Pro skateboarders hit Hard Rock Hotel

More than 50 of the world's top professional skateboarders are expected to descend upon the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas this weekend for one of the biggest skate events of the year.

Boasting the richest prize purse in the history of pro skateboarding -- more than $250,000 -- The Boost Mobile Pro of Skateboarding, presented by Oakley, is scheduled for Friday through Sunday, with the Grammy Award-winning band Linkin Park to help kick off the event by performing a sold-out concert at The Joint Friday.

"Few sports are as connected to music as skateboarding. We've combined a competition between the most recognized names in professional skateboarding with a performance by one of today's top bands to make the Boost Mobile Pro the biggest and best action sports and entertainment event of the summer," said Peter Adderton, Boost Mobile Pro founder and CEO. "Our goal is to host the biggest and best events that top riders want to be a part of. And we're offering tickets at an affordable price that doesn't overcharge the fans."

Tickets to the skateboarding event range from $10 for a one-day pass to $65 for a two-day family pass (up to four family members), while general admission tickets to the concert cost $25 each. Tickets to both events may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, at ticketmaster.com and at the Hard Rock.

Prior to the concert at 6:30 p.m. Friday, a skate-off is scheduled, between 12 wildcard contestants, to decide who will join the other 39 selected street skaters for the main event, slated for Saturday. Those in attendance at the free wildcard competition can enter a drawing, for themselves and a friend, to win a meet-and-greet with members of Linkin Park. Also, Boost will offer those who attend the Boost Mobile Pro of Skateboarding or the concert a Re-Boost card worth $20.

Competing street skaters will include Andrew Reynolds, Chad Bartie, Austen Seaholm, Brian Anderson, Caswell Berry, Chris Senn, Colt Cannon, Daewon Song, Ethan Fowler and many more.

Skaters scheduled to participate in the vert competition Sunday include Bob Burnquist, Bucky Lasek, Darren Navarrette, Jake Brown, Lincoln Ueda, Max Schaaf, Mike Crum, Omar Hassan and many more. In addition to the $250,000 dollars in prize money at the Boost Mobile Pro, there will be a special cash award of $7,500, from Oakley. Oakley's Over the Top award will recognize those two skaters who exhibit unrivaled ability and creativity, with the award going to the individual, in both street and vert disciplines, who achieves the most innovative and technical maneuver.

The world's richest pure skateboarding event is also expected to break new ground with the benefits provided to competitors, competition format and judging. A purse of $40,000 will go to the winners in both the street and vert competition and an innovative peer judging system will be used, with all of the invited skaters not competing in the heat deciding the winners.

Boost Mobile Team Rider skaters were involved in the selection of the skaters, and also contributed to the layout of the course and the design of the ramps and obstacles.

"What a combo, a contest done right with a huge prize purse in Vegas," said street skater Mark Appleyard.

Skateboarding has become one of the most popular and fastest-growing sports in the United States. According to American Sports Data, there are 9.3 million skateboarders younger than age 18, and it's estimated 11 million Americans own and ride skateboards, with more than a million new kids picking up the sport every year. There are 10 skate parks in Las Vegas.


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