The USA Skateboarding National Championships will go on this spring in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to an innovative competition format that will combine both digital video and in=-person Olympic Qualifying.
Originally scheduled as a live event for March, USA Skateboarding decided to pivot to virtual qualifying for the athletes’ safety during the pandemic. Video submissions will be 45-second runs for both Park and Street at the skatepark of their choice with in-person finals following Olympic event formats. The top-12 ranked Americans will be pre-qualified into the quarterfinals. Points awarded to the finalists will count towards World Skateboarding Rankings and Olympic qualifying. Men’s and Women’s Skateboard Park and Street events will make their Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2021 Games this summer in Japan.
The window for qualifying video submissions opens on April 9, 2021 with the in-person finals taking place May 27-30, 2021 at The Berrics in Los Angeles, California. For all the official details, please follow the jump.
The USA Skateboarding National Championships presented by Toyota
Will Combine Virtual Video and In-Person Event Format
Virtual Qualifying to Begin April 9 with In-Person Finals May 27-30 for Olympic Disciplines Park and Street; The Berrics to Host Street Final, CA Training Facility to Host Park
Vista, Calif. (March 11, 2021) — Together with Toyota and The Berrics, USA Skateboarding – the governing body for skateboarding in the United States will move forward with a 2021 National Championships with a new format combining both digital video and an in-person Olympic-qualifying format. Originally scheduled as a live event for March, USA Skateboarding decided to pivot to virtual qualifying for the athletes’ safety during the pandemic. Video submissions will be 45-second runs for both Park and Street at the skatepark of their choice with in-person finals following Olympic event formats. The top-12 ranked Americans will be pre-qualified into the quarterfinals. Points awarded to the finalists will count towards World Skateboarding Rankings and Olympic qualifying. Men’s and Women’s Skateboard Park and Street events will make their Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2021 Games this summer in Japan.
“With the health and safety of the skaters as our primary concern, we’ve had to adapt our National Championships to a format that works in the time of Covid,” said Josh Friedberg, CEO, USA Skateboarding. “The good news is that American skaters will still have a chance to earn Olympic Qualifying points in an open and accessible qualifying process that will give skaters from all over the country a chance to participate in the National Championships alongside some of the best skaters in the world.”
USA Skateboarding National Championships presented by Toyota Virtual Video and In-Person Finals Schedule
April 9 – April 22: Open Qualifying Video Submissions
April 23 – April 26: Open Qualifying Judging
April 27 – May 3: 36 Quarterfinalists Announced, Quarterfinals Video Submissions
May 4: Quarterfinals Judging
May 5 – May 11: 20 Semifinalists Announced, Semifinals Video Submissions
May 12: Semifinals Judging
May 13: 8 Finalists Announced
May 27 – May 30: Finals In-person, Street — The Berrics, Park — CA | TF
“Toyota is thrilled to partner with USA Skateboarding as presenting sponsor of the 2021 USA Skateboarding National Championships,” said Dedra DeLilli, group manager, Olympic and Paralympic Marketing, Toyota Motor North America. “As the landscape around sport competitions has rapidly evolved over the last year, we commend USA Skateboarding for pivoting to both virtual and in-person qualifying to ensure the safety of those involved and so that these elite athletes can compete at the highest level in pursuit of their Olympic dreams as skateboarding is set to make its debut at Tokyo 2020.”
About USA Skateboarding
As the recognized governing body for skateboarding in the United States, USA Skateboarding (USAS) is responsible for the selection, training, and fielding of national teams that compete in the Olympic Games, Pan American Games, and other sanctioned team events. USAS is also responsible for the development of youth skateboarding initiatives that support grassroots programs, education, licensing, and safety while respecting and enhancing the existing culture of skateboarding in the United States. USAS is dedicated to promoting and supporting the sport of Skateboarding while striving to guarantee that Skateboarding continues to provide the unique characteristics relevant to the sport’s participants and maintaining the integrity and authenticity of Skateboarding as a sport, a passion, and a lifestyle. For more information, visit USASkateboarding.com.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we’ve built more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.
