X Games partners with Street League

The agreement guarantees the presence of the best skaters in the worldwide disclipina Street at X Games Barcelona

The highest levels of competitive skateboarding entered a new era today with the announcement that Rob Dyrdek's Street League Skateboarding will partner with the X Games Men's Skateboard Street competition this year, as the action sports event expands globally.This it means that the host Barcelona between the 16th and 19th of May to the 20 best skaters in the world in the form of Street.

With the partnership, Street League's annual contest series will now include stops at this year's X Games events in Foz de Iguazu, Barcelona, Munich and Los Angeles. With those newly branded, "Street League at X Games" additions, the 2013 Street League World Tour, as it's called, will feature six stops, plus a season-ending championship event. "There is no better opportunity to elevate Street League globally than our new partnership with the X Games", Dyrdek said in a statement. "By launching a fully connected world tour, our pros now have six events to qualify into the championship, with each tour stop utilizing the standard Street League format, course design, and prize money that has helped establish the series as the most elite tour in skateboarding. This partnership not only gives more to our fans but also adds undeniable media support from ESPN to give the league a true global impact". 

The agreement essentially replaces X Games Men's Skateboard Street contests with Street League events, ensuring that the league's 20 contracted pros are automatically invited to compete at the four new stops. But fans can also anticipate a showing of non-Street League skaters. Dubbed the Street League Skateboarding (SLS) Select Series, the league's first-ever qualifier will pit 10 cherry-picked pro skaters and five local skaters from each X Games host city on the contest course for a chance to ride in the Street League at X Games medal event. "We are working to establish a qualifying structure into the Select Series utilizing other established competitions outside of Street League," said Street League general manager Brian Atlas. "For the first year, though, we are taking all factors into consideration, including performance in prior contests as well as traditional video and magazine coverage".

The list of confirmed Select Series riders who will compete at the first stop, in Brazil, will be announced soon, Atlas said. "The X Games and Street League collaboration will allow ESPN to provide continuity throughout the skate competition season and showcase the world's best street skaters to all of the X Games events globally" Tim Reed, ESPN's senior director of content strategy, said in the statement.

A Street League that actually has a big names from the world of skateboarding as Nyjah Huston, Paul Rodriguez, Sean Malto, Ryan Sheckler and Shane O'Neill among others, in the the Olympic ring esplanade of  Barcelona on May 17 to provide the best show of Street.