Fansided

X Games Minneapolis 2018: Who is competing in skateboard vert?

By Bruin Belisle

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 13: Andy Macdonald flips during the Skateboard Vert Final at X Games on July 13, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 13: Andy Macdonald flips during the Skateboard Vert Final at X Games on July 13, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

X Games Minneapolis kicks off on Thursday with the skateboard vert competition. Here’s who you can expect to see on the ramp Thursday evening.

The X Games are back in Minneapolis for a second year and the buzz surrounding the events is nearing a full-blown roar. Rightfully, because these events are packed with some of your favorite X Games athletes of all time.

The skateboard vert ramp will be no different. With a perfect mix of the legends of the sport and the stars of tomorrow, this event is sure to put on a show in Minneapolis. Drop-in for the qualifying round starts at 7:00 p.m. ET on Facebook, Twitter or the X Games YouTube channel. The finals will be broadcast on ESPN starting at 10:00 p.m. ET.

Here are all the athletes competing in the skateboard vert event.

X Games Minneapolis 2018: Men’s Skateboard Vert competitors

  • Marcelo Bastos (BRA)
  • Sam Beckett (GB)
  • Mitchie Brusco (USA)
  • Sandro Dias (BRA)
  • Rony Gomes (BRA)
  • Clay Kreiner (USA)
  • Bucky Lasek (USA)
  • Andy MacDonald (USA)
  • Italo Penarrubia (BRA)
  • Alex Perelson (USA)
  • Paul-Luc Ronchetti (GB)
  • Jono Schwan (USA)
  • Moto Shibata (JPN)
  • Elliot Sloan (USA)
  • Jimmy Wilkins (USA)
  • Eduardo Damestoy
  • Augusto Akio
  • Jesse Thomas

Last year’s X Games gold medalist Moto Shibata from Japan will look to defend his gold medal from 2017. Veteran Bucky Lasek believes the frontrunners for this event are Moto, Jimmy Wilkins and Mitchie Brusco, who are all at the tops of their games. In his interview with FanSided, however, he wasn’t counting anyone out of this event.

"“Everyone is capable of pulling out one run out that’s untouchable,” Lasek says. “You get 13 tricks for a run. The potential is there for sure.” He also points out that it’s not even all about who takes the final. “The qualifying prelims are going to be gnarlier than the finals this year,”"

X Games Minneapolis is going to be the most entertaining sporting event of the weekend. If you are in the area, go get tickets immediately, but if not, here is the full list of the events and when they take place.

No matter what you do, be sure to lock into the skateboard vert ramp on Thursday evening as it’s going to be a spectacle you won’t want to miss.

Next: Jamie Bestwick ponders BMX legacy

FanSided is your home for the latest X Games news, recaps and more! Follow along with the X Games category to keep up to date with all the X Games 2018 action in Minneapolis.

Home/X Games