X Games: the extreme sports series that boosted skateboarding's popularity across the world | Photo: Arvesen/Creative Commons

X Games is an extreme sports competition series created in 1995 by the American cable sports channel ESPN.

The inaugural X Games event took place in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island, United States.

The first-ever event featured street and vert skateboarding, barefoot water ski jumping, street luge, BMX dirt and vert, and dual downhill mountain bike.

At the X Games, originally named Extreme Games, athletes compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals.

The concept of the series organized, run, and broadcasted by ESPN has always been to take extreme sports into the mainstream arena.

"The idea came from noticing how much of a movement there was going on in youth culture, bringing these sports together under a big umbrella of competition as well as culture to showcase these tremendous abilities," explained Ron Semiao, the founder of X Games.

"Basically, the idea was to create the Olympics of extreme sports. I never really thought of it in terms of how long this will last - the thought process was always what's next."

Tony Hawk: one of the world's first skateboarding stars emerging from the X Games era | Photo: Arvesen/Creative Commons

Pushing Skateboarding Forward

Since 1995, X Games has become a platform and window for progression. Nearly every year since its inception, the competition pushed the limits of all showcased sports.

"The X Games has done a great job of listening and adapting and pivoting for where those sports are at all these different times across the timeline, and especially they've done a really great job with it in skateboarding," notes Selema Masekela, the X Games host from 2001 to 2012.

The X Games crowned and changed the lives of several professional skateboarders like Tony Hawk, Bob Burnquist, Shaun White, Nyjah Huston, Danny Way, Bucky Lasek, Leticia Bufoni, Lizzie Armanto, and Ryan Sheckler and made them global superstars.

The extreme sports contest is such a prestigious and impactful event that athletes save their best tricks and innovations for the X Games.

Until 2013, the X Games was a one-off multiple-discipline yearly competition. Since then, it has gone global, with several contests held throughout the year.

Let's take a look at the complete list of Summer X Games skateboarding gold, silver, and bronze medallists.

Skateboarding at X Games | Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medallists

1995

Street

  1. Chris Senn
  2. Tony Hawk
  3. Willy Santos

Vert

  1. Tony Hawk
  2. Neal Hendrix
  3. Rune Glifberg

 

1996

Street

  1. Rodil de Araujo Jr.
  2. Chris Senn
  3. Brian Patch

Vert

  1. Andy Macdonald
  2. Tony Hawk
  3. Tas Pappas

 

1997

Street

  1. Chris Senn
  2. Andy Macdonald
  3. Brian Patch

Vert

  1. Tony Hawk
  2. Rune Glifberg
  3. Bob Burnquist

Vert Doubles

  1. Hawk/Macdonald
  2. Hendrix/Frazier
  3. Ringstrom/Dufour

 

1998

Street

  1. Rodil de Araujo Jr.
  2. Andy Macdonald
  3. Chris Senn

Vert

  1. Andy Macdonald
  2. Giorgio Zattoni
  3. Tony Hawk

Vert Doubles

  1. Hawk/Macdonald
  2. Patch/Lasek
  3. Burnquist/Ueda

 

1999

Street

  1. Chris Senn
  2. Pat Channita
  3. Chad Fernandez

Vert

  1. Bucky Lasek
  2. Andy Macdonald
  3. Tony Hawk

Vert Doubles

  1. Hawk/Macdonald
  2. Lasek/Patch
  3. Glifberg/Crum

Vert - Best Trick

Tony Hawk

 

2000

Park

  1. Eric Koston
  2. N.A.
  3. N.A.

Vert

  1. Bucky Lasek
  2. N.A.
  3. N.A.

Vert - Best Trick

Bob Burnquist

 

2001

Vert

  1. Bob Burnquist
  2. N.A.
  3. N.A.

 

2002

Park

  1. Rodil de Araujo Jr.
  2. Wagner Ramos
  3. Eric Koston

Street

  1. Rodil de Araujo Jr.
  2. Wagner Ramos
  3. Kyle Berard

Vert

  1. Pierre-Luc Gagnon
  2. Bob Burnquist
  3. Rune Glifberg

Vert Doubles

  1. Tony Hawk/Andy MacDonald
  2. Bob Burnquist/Bucky Lasek
  3. Mike Crum/Rune Glifberg

Vert - Best Trick

Pierre-Luc Gagnon

Street - Best Trick

Rodil de Araujo Jr.

 

2003

Park

  1. Ryan Sheckler
  2. Rodil de Araujo Jr.
  3. Chad Bartie

Street

  1. Eric Koston
  2. Rodil de Araujo Jr.
  3. Paul Rodriguez

Vert

  1. Bucky Lasek
  2. Andy Macdonald
  3. Rune Glifberg

Vert Doubles

  1. Lasek/Burnquist
  2. Glifberg/Crum
  3. Hendrix/Halterman

Vert - Best Trick

Tony Hawk

 

2004

Vert

  1. Bucky Lasek
  2. N.A.
  3. N.A.

Street

  1. Paul Rodriguez
  2. Andrew Reynolds
  3. Bastien Salabanzi

Big Air

  1. Danny Way
  2. Pierre-Luc Gagnon
  3. Andy Macdonald

 

2005

Vert

  1. N.A.
  2. Shaun White
  3. N.A.

Street

  1. Paul Rodriguez
  2. N.A.
  3. N.A.

 

2006

Vert

  1. Sandro Dias
  2. Bob Burnquist
  3. Bucky Lasek

Street

  1. Chris Cole
  2. Ryan Sheckler
  3. Andrew Reynolds

Big Air

  1. Danny Way
  2. Jake Brown
  3. Bob Burnquist

Women's Street

  1. Elissa Steamer
  2. Lauren Perkins
  3. Lacey Baker

Women's Vert

  1. Cara-Beth Burnside
  2. Mimi Knoop
  3. Karen Jones

Vert - Best Trick

Bucky Lasek

 

2007

Big Air

  1. Bob Burnquist
  2. Jake Brown
  3. Pierre Luc Gagnon

Vert

  1. Shaun White
  2. Pierre Luc Gagnon
  3. Mathias Ringstrom

Street

  1. Chris Cole
  2. Greg Lutzka
  3. Jereme Rogers

Women's Vert

  1. Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins
  2. Mimi Knoop
  3. Cara-Beth Burnside

Women's Street

  1. Marisa Dal Santa
  2. Elissa Steamer
  3. Amy Caron

 

2008

Vert

  1. Pierre-Luc Gagnon
  2. Bucky Lasek
  3. Shaun White

Street

  1. Ryan Sheckler
  2. Paul Rodriguez
  3. Greg Lutzka

Big Air

  1. Bob Burnquist
  2. Danny Way
  3. Jake Brown

Park

  1. Rune Glifberg
  2. Andy Macdonald
  3. Tony Trujillo

Women's Vert

  1. Karen Jonz
  2. Lyn-z Adams Hawkins
  3. Mimi Knoop

Women's Street

  1. Elissa Steamer
  2. Marisa Dal Santo
  3. Amy Caron

Vert-Am

  1. Pedro Barros
  2. Sam Beckett
  3. Ben Hatchell

 

2009

Vert

  1. Pierre-Luc Gagnon
  2. Bucky Lasek
  3. Andy Macdonald

Street

  1. Paul Rodriguez
  2. Nyjah Huston
  3. Adam Dyet

Big Air

  1. Jake Brown
  2. Bob Burnquist
  3. Rob Lorifice

Park

  1. Rune Glifberg
  2. Andy Macdonald
  3. Chad Bartie

Women's Vert

  1. Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins
  2. Karen Jonz
  3. Gaby Ponce

Women's Street

  1. Marisa Dal Santo
  2. Alexis Sablone
  3. Elissa Steamer

Vert-Am

  1. Sam Bosworth
  2. Sam Beckett
  3. Pedro Barros

Big Air Rail Jam

  1. Danny Way
  2. Bob Burnquist
  3. Rob Lorifice

Park Legends

  1. Christian Hosoi
  2. Chris Miller
  3. Lance Mountain

 

2010

Vert

  1. Pierre-Luc Gagnon
  2. Shaun White
  3. Andy Macdonald

Street

  1. Ryan Sheckler
  2. Nyjah Huston
  3. Ryan Decenzo

Big Air

  1. Jake Brown
  2. Bob Burnquist
  3. Rob Lorifice

Park

  1. Pedro Barros
  2. Andy Macdonald
  3. Kevin Kowalski

Women's Vert

  1. Gaby Ponce
  2. Lyn-z Adams Hawkins
  3. Karen Jonz

Women's Street

  1. Alexis Sablone
  2. Leticia Bufoni
  3. Marisa Dal Santo

Vert-Am

  1. Italo Penarrubia
  2. Sam Bosworth
  3. Jono Schwan

Vert - Best Trick

  1. Pierre-Luc Gagnon
  2. Colin McKay
  3. Bob Burnquist

Park Legends

  1. Christian Hosoi
  2. Chris Miller
  3. Steve Caballero

Game of Sk8

  1. Tommy Sandoval
  2. Sierra Fellers
  3. Nick Trapasso

 

2011

Vert

  1. Shaun White
  2. Pierre-Luc Gagnon
  3. Bucky Lasek

Street

  1. Nyjah Huston
  2. Luan Oliveira
  3. Ryan Sheckler

Big Air

  1. Bob Burnquist
  2. Adam Taylor
  3. Edgard Pereira

Park

  1. Raven Tershy
  2. Pedro Barros
  3. Ben Hatchell

Women's Street

  1. Marisa Dal Santo
  2. Alexis Sablone
  3. Leticia Bufoni

Hometown Heroes Amateur Street

  1. Julian Christianson
  2. Brendon Villanueva
  3. Dan Coe

Game of Sk8

Ryan Decenzo

 

2012

Vert

  1. Pierre-Luc Gagnon
  2. Bucky Lasek
  3. Andy Macdonald

Street

  1. Paul Rodriguez
  2. Ryan Sheckler
  3. Nyjah Huston

Big Air

  1. Bob Burnquist
  2. Mitchie Brusco
  3. Nolan Munroe

Park

  1. Pedro Barros
  2. Ben Hatchell
  3. Rune Glifberg

Women's Street

  1. Alexis Sablone
  2. Leticia Bufoni
  3. Rachel Reinhard

Game of Sk8

Ryan Decenzo

 

2013

Vert

  1. Bucky Lasek
  2. Pierre-Luc Gagnon
  3. Andy Macdonald

Big Air

  1. Elliot Sloan
  2. Tom Schaar
  3. Bob Burnquist

Women's Street

  1. Leticia Bufoni
  2. Lacey Baker
  3. Marisa Dal Santo

Phenom Street

  1. Tyson Bowerbank
  2. Ben Sauer
  3. Jonathan Cosentino

Street League Skateboarding

  1. Nyjah Huston
  2. Chris Cole
  3. Luan Oliveira

SLS Select Series

  1. Ryan Decenzo
  2. Felipe Gustavo
  3. Greg Lutzka

 

2014

Vert

  1. Jimmy Wilkins
  2. Sandro Dias
  3. Mitchie Brusco

Big Air

  1. Tom Schaar
  2. Bob Burnquist
  3. Edgard Pereira

Park

  1. Pedro Barros
  2. Grant Taylor
  3. Aaron Homoki

Street Amateurs

  1. Tyson Bowerbank
  2. Chase Webb
  3. Nassim Guammaz

Street

  1. Nyjah Huston
  2. Luan Oliveira
  3. Alec Majerus

Women's Street

  1. Lacey Baker
  2. Pamela Rosa
  3. Leticia Bufoni

Real Street

  1. Clint Walker
  2. Wes Kremer
  3. Forrest Edwards

 

2015

Vert

  1. Pierre-Luc Gagnon
  2. Paul-Luc Ronchetti
  3. Sam Beckett

Big Air

  1. Bob Burnquist
  2. Elliot Sloan
  3. Tom Schaar

Park

  1. Curren Caples
  2. Pedro Barros
  3. Ronnie Sandoval

Street

  1. Nyjah Huston
  2. Chaz Ortiz
  3. Ryan Sheckler

Women's Street

  1. Alexis Sablone
  2. Pamela Rosa
  3. Vanessa Torres

Street Amateurs

  1. Tyson Bowerbank
  2. Chase Webb
  3. Nassim Guammaz

Skateboard/BMX Big Air Doubles

  1. Wade/Burnquist
  2. McCann/Sloan
  3. Warden/Schaar

 

2016

Street

  1. Ryan Decenzo
  2. Nyjah Huston
  3. Ishod Wair

Women's Street

  1. Pamela Rosa
  2. Mariah Duran
  3. Lacey Baker

Vert

  1. Sam Beckett
  2. Moto Shibata
  3. Jimmy Wilkins

Park

  1. Pedro Barros
  2. Curren Caples
  3. Chris Russell

Women's Park

  1. Kisa Nakamura
  2. Lizzie Armanto
  3. Jordyn Barratt

Real Street

  1. Chris Joslin
  2. Torey Pudwill
  3. Zack Wallin

 

2017

Vert

  1. Moto Shibata
  2. Jimmy Wilkins
  3. Mitchie Brusco

Big Air

  1. Bob Burnquist
  2. Elliot Sloan
  3. Tom Schaar

Park

  1. Alex Sorgente
  2. Tom Schaar
  3. Cory Juneau

Street

  1. Kelvin Hoefler
  2. Alec Majerus
  3. Nyjah Huston

Women's Street

  1. Aori Nishimura
  2. Samarria Brevard
  3. Leticia Bufoni

Women's Park

  1. Brighton Zeuner
  2. Jordyn Barratt
  3. Poppy Olsen

Street Amateurs

  1. Jagger Eaton
  2. Zach Saraceno
  3. Alex Midler

 

2018

Vert

  1. Mitchie Brusco
  2. Clay Kreiner
  3. Trey Wood

Big Air

  1. Bob Burnquist
  2. Elliot Sloan
  3. Tom Schaar

Park

  1. Alex Sorgente
  2. Tristan Rennie
  3. Tom Schaar

Street

  1. Nyjah Huston
  2. Jagger Eaton
  3. Kelvin Hoefler

Women's Street

  1. Mariah Duran
  2. Aori Nishimura
  3. Alexis Sablone

Women's Park

  1. Brighton Zeuner
  2. Sabre Norris
  3. Sakura Yosozumi

Next X Street

  1. Giovanni Vianna
  2. Keyaki Ike
  3. Marcos Montoya

Next X Park

  1. Liam Pace
  2. Gavin Bottger
  3. Luiz Francisco

 

2019

Big Air

  1. Elliot Sloan
  2. Mitchie Brusco
  3. Rony Gomes

Vert

  1. Jimmy Wilkins
  2. Mitchie Brusco
  3. Clay Kreiner

Street

  1. Yuto Horigome
  2. Nyjah Huston
  3. Sora Shirai

Women's Street

  1. Aori Nishimura
  2. Momiji Nishiya
  3. Mariah Duran

Park

  1. Ivan Federico
  2. Jagger Eaton
  3. Alex Sorgente

Women's Park

  1. Misugu Okamoto
  2. Kokona Hiraki
  3. Lizzie Armanto

Next X Park

  1. Tate Carew
  2. Gavin Bottger
  3. Jake Yanko

Next X Street

  1. Daiki Ikeda
  2. Lazer Crawford
  3. Kristion Jordan

 

2020

Best Trick

  1. Nyjah Huston
  2. Alex Midler
  3. Clive Dixon

 

2021

Vert

  1. Jimmy Wilkins
  2. Elliot Sloan
  3. Mitchie Brusco

Street

  1. Dashawn Jordan
  2. Jamie Foy
  3. Ishod Wair

Women's Street

  1. Leticia Bufoni
  2. Samarria Brevard
  3. Poe Pinson

Park

  1. Liam Pace
  2. Gavin Bottger
  3. Tristan Rennie

Women's Park

  1. Sky Brown
  2. Mami Tezuka
  3. Bryce Wettstein

Street - Best Trick

  1. Jamie Foy
  2. Dashawn Jordan
  3. Tiago Lemos

Vert - Best Trick

  1. Gui Khury
  2. Elliot Sloan
  3. Jimmy Wilkins

 

2022

Vert

  1. Jimmy Wilkins
  2. Gui Khury
  3. Mitchie Brusco

Park

  1. Kieran Woolley
  2. Gavin Bottger
  3. Luiz Francisco

Women's Park

  1. Sky Brown
  2. Sakura Yosozumi
  3. Kokona Hiraki

Street

  1. Shane O'Neill
  2. Vincent Milou
  3. Yuto Horigome

Women's Street

  1. Momiji Nishiya
  2. Chloe Covell
  3. Yumeka Oda

Real Street - Best Trick

  1. Yuto Horigome
  2. Jamie Foy
  3. Tatt Berger

Street - Best Trick

  1. Jamie Foy
  2. Nyjah Huston
  3. Dashawn Jordan


Have we missed a few names? Is there a correction we should make? Please send us an email.

Top Stories

The half cab is a simple skateboarding trick that involves a few other basic riding maneuvers. Here's how to land it fast and easy.

Have you ever heard someone yelling, "Do a kickflip!" while passing by a skateboarder on the street? Here's absolutely everything you must know about the popular shout.

If there's one iconic heelflip that changed a skater's life forever, it's Rayssa's. Here's how a young girl's dream became more real than reality itself.

"Back to the Future" is a timeless masterpiece. Interestingly, the franchise features several famous skateboard-related appearances.