10 Biggest Skateboarding Competitions in the World

Skateboarding isn’t always thought of as a competitive sport, but there are many competitions you may not even know about. Since the beginning, competitions have helped skaters make the jump from amateur to professional. They have helped launch many pro skaters careers, like Jamie Foy and Nyjah Huston. So, what are the biggest skateboarding competitions in the world?

1. X Games

The X Games has been the biggest skateboarding competition since 1995. For over 25 years, the X Games has put the greatest skateboarders and extreme athletes on display. The X Games is a wide-scale event that includes in-line skating, motorsports, snowboarding, and skateboarding competitions, among others.

Much like the Tony Hawk Pro Skater video games, the X Games served as a mainstream gateway for countless people to get into skateboarding. The inclusion of vert, park, big air, and street categories showed that the minds behind the X Games understand and care about skating.

Many impressive professional skaters have gone home with X Games medals over the years, such as Tony Hawk, Rune Glifberg, Tas Pappas, and Bob Burnquist.  The X Games continue to grow and dominate the world of extreme sports and skateboarding competitions.

2. Street League

@streetleagueskate 🇯🇵 @yutohorigome 9.5 🤯 #YutoHorigome #SLS #StreetLeague #Skateboarding #Skate #SkateTok ♬ original sound – SLS

Street League is by far the biggest street skateboarding competition in the world. Rob Dyrdek, a former Alien Workshop skater, started Street League in 2010. The competition immediately took off and has continued to grow since then.

Skaters are ranked as one of eight depending on their performance in the competition. The best part of watching Street League grow as a skater and a fan is that it is always surprising. For example, you would expect Nyjah Huston to sweep the competition each year, but he has placed 2^nd before. With that said, Nyjah Huston did win first place in 2019.

Street League is also unique in that it is much grittier than the X Games. While it has grown in scale, Street League has never managed to reach as wide of an audience as the X Games. That isn’t a bad thing, however, as Stree League always has a tight competition of the best street skaters in the world.

3. Dew Tour

@dewtour Congrats to @skybrown on taking first place on the women’s park competition here at the 2022 Dew Tour Des Moines! Peep her winning run that scored her a 89.66. #dewtour #skateboarding ♬ original sound – Dew Tour

The Dew Tour features a monumental skateboarding competition almost on the same level as the X Games. With a major corporate sponsor and a lineup of incredible skaters and snowboarders, The Dew Tour is a high-budget competition. The Dew Tour is comprehensive and varies based on the time of year.

For example, the Dew Tour includes everything from snowboarding and skiing to skateboarding. Everyone from Momiji Nishiya and Filipe Nunez to Cory Juneau and Kelvin Hoeffler has won first-place prizes in skateboarding at the Dew Tour. It’s always worth following the Dew Tour to get exposed to new and talented skaters.

4. Tampa Pro

@streetleagueskate Tampa Pro practice day! Let’s hear some predictions 👇 #TampaPro #SLS #Skateboarding ♬ Hip Hop with impressive piano sound(793766) – Dusty Sky

Look no further than the long list of Tampa Pro Winners to see some of the greatest skateboarders in the world. Most recently, Jamie Foy, who is a Florida native, took home the coveted Tampa Pro first place price. Tampa Pro’s history dates back to 1995 when Mike Vallely won with his signature bag of crazy tricks.

Since then, everyone from Eric Koston and Andrew Reynolds to Kerry Getz and Tony Trujillo has won the Tampa Pro. The winner receives $10,000 as well as the honor and prestige that comes along with it. Some skaters, such as Andrew Reynolds, Eric Koston, and Nyjah Huston have won Tampa Pro more than once.

The 2022 Tampa Pro was a breath of fresh air and it was amazing to see Jamie Foy win the grand prize. Much like Street League, Tampa Pro appeals to skaters that appreciate flip tricks and grinds.

