Men’s Street VQS Qualifier, Steven Vasquez Finishes 1st | RSEO PDX 2026
Men's VQS top four qualifiers from left to right: Nobacel Villalobos, Koston Eaton, Malachi Gray, and Steven Vasquez. Photo: Durso
Firing up the weekend’s action, the Men’s VQS Street Qualifier was the first contest of the 2026 Rockstar Energy Open (RSEO) and it was Steven Vasquez that came out on top with his first run carrying him.
"After I put my video entry together for the VQS, I sent it to Gary Rogers, and he was like, 'Bro, you need to post this right now,'” Vasquez said after the contest, reflecting on the journey it took him to get here. “So I went and did that and it got over 60,000 views, and yeah, it just felt like this was meant to be. I'm very blessed to get first today, for sure. I think it's a dope opportunity. All the people that are here for the VQS, I feel like we belong here and we definitely all proved ourselves. Coming here, you just had to show out.”
Steven Vasquez. Photo: Durso
From nine skaters, each taking two 30-second runs with only their best score counting, to just the top four skaters advancing to the Semifinal—every second mattered, and every trick was critical.
The 10-stair double set handrail was heavily favored by all of the skaters and it seemed to be the make or break spot on the course dictating who advanced.
Steven’s run started with a bigspin frontside boardslide down the big handrail, a little fakie nose blunt stall to regular on the quarterpipe, heelflip the bump to bump, his stand out heelflip frontside boardslide down the 10-stair double set handrail and then a kickflip backside lipslide on the bump to down bar.
“I don't think it was one specific trick, I think it was just maybe flowing the course, trying to use a little bit of everything, and l got a powerful heelflip,” Vasquez says. “I'm looking forward to the Semi Final tomorrow, skating with my friends and proving myself again—showing why I belong in that group as well.”
Nobacel Villalobos. Photo: Durso
The second place qualifier on the event was Nobacel Villalobos who stitched together a kickflip frontside boardslide down the big handrail, a backside 270 lipslide on a bump to bar, a cab frontside boardslide down the double set handrail and a heelflip frontside boardslide on the bump to down bar.
Last year’s top qualifier Malachi Gray took a different approach from the rest of the pack, instead of starting with the big handrail (though he did kickflip frontside boardslide it after a quick hurricane on the bump to bar to begin) and packing in as many handrail hits as possible he spent time flipping into a ton of the course obstacles. Two notable tricks were his kickflip frontside bluntslide on the bump to bar and a kickflip frontside crooked grind on the bump to box. His variety paid off enough to put him in 3rd at the end of the first runs and it held on throughout the contest to advance him.
Malachi Gray. Photo: Durso
Koston Eaton was the fourth and final skater to advance with his switch frontside nosegrind down the handrail impressing the masses.
A few other deserving shout outs to Chase Webb who packed in a ton of tricks and hit almost every rail and was the only skater hitting a guardrail along the edge of the course, Rion Swenson who was the only other person to hit the big handrail switch stomping a front feeble, and a nod to Wyatt Hammond for lacing a bigspin kickflip to frontside boardslide the 10-stair double set handrail.
Koston Eaton. Photo: Durso
Tune in to the Men’s Street Semi Final tomorrow (Saturday) at 1:30pm PT on ThePlatfrm.com to see 27 skaters rerack and take on the 2026 RSEO course all over again—only 10 will advance to Sunday’s Final!
Said and done from Boo Johnson. Photo: Durso
Rockstar Energy Open Men’s Street VQS Qualifier Results
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Steven Vasquez, 80.33
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Nobacel Villalobos, 77.66
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Malachi Gray, 76.33
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Koston Eaton, 75.00
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Rion Swenson, 72.33
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Wyatt Hammond, 67.66
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Chase Webb, 64.00
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Zion Fuergato, 56.66
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Nels Rosen, 53.66