus on the next generation of skaters have made it an essential event that scouts and fans eagerly attend.

FAQ