The International Olympic Committee just dropped its final list of events for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles—and vert skateboarding didn’t make the cut. Despite growing momentum, iconic athlete backing, and an eager U.S. fanbase, the sport got left on the sidelines again.
That decision, announced Wednesday, has not gone over quietly, especially in the skateboarding world. With LA as the host city, many saw this as the perfect stage to finally elevate vert back to the global spotlight. Instead, vert skaters will be watching from home—or more likely, skating in independent events that ironically keep gaining in popularity.
LA28 Welcomes Five New Sports, But Not This One
There’s no shortage of additions to the LA28 program. In fact, the Games will see a bump to 351 medal events, up 22 from Paris 2024.
That expansion includes:
-
Cricket, returning after more than a century.
-
Flag football, a first-time Olympic sport.
-
Lacrosse, back after a 120-year absence.
-
Baseball/Softball, popular in past Games.
-
And Squash, finally getting its Olympic moment.
These five sports alone accounted for 698 extra athlete spots, pushing the total athlete quota to 11,198, though the official core remains at 10,500.
Vert skateboarding, however, wasn’t offered a single spot.
Why Vert’s Exclusion Feels Personal
The omission stings more because the Olympics already embraced skateboarding—just not all of it.
Street and park skateboarding made their Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 and are returning in Paris and LA. But vert, a pillar of competitive skateboarding since the ‘80s and ‘90s, remains on the outside.
Tony Hawk, arguably the most recognized name in skateboarding, has long championed the vert format. His annual Vert Alert competition, launched in 2021 in Salt Lake City, draws top-tier athletes and thousands of fans.
He even hinted in past interviews that LA28 might be vert’s moment. Instead? Radio silence from the IOC.
“It’s not just a discipline—it’s a legacy,” one longtime fan posted on X. “Leaving vert out of LA’s Games is like skipping baseball in Tokyo. It just feels wrong.”
The History—and the Problem
Here’s the tricky part: Vert didn’t just get snubbed. It never even had a formal IOC bid.
Unlike baseball or cricket, vert wasn’t proposed by LA28’s organizing committee. That alone made its odds slim.
IOC officials say they considered input from the host city, global sports trends, gender equity, and youth appeal in making the final call. Vert checks several of those boxes—but without a formal proposal, it never stood a chance.
There’s also the fact that World Skate, skateboarding’s international governing body, didn’t push hard for vert’s inclusion. Their focus has been on refining the street and park disciplines already in the Olympic fold.
One IOC insider called vert “a beautiful format, but logistically challenging” compared to park, which uses a bowl layout and can host more skaters simultaneously.
The Numbers Behind the Decision
Vert isn’t just a nostalgia act—it’s still pulling major numbers.
In 2023, the Tony Hawk Vert Alert drew over 8,000 fans in person and 400,000+ livestream views. That’s on par with some Olympic skate broadcasts.
And interest isn’t just in the U.S. Countries like Brazil, Japan, and Australia have rising stars in vert, with deep talent pools and training facilities.
But in Olympic terms, vert faces two big hurdles:
-
It’s harder to televise due to its height and single-skater format.
-
Fewer countries currently host formal vert training programs, weakening its case for international parity.
Here’s a snapshot of the comparison:
| Discipline | Olympic Status | Global Popularity | Broadcast Friendly | Federation Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street Skateboarding | ✅ Yes | 🌍 High | 🎥 Easy | ✅ Strong |
| Park Skateboarding | ✅ Yes | 🌍 High | 🎥 Medium | ✅ Strong |
| Vert Skateboarding | ❌ No | 🌎 Medium-High | 📡 Challenging | ⚠️ Limited |
A Lost Opportunity For LA’s Cultural Identity
Skateboarding has been deeply tied to Los Angeles for decades. Venice Beach, Dogtown, and the rise of the Bones Brigade all point back to SoCal roots. Vert was the showpiece of those early eras, with backyard halfpipes and DIY contests defining the skate scene long before Olympic judges showed up.
That’s part of what makes this snub feel like such a missed moment—not just for the athletes, but for the culture. LA had the chance to spotlight a sport it helped birth. Instead, it chose sports like flag football and cricket, which, while globally expanding, don’t reflect the city’s skate DNA.
One fan summed it up bluntly: “This was LA’s love letter to action sports, and they left vert on ‘read.’”
What Happens Next?
Tony Hawk hasn’t commented publicly on the IOC’s decision—yet. But the skateboarding legend is unlikely to stay silent for long.
Meanwhile, fans are already speculating about Vert Alert 2028, possibly scheduled to run parallel to the LA Olympics. Some are even calling for it to become the sport’s unofficial Olympic stand-in, complete with international invites and medal-style awards.
There’s also talk that World Skate could submit vert for Brisbane 2032. The sport has stronger roots in Australia and could benefit from a more aggressive lobbying effort next time.
For now, though, vert remains on the outside looking in. The ramps will still rise. The fans will still show up. But the Olympic spotlight won’t be theirs—at least not yet.
