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.
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.[citation needed]
X Games results
Men's vert
| Year |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 |
|
|
|
| 1999 |
|
|
|
Vert
Men's and women's vert were combined at the 2004 X Games in Los Angeles. Fabiola da Silva was the only woman to qualify for participation in the event and placed sixth in the finals.
| Year | |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Takeshi Yasutoko (JPN) | Record not available | Eito Yasutoko (JPN) |
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:
- Aaron Feinberg (USA)
- Alberto Arakaki (BRA)
- Andre Englehart (USA)[20]
- Anis Iboulalen (FRA)[21]
- Beni Huber (SUI)[22]
- Carl Hills (USA)[23]
- Eitan Kramer (USA)
- Elmer Pillon (CAN)[24]
- Jaren Grob (USA)[25]
- Judy Eilmes (USA)[26]
- Katie Brown (USA)[27]
- Kerstin von Rautenfeld (BRA)[28]
- Lamine Fathi (FRA)[29]
- Leo Riot (USA)
- Leonid Kamburov
- Marco de Santi (BRA)
- Matt Lindenmuth (USA)
- Michelle Scott (USA)[30]
- Mike Bennett (USA)[31]
- Paul Malina (AUS)[32]
- Randy Marino (USA)[33]
- Rui Kitamura (JPN)[34]
- Ryan Dawes (USA)[35]
- Scott Crawford (AUS)[36]
- Shawn Robertson (USA)[37]
- Thumper Nagasako (USA)
- Tobias Bucher (GER)[38]
- Vinicius Rosa (BRA)[39]
See also
References
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