Street League Skateboarding is back for the new year, and fans around the world are getting stoked to see their favourite skaters returning to action.
SLS celebrates the creativity of skateboarding, encouraging participants to demonstrate originality in their tricks as well as rewarding skilled execution. The league has always emphasised its aim to honour the history of the sport, which has typically been resistant to strict judging and the limitations of a rulebook. SLS courses are designed to replicate true street skating, so fans can watch gnarly tricks in the arena before trying to imitate their heroes on rails and steps in their own neighbourhoods.
Last year, the SLS tour visited Jacksonville, Seattle, Las Vegas, and Rio de Janeiro, bringing top-quality grinds and ollies to thousands of passionate fans. At the SLS Super Crown in Brazil, Rayssa Leal and Gustavo Ribeiro took home the championship trophies for 2022. Both Leal and Ribeiro were first time champions, although their talent is well known in the skateboarding world. In 2021, Leal confirmed her prodigy status when she won her first Olympic medal at just 13 years old.
The champions are expected to return for the new tour, attempting to defend their debut titles against a fiercely competitive field. Skating legends like Nyjah Huston, Pamela Rosa, and Yuto Horigome will hope to make it as tricky as possible for Leal and Ribeiro to repeat their championships, and the fans will emerge the real winners.
In 2023, the tour kicks off on 29 April, when the world’s top street skaters will touch down in Chicago, Illinois. Stop 01 will take place in the Wintrust Arena, a multipurpose venue in the Near South Side.
Tickets are on sale now for this exciting season opener, with prices starting at just USD $25. Fans looking for a more luxurious experience can spring for VIP passes, which offer prime position seating as close to the course as you can get.
A new format has been promised for this year’s tour, but the details are still under wraps for now. Head to Wintrust Arena for a first look at the 2023 SLS competitors!
