Vert skating
Vert skating or vertical skating is a discipline using skates like inline skates or roller skates on a vert ramp, a style of half-pipe. In vert skating, the skater is able to achieve more air-time as compared to other styles of skating, meaning skaters can perform complicated aerial maneuvers and acrobatic tricks, such as spins and flips.
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The intent of vert skating is to ride higher than the coping (the metal pipe on top of the ramp) and perform spins or flips.[1] It focuses on complicated aerial maneuvers, such as spins and flips.[2] The intent of the skater is to build speed until they are of sufficient height above the edge of the ramp to perform various aerial acrobatics.[3] In competitions skaters have limited time, often less than a minute, to impress the judges by landing numerous and difficult tricks, having a good flow and consistency, having creativity with the routine and most importantly having a good style.[4]
The first X Games, in 1995, featured four inline skating events: best trick/big air, men's and women's vert, men's street, and men's downhill.[5] At its heyday in 1998, inline skating had the most events of any sport at the X Games, featuring vert triples (a three-person team based vert event), women's street, and women's downhill in addition to the original events.[6]
However, the sport soon fell out of fashion and by 2004, vert skating was the only remaining event at the X Games – including just one men's and women's combined contest.[7] For the 2005 X Games, aggressive inline was dropped entirely and the vert competition was replaced by women's skateboarding.[8]
Vert skating is considered a challenging sport: as of 2012 there are fewer than 15 professional vert skaters attending competitions.
X Games results
Men's vert
Year | ![]() |
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1995 | Tom Fry (AUS) | Cesar Mora (AUS) | Manuel Billiris (AUS) |
1996 | Rene Hulgreen (DNK) | Tom Fry (AUS) | Chris Edwards (USA) |
1997 | Tim Ward (AUS) | Taïg Khris (FRA) | Chris Edwards (USA) |
1998 | Cesar Mora (AUS) | Matt Salerno (AUS) | Taïg Khris (FRA) |
1999 | Eito Yasutoko (JPN) | Cesar Mora (AUS) | Matt Salerno (AUS) |
2000 | Eito Yasutoko (JPN) | Takeshi Yasutoko (JPN) | Cesar Mora (AUS) |
2001 | Taïg Khris (FRA) | Takeshi Yasutoko (JPN) | Shane Yost (AUS) |
2002 | Takeshi Yasutoko (JPN) | Eito Yasutoko (JPN) | Marc Englehart (USA) |
2003 | Eito Yasutoko (JPN) | Takeshi Yasutoko (JPN) | Record not available |
Women's vert
Year | ![]() |
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---|---|---|---|
1995 | Tash Hodgeson (NZL) | Angie Walton (USA) | Laura Connery (USA) |
1996 | Fabiola da Silva (BRA) | Jodie Tyler (AUS) | Tash Hodgeson (NZL) |
1997 | Fabiola da Silva (BRA) | Claudia Trachsel | Ayumi Kawasaki (JPN) |
1998 | Fabiola da Silva (BRA) | Ayumi Kawasaki (JPN) | Maki Komori (JPN) |
1999 | Ayumi Kawasaki (JPN) | Fabiola da Silva (BRA) | Maki Komori (JPN) |
2000 | Fabiola da Silva (BRA) | Ayumi Kawasaki (JPN) | Merce Borrull (ESP) |
2001 | Fabiola da Silva (BRA) | Ayumi Kawasaki (JPN) | Record not available |
2002 | Records not available | ||
2003 | Records not available |
Vert triples
Vert triples was a mixed-gender team AIL vert event and was included at two X Games, 1998 in San Diego and 1999 in San Francisco. Fabiola da Silva and Ayumi Kawasaki competed on a triples team with Andre Englehart in 1999. Maki Komori is the only woman to have medaled in vert triples at the X Games, winning bronze as part of a team with the Yasutoko brothers, Takeshi and Eito, in 1999.
Year | ![]() |
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1998 |
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1999 |
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Other notable vert skaters
Skaters who participated in vert events at the X Games but did not medal or who participated at other major international events include:
- Alberto Arakaki (BRA)
- Mike Bennett (USA)[20]
- Katie Brown (USA)[21]
- Tobias Bucher (GER)[22]
- Scott Crawford (AUS)[23]
- Ryan Dawes (USA)[24]
- Judy Eilmes (USA)[25]
- Andre Englehart (USA)[26]
- Lamine Fathi (FRA)[27]
- Aaron Feinberg (USA)
- Jaren Grob (USA)[28]
- Carl Hills (USA)[29]
- Beni Huber (SUI)[30]
- Anis Iboulalen (FRA)[31]
- Eitan Kramer (USA)
- Rui Kitamura (JPN)[32]
- Matt Lindenmuth (USA)
- Paul Malina (AUS)[33]
- Randy Marino (USA)[34]
- Thumper Nagasako (USA)
- Elmer Pillon (CAN)[35]
- Leo Riot (USA)
- Shawn Robertson (USA)[36]
- Vinicius Rosa (BRA)[37]
- Michelle Scott (USA)[38]
- Marco de Santi (BRA)
- Kerstin von Rautenfeld (BRA)[39]
See also
References
- "Vert Skating". Aggressive Skaters Association. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
- Williams, Carlesa. "What is vertical aggressive inline skating". liveabout.com. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
- "Aggressive Skating". Inline Planet. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
- "Yasutoko's new trick blows away competition". Kia X Games Asia. 1 May 2011. Archived from the original on 21 September 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
- Condor, Bob (20 June 1996). "Are these the next Olympians?". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Summer X Games almanac (1995–1998)". ESPN. 15 August 2000. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "The Death (and return?) of Aggressive Inline". Rad Rat Video. 25 August 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Inline No Longer X Games Competition". ESPN. 8 March 2005. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Eito Yasutoko". EXPN.com. 2004. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Takeshi Yasutoko's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Shane Yost's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Fabiola da Silva's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Photos > X Games 2000 > Women's Vert". ESPNEventMedia.com. 30 July 2010. Archived from the original on 30 July 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Ayumi Kayaki's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "1999 Summer X Games results". ESPN. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Merce Borrull's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Matt Salerno's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Sven Boekhorst's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "TAIG KHRIS". The Invisible Inliner. 29 October 2006. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- "Mike Bennett's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Katie Brown's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Tobias Bucher's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- Jagić, Josip (19 August 2017). "Scott Crawford's Perspectives by Dom West". Be-Mag. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Ryan Dawes's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- Garrett, Chris (1994). "Mike Giancinti". Daily Bread. 3: 24–25. Retrieved 15 December 2020 – via Issuu.
- "Andre Englehart's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Lamine Fathi's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Jaren Grob is still the Monster". ONE Rollerblading Magazine. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Carl Hills's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Beni Huber's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Anis Iboulalen's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Rui Kitamura's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Paul Malina's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Randy Marino's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Elmer Pillon's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Shawn Robertson's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "Vinicius Rosa's official X Games athlete biography". X Games. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "1999 B3: Bikes, Boards & Blades: Aggressive In-line skating". ESPN. 3 August 1999. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- Weinstein, Brad (3 July 1999). "Da Silva an Inspiration on Wheels". SFGATE. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
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