Portland Rolls Out Red Carpet to Host World-Class Skateboard Competition in August

Inaugural Rockstar Energy Open to take place at Waterfront Park, Aug. 23-25

There was already some buzz going on, but Monday it became official…

The inaugural Rockstar Energy Open will be held at Waterfront Park in downtown Portland from Aug. 23-25. Rockstar Energy Drink has teamed up with premier action sports veterans and creators of Platfrm – an all-new content destination – to launch the new event.

The Rockstar Energy Open aims to celebrate Portland’s skateboarding community while uniting skateboarding pros and up-and-coming street and park skateboarders on imaginative courses built to showcase the skills of the world’s best skaters. In addition to street and park competitions, the event will feature live music, art installations and more attractions to celebrate the unique culture of the sport and the city.

The inaugural event is free and open to the public, with VIP upgrade options available for an elevated experience. The timing of the Rockstar Energy Open is ideal, too, as it comes on the heels of the Paris 2024 Olympics. Interest in skateboarding is sure to be riding high after seeing the best in the world compete in a number of events during the summer Olympics.  

For those who want to throw their hat in the ring for the chance to compete alongside the best, a cool feature of the Portland event is a video qualifying series that will be hosted on thePlatfrm.com, resulting in a true open invitation format. Starting Wednesday (June 12), skaters can submit their videos for the chance to be voted Overall Best Men’s & Women’s Park, Overall Best Trick, Viewer’s Choice and Video of the Week over the seven-week competition. Submissions will be judged by fans and experts to see who is selected to compete against the world’s best skaters at the Portland event.

“I’m super thankful for the chance to compete at a world-class event like the Rockstar Energy Open,” pro skater Chris Joslin said. “I also think it’s pretty rad how Rockstar Energy is giving the up-and-coming generation of skaters a chance to get in the mix with us.”

As things came together in a relatively short period of time, local facilitating organizations were quick to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Along with Travel Portland, Sport Oregon started by making connections between event organizers and city stakeholders. Sport Oregon, which began discussions with the event organizers late last year, hosted a site visit in January and introduced the event organizers to local businesses and vendors.

Similar to the many other notable sporting events held in the city, the Rockstar Energy Open is expected to provide a substantial boost to the local economy and drive significant contracted room nights to the downtown core.

Event organizers initially considered a number of cities to host their inaugural event. In the end, they were impressed by the level of support and organization that they found in Portland, ultimately feeling that holding the inaugural Rockstar Energy Open here just felt right, especially considering its skateboarding culture and local scene.

With Portland already boasting one of the most notable DIY skateparks in the country under the Burnside Bridge, it was recently announced that the city has approved funding for a new $15 million skatepark targeted for the west end of the Steel Bridge.

“The Rockstar Energy Open is a terrific fit for our city and state, and it’s especially rewarding to host an inclusive and accessible free event of this magnitude on our downtown waterfront,” said Jim Etzel, CEO of Sport Oregon. “Working hand-in-hand with the event organizers and our many key partners to make it a reality for Portland is a testament to the passion Oregon has for hosting world-class events and to our collective commitment to enhancing the quality of life in our state through such activities.

The Rockstar Energy Open will be live streamed on ThePlatfrm.com and can also be viewed globally on streaming networks including Platfrm channels, CaffeineTV, Proseiben, FuelTV and more. To watch the official launch video, click here, and stay updated by visiting theplatfrm.com and rockstarenergyopen.com, and following @theplatfrm and @rockstarenergy on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.