Last week, in the enchanting city of Barcelona, Spain, we hosted our inaugural World Skate Pro Tour event. A gathering of 125 athletes from across the globe converged, each with dreams of clinching a coveted Pro Tour win. Spanning four exhilarating days, we bore witness to six distinct events that delivered an unrelenting onslaught of thrilling action.
The action commenced on Thursday with practice, granting riders their maiden opportunity to traverse the Street Plaza and Central Park courses in preparation for the official competitions launching on Friday. Regrettably, the ominous specter of rain cast its shadow as we awoke on Friday morning. Though the rain momentarily relented, it persevered long enough for the Women’s and Junior Street semi-finals. Here, we witnessed Romane Gilliet from France seizing the #1 position in the Women’s Street semi-final, while the French onslaught persisted with Luka Noel securing the top spot in the Junior Street semi-final.
Tragically, as soon as the fiercely contested Men’s Park Qualifier commenced, so did the rain, relentless in its persistence. The downpour ultimately forced the cancellation of the remaining events slated for Friday. Consequently, our rain protocol swung into action on Saturday, with both the Men’s Park and Street qualifiers amended to fit our schedule. This necessitated the omission of the semi-finals, leaving only the top 10 riders to advance directly to the finals.
Fortunately, Junior Park and Women’s Park events remained unscathed by the rain, allowing them to proceed as planned. Nevertheless, adversity struck our competition when two formidable female athletes suffered unfortunate injuries during practice, sidelining them for the weekend. Our heartfelt wishes for a speedy recovery go out to both Beca Ortiz and Mia Catalano.
Saturday heralded the commencement of more amazing scootering, commencing with the Women’s Park Semi-Final, where American Claire Park clinched the #1 spot, marking an impressive start to the day. Subsequently, the Junior Park Semi-Final ensued, with Swiss rider Enak Markwalder securing the top position. This paved the way for the intense Men’s Street Qualifier, where judges faced the daunting task of selecting 10 riders out of a pool of 35 to compete in the final later that Saturday night. The caliber of competition was awe-inspiring, and the top 10 contenders could have hailed from any corner of the field. Ultimately, the reigning Street World Champion, Lucas Di Meglio, seized the coveted #1 spot, joined by newcomers Jack Walsh, the 2023 Street Junior World Champion, and Stacy Wariner, the 2023 Junior Street runner-up.
Shifting the focus back to the park, judges grappled once more with the herculean task of whittling down a field of 50 riders to a mere 10 for the finals. The competition was fierce, and the prospect of victory was within grasp for any of the riders. After the dust settled, Englishman Jayden Sharman secured the coveted #1 spot into the finals, closely followed by his compatriots, Jordan Clark and Morgan Jones. This set the stage for a riveting showdown on Sunday, with everyone wondering if this would be the year someone finally unseated Jordan Clark from his perennial #1 perch.
Before Sunday's grand finale, we concluded Saturday with one of the weekend's most anticipated events, the Men’s Street finals. Hundreds of spectators gathered under the dazzling lights, anticipating whether Lucas Di Meglio would secure yet another victory or if fellow Frenchman Jonathan Perroni, returning to competition after a year-long hiatus, would reclaim the top podium spot. The odds seemed stacked against Jonathan after a harrowing fall during his first run. However, displaying true champion spirit, Jonathan rallied, delivering a spectacular performance that positioned him favorably for the best tricks segment of the contest. Nevertheless, there was another French contender on the horizon, newcomer Hugo Strauss, whose prowess added yet another layer of excitement to the competition. Ultimately, Jonathan Perroni emerged victorious, delivering a breathtaking performance. He was trailed by Hugo Strauss in second place and Swiss rider Matis Neyroud in third, with current World Champion Lucas Di Meglio narrowly missing the podium, finishing fourth.
Sunday dawned, heralding a day brimming with finals. The Junior Park Finals opened proceedings, featuring a roster of six exceptionally talented junior riders from across the globe. The fiercely contested battle for supremacy ensued among Swiss rider Enak Markwalder, German Bastien Brey, and the local Spanish talent, Harriett Portugal. Any of these three riders possessed the potential to clinch the top position. When the dust settled, the local hero, Harriett Portugal, emerged victorious, with Bastien Brey securing second place and Enak Markwalder rounding out the podium in third.
The Women's Park Final followed, with the reigning World Champion, American Claire Park, the favorite to win. Yet, veterans Lucy Evans and Alexandra Madsen posed formidable challenges. Every contestant in this final showcased remarkable skill, making the judges' task of determining a victor exceedingly challenging. Ultimately, American Claire Parks stood triumphant on the podium, claiming the top spot once again. Brits Lucy Evans and Eeve Entwistle secured second and third place, respectively.
The Women’s Street riders then took center stage for their final, which unfolded as a wide-open contest in the absence of our current World Champion Mia Catalano and the 2022 World Champion Josephine Zgorski. The competition was fierce, with victory within reach for any of the participants. However, when all was said and done, it was Brit Sophie Molynuex who emerged victorious, securing the final by a ten-point margin. The growth of Women’s Street Scootering at these events has been nothing short of remarkable, and we eagerly anticipate what the future holds for these exceptionally talented women.
The final event on the Street course at Extreme Barcelona was the Junior Street Final, mirroring the intensity of the other two street events. As with the preceding competitions, victory remained uncertain, with each rider capable of clinching the win. Swiss rider Enak Markwalder, already competing in both the park and street Junior finals on Sunday, faced immense pressure. The competition remained neck and neck between American Kai Martin and Frenchman Luka Noel, who continually swapped the #1 and #2 spots during the best tricks segment. When all was said and done, American Kai Martin secured the win for the USA, marking their second gold medal of the day. Luka Noel from France secured second place, followed closely by another American, Max Androsko, in third. The future of American street riders appears promising, as they have consistently stood atop the podium since the inaugural Junior Street World Championship in 2022.
Our grand finale, the Men’s Park final, beckoned, with fans eagerly awaiting whether Jordan Clark would add another victory in Barcelona to his impressive resume, or if fellow Brit and #1 qualifier Jayden Sharman would finally topple the reigning champion. The final field boasted extraordinary talent, with victory within grasp for any rider. American and 2022 Junior Park World Champion Revin Cachat made an electrifying entry as the second rider to drop into the course, delivering an astounding run that earned him an impressive score of 89.05, securing the #1 spot for much of the initial runs until Jordan Clark took his turn. Jordan delivered a masterful performance, knowing that this run could elevate him to the elusive #1 position. His score of 90.83 seemed poised to maintain his grip on first place and uphold the Barcelona tradition. However, Jayden Sharman had other plans.
Jayden made an unforgettable entrance, flipping into his first run, captivating the crowd and setting the stage for a spectacular performance that earned him a remarkable score of 93.75. Over the past few years, Jayden had often come close but had never quite clinched a major competition win. Familiar with the podium but never the victor, the question loomed: would this be the year Jayden finally secured the win? The answer came after another round of runs, as Revin and Jordan both faltered in their final attempts, propelling Jayden Sharman to a well-deserved victory.
The entire field of riders, including Jordan and Revin, celebrated Jayden's long-awaited triumph. It was a splendid conclusion to an extraordinary weekend of Scootering in Barcelona. Heartfelt congratulations to all our champions, and a massive thank you to every rider who graced the competition with their presence. Your outstanding performances captivated fans and spectators, both in person and those watching from all around the world.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Urban World Series for hosting yet another sensational event. For those who may have missed any of the action, you can relive the excitement by watching event replays on WorldSkate.TV or The Olympic Channel.
EVENT RESULTS
Men’s Park
- Jayden Sharman - GBR - 93.75
- Jordan Clark - GBR - 90.83
- Revin Cachat - USA - 89.05
Men’s Street
- Jonthan Perroni - FRA - 176.63
- Hugo Strauss - FRA - 175.11
- Matis Neyroud - SUI - 173.16
Women’s Park
- Claire Parks - USA - 76.83
- Lucy Evans - GBR - 74.19
- Neve Entwistle - GBR - 73.78
Women’s Street
- Sophie Molyneux - GBR - 147.71
- Romane Gillett - FRA - 137.69
- Paloma Cantilp - ESP - 105.59
Junior Park
- Harriet Portugal - ESP - 84.45
- Bastien Brey - GER - 82.75
- Enak Markwalder - SUI - 80.08
Junior Street
- Kai Martin - USA - 155.67
- Luka Noel - FRA - 146.67
- Max Androsko - USA - 141.50