Moto Shibata Wins Best Trick at Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert Contest '23

Style and progression for the win! Moto Shibata took first place in Men’s Vert Best Trick at the Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert contest in Salt Lake City, Utah. In the vertical competition hosted by skateboard icon Tony Hawk at Vivint Arena, Shibata took second place in Men’s Skateboard Vert in an elite field of vertical skateboarders.

TONY HAWK'S VERT ALERT

Introduced in 2021, Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert is dedicated to showcasing the progression and history of vertical skateboarding. From June 23-24, this year’s contest took place as part of the Road to X Games series, allowing the top six riders in men’s competition as well as the top eight riders in women’s direct qualification into X Games California 2023 in July. Presented by the Utah Sports Commission, the event also featured a skateboard legends demo – including Tony Hawk himself – and offered a total purse of $75,000 for men’s and women’s halfpipe skateboarding competitions.

The halfpipe competition was showcased on Tony Hawk’s private vertical ramp, moved to Utah for the event, and featured a huge channel as well as massive vert extensions. For the Best Trick contest, the energetic crowd inside Vivint Arena was treated to the most innovative and progressive halfpipe skateboarding in the world, with several never-been-done tricks landed, including the first women’s 720 aerial by Arisa Trew.

BEST TRICK EVENT

Shibata brought a never-been-done aerial trick to the table. But as the 20-minute time limit for the session kept moving forward, he had trouble landing the innovative move. With only 38 seconds remaining in the final, Shibata finally pulled the landing on a historic maneuver: An alley-oop kickflip McTwist earned him the win in Saturday’s Best Trick competition, as well as standing ovations from the crowd.

Also in the Best Trick event, Tom Schaar put down two innovative tricks over the vert ramp’s massive channel: A technical alley-oop kickflip backside lipslide and alley-oop Caballerial backside lipslide put the vert skating powerhouse in contention for the top spot.

MEN'S VERT EVENT

Shibata brought home a strong second-place finish after working the entire ramp with style, speed, and technical moves throughout the session.

Shibata’s trick highlights at Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert included huge crossbone and judo airs, alley-oop McTwist, stalefish McTwist, fakie 540 backside grab, frontside Caballerial Madonna, frontside Caballerial bigspin varial frontside grab, alley-oop front foot impossible, kickflip McTwist, sugarcane grind, front foot impossible Madonna and fakie backside 540 tailgrab for 89.55 points and second place.

Shibata has competed as a professional skateboarder since the age of 13. He is known for his stylish blend of high airs, old-school tricks, and new-school innovation. In 2016, he made history as the first male Japanese skateboarder to earn a medal at an X Games (Austin). After recently winning silver in Vert Best Trick at X Games Chiba 2023, he currently owns five X Games medals (one gold, four silver).  

Also putting down technical runs in the final, Schaar finished in sixth place, thereby earning qualification into X Games California alongside teammate Shibata. Schaar’s highest-scoring run included alley-oop backside lipslide over the channel, massive tailgrab 540, heelflip Indy, 360 kickflip Indy to fakie, switch backside disaster, Caballerial backside disaster revert, and a no-handed switch kickflip. 

The perfect run netted sixth place in the session judged on overall impression, but as contest commentator Paul Zitzer said: “No one could ever replicate that run!”