Today, Street League Skateboarding (SLS) announces this year’s dates and locations of Pro contests in the SLS global qualification structure towards the SLS Nike SB Super Crown World Championship. As the official street skateboarding world championship series as sanctioned by the International Skateboarding Federation (ISF), the SLS qualifying contests and the SLS Nike SB World Tour are skateboarding’s most prestigious contests in professional competitive skateboarding, bringing the sport’s best to a worldwide fan base.
This weekend, March 5-6, the 22nd Annual Tampa Pro presented by Monster Energy will play host to the kick off of the SLS season for the second year in a row. As a result of the partnership between SLS and Skatepark of Tampa (SPoT) established in 2015, Tampa Pro stands as the official North American Qualifier into SLS, where two pros currently not on the SLS roster will be given an opportunity to win their way into the League. In 2015, Felipe Gustavo and Kelvin Hoefler took the top qualifying spots and will be returning this weekend with the other SLS Pros to contend for championship points. Aside from SLS spots and points, skaters from all around the world will be competing to claim part of the $75,000 prize purse, in addition to the coveted Monster Energy Golden Ticket straight to the SLS Nike SB Super Crown World Championship. With Nike SB’s Luan Oliveira coming back to defend his 2015 win, it will surely be a battle not to be missed.
Following Tampa Pro, the international SLS Nike SB Pro Open returns to Barcelona, Spain this May as the second entry event that further unlocks the professional competitive space for two more of skateboarding’s rawest talent not yet in SLS. The world’s best will come together to compete for a Golden Ticket at Skate Agora BDN concrete plaza built by Lateral Thinking in conjunction with Nike SB, the City of Badalona and designed by CA Skateparks. This one-of-a-kind SLS Certified plaza built along side the Mediterranean played host to the first-ever international Pro Open in 2015, where Evan Smith and Cody McEntire advanced to join the exclusive SLS line up. In typical SLS fashion, the 2015 contest came down to the last trick, with Nyjah Huston just inching out Paul Rodriguez for the win.
With a complete SLS roster, the 2016 SLS Nike SB World Tour officially gets underway in Munich, Germany this July as the headlining event of the MUNICH MASH festival at Olympic Park. The last time the SLS Nike SB World Tour made an appearance in Munich was in 2013, where Chris Cole took home his first-ever SLS win, giving him momentum towards taking the SLS Super Crown World Championship win in the same year. “I am very eager to head back to Munich,” says Cole. “The fans showed so much support and it really fired me up [in 2013].” This year’s Munich stop of the World Tour also marks the first time Euro fans will see Nike SB’s Nyjah Huston compete in SLS at Olympic Park, having missed the contest in 2013.
When SLS lands in the United States, the Pros will come to an arena that will feel like home for most, as Prudential Center in New York City’s neighbor Newark, NJ has held the most SLS contests since the beginning of the League. Newark will solidify the Top 8 pros advancing to the SLS Nike SB Super Crown
World Championship being held in skateboarding’s hometown of Los Angeles at the Galen Center at USC for the first time ever.
For the second year in a row, SLS will include a Women’s Division as part of the SLS Nike SB Super Crown World Championship, allowing the world’s best female street skateboarders to compete for the title of World Champ. 2015 was a historical year as eight of the best skaters competed for the highest first-place prize in women’s street skateboarding with Brazilian Leticia Bufoni taking the first-ever female Championship.
While last year’s history-making Tour saw Luan Oliveira take two arena wins and SLS Rookie Kelvin Hoefler take the Championship crown for the Men – this year’s title of Champ could be anyone’s, especially with the influx of new talent. The biggest wildcards will be the four pros that have entered the contest line-ups thru the newest gateway into SLS called the SLS Picks. Just announced last week, Kyle Walker, Kevin Bradley, Miles Silvas, and Chris Joslin have the chance to compete in all 2016 SLS contests preceding the SLS Nike SB Super Crown World Championship.
With the continued addition of new blood, SLS ensures the competition line-up pushes skateboarding forward, giving the most progressive and innovative skateboarders in the world the chance to shine and be crowned World Champion.
SLS offers options for fans across the world to tune in and watch skateboarding’s most prestigious competition series. International fans can watch each event webcasted live exclusively on StreetLeague.com. Fans in the United States can watch SLS on FS1 and customers of participating cable and satellite TV providers may access the live stream through the FOX Sports GO app for iOS, Android, Windows and Kindle devices, as well as on desktops through FOXSportsGO.com.
SLS SEASON DATES AND VENUES:
• March 5–6 Tampa Pro | Skatepark of Tampa I Tampa, Florida, USA
• May 21–22 SLS Nike SB Pro Open | Skate Agora BDN I Barcelona, Spain
• July 2 SLS Nike SB World Tour: Munich | Olympic Park | Munich, Germany
• August 28 SLS Nike SB World Tour: New Jersey | Prudential Center | Newark, NJ, USA
• October 2 SLS Nike SB Super Crown World Championship | Galen Center at USC | Los Angeles, CA, USA
FS1 TELECAST SCHEDULE:
SLS Nike SB Pro Open – Sunday, May 22 (9:30 PM – 11:00 PM ET)
SLS Nike SB World Tour: Munich – Saturday, July 2 (1:30 PM – 3:00 PM ET)
SLS Nike SB World Tour: New Jersey – Sunday, August 28 (5:00 PM – 6:30 PM ET)
SLS Nike SB Super Crown World Championship – Sunday, October 2 (10:30 PM – 12:00 AM ET)
For more information visit www.streetleague.com.
About Street League Skateboarding
Street League Skateboarding (SLS) is the first-ever professional league for street skateboarding. SLS features 29 of the world’s most exciting skateboarders competing in an easy-to-follow, ISX™ instant scoring format on one-of-a-kind concrete skate plazas around the world, all for the largest prize purse in skateboarding history. Each Season, the elite SLS Pros compete for valuable points to advance to the Top Eight that will compete for title of Champion in the official street skateboarding world championship as sanctioned by the International Skateboarding Federation, the SLS Super Crown World Championship. SLS airs live on FS1 and FOX Sports GO with a live international webcast on Streetleague.com. For more information, visit www.streetleague.com and follow @streetleague.
About Nike SB
Nike SB is dedicated to serving skateboarders, delivering product innovation and creating new consumer experiences. Since 2001, Nike SB has supported a diverse team of inspirational professional skaters and upcoming amateurs who continue to meet the demands of a constantly evolving sport. With influence in all corners of the world, Nike SB is uniquely suited to bring skateboarding to new audiences and grow the sport globally. Based at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, Nike SB is obsessed with finding new ways to support the skateboarder by championing innovation and individuality. For more information, visit nike.com and follow @NikeSB
About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer and distributor of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it’s the way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at www.monsterenergy.com.
About Skatepark of Tampa
Founded in 1993, Skatepark of Tampa (SPoT) is the longest running, private indoor skatepark in the world. SPoT is also a leading online retailer and full service production company specializing in the management of core skateboard events. Famous for hosting the annual Tampa Pro and Tampa Am, SPoT has taken that success around the globe via the Damn Am, the premier amateur contest series in the world. Visit SPoTTampa.com for more information and follow @SPoTTampa –’93 ‘Til Infinity
About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century FOX’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FS1, FS2; FOX Sports Regional Networks, their affiliated regional web sites and national programming; FOX Soccer Plus; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, FOX Sports also encompasses FOX Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com, FOX Sports GO, Whatifsports.com and Yardbarker.com. Also included in the Group are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as a licensing agreement that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network.