5. Tampa Am

@skatelitesurface Huge congrats to this years WINNER Daiki Ikeda with this insane run from the 28th annual @spottampa am 🏆💥 #skatelite . . . . . #skateboardingisfun #SPoTTampa #tampaam #skateboarding #skateparkoftampa #tampa #tampaflorida #skatepark #rampsurface ♬ original sound – Skatelite

Tampa Am can be described as the younger sibling to the Tampa Pro contest. This competition is open to eligible amateurs that aren’t sponsored by a skateboard company. For years, the Tampa Am contest has served as a launching pad for the career of many young skaters.

Some skaters turn pro shortly after their performance at the Tampa Am competition. That includes skaters like Nyjah Huston and Luan Olivera. While the Tampa Am isn’t as big as the X Games, it’s a big deal because it helps usher in a new era of professional skateboarders.

6. Battle of the Berrics

The Battle of the Berrics has grown to be one of the biggest skateboarding competitions in the world. This unique competition is different from Street League or the Dew Tour in many ways. The biggest difference is that the Battle of the Berrics and other competitions is that it is centered around a game of “S.K.A.T.E”.

This skateboarding version of H.O.R.S.E or P.I.G involves skaters trying to one-up each other with challenging tricks. Many skaters identify with this competition more than others because that is something that happens at skate parks every day.

It’s rewarding to see a skateboarding competition that reflects the habits and behavior of real skaters. It takes place at The Berrics which is a one-of-a-kind skate park in Los Angeles. Eric Koston and Steve Berra, two of the best skaters in the world, started The Berrics. It’s only fitting that their impressive skatepark is home to one of the biggest skateboarding competitions in the world.

7. Red Bull Solus

@aspenmartinshreds Red Bull Solus 🛹 @redbull #redbull #skateboarding #skateboard #contest #learnontiktok #tiktokpartner ♬ Pumpkins – Chris Alan Lee

Red Bull Solus is another massive skateboarding competition that is somewhat similar to the Dew Tour. Besides the corporate banner, Red Bull Solus is similar to the Dew Tour in that it always involves young, up-and-coming skaters.

The fact that Red Bull Solus is hosted by Ryan Sheckler is simply the icing on the cake. This competition features well-qualified judges, such as Vanessa Torres, Jason Rothmeyer, and Mike Sinclair. Given that Red Bull Solus features X Games winners as their judges, you know that it’s always going to be an entertaining competition.

8. Grind For Life

Since 2002, Mike Rogers has let young skateboarders shine with his Grind For Life competition. This traveling competition has done a lot for young skaters across the world. It also serves a noble cause as many of the proceeds generated by ticket sales and vendors are donated to help cover medical expenses for cancer patients.

That is because contest founder Mike Rogers has gone through cancer twice before starting the competition. Their events take place all over the world and have garnered major sponsorships such as Red Bull and New Balance.

9. Simple Session

@beaverfleming Highlights from some past @Simple Session contests one of the best events ever! #NitroCircus #Sendit #Skateboarding #Estonia #fyp ♬ original sound – BeaverFleming

Simple Session is an international skateboarding and BMX contest held in Estonia, a country in Northern Europe. It brings together some of the best skaters from around the world to compete in both street and park disciplines. Simple Session is renowned for its energetic vibe and innovative course design.

10. The Olympics

I know what you’re thinking: why do the Olympics rank so low on this list? Well, that is because skateboarding only just entered the Olympics, and it’s too soon to see how it will impact the community. Skateboarding made its Olympics debut in 2021 with amazing performances from Momiji Nishiya and Keegan Palmer.

The competition was split into park, street, men, and women categories. Overall, the skateboarding event at the 2021 Olympics was quite similar to big contests like the X Games. Some skaters were resistant to skateboarding being added to the Olympics, but it seems like the addition has been good for the community.

Skateboarding seems like it will return to the Olympics again in the future. Only then will we see if skateboarding will continue to thrive as part of the Olympics. If so, then that will make the Olympics the biggest skateboarding competition in the world, even above the X Games and Street League.