Men’s VQS Street Practice | RSEO PDX 2026

Chase Webb. Photo: Ballard

Practice on the street course officially kicked off the action at the 2026 Rockstar Energy Open (RSEO) in Portland, Oregon, and it was christened by the likes of Chase Webb, Wyatt Hammond, Nels Rosen and the rest of the skaters who earned their invitations by way of the Video Qualifier Series (VQS).

Rion Swenson. Photo: Ballard

