Who Will Raise the Bar on Vert This Summer?

 

X Games Best Trick is the place where anything goes.  And this year’s heat is packed.  Everyone knows that last year’s champion, Bob Burnquist is still perfectly capable of doing something that blows the hinges off of the door labeled “Places Where Skateboarding Hasn’t Gone Yet”, but young guns like Shaun White, who progresses faster than his hair grows, have the advantage of a fresh look at skateboarding.  Never doubt Shaun’s ability to do something that no one has ever thought of (or decided wasn’t possible unless your board is strapped to your feet), but Shaun has the advantage of looking at skateboarding from a snowboarding perspective – a sport where the airs are a lot higher and which has spins going well into the quadruple digits.  Then when you bring PLG, Bucky, Colin McKay and Jake Brown into the mix and you have quite the show.

This same crew will be showing the vert ramp even more bang for it’s buck in Skateboard Vert.  Now this is drastically different from Skateboard Vert Best Trick.  This is a study in the art of balance, fluidity & consistency.  Which is probably why Bob Burnquist is so good at it.  But he does have some competition this time around.  PLG (last year’s champion), Jean Postec, White, Macdonald (who’s killing it this year), Glifberg, Ringstrom, and Bucky (who always slaughters the X Games) will guarantee this is a solid year for Skate Vert.

Skateboarding is the essence of the Summer X Games, and this year is shaping up to be another big one. The pros are well rested after the Dew Tour in Denver and primed to drop in on the ramp.  So check each event, because this is what it’s all about.

 

-Cody Allen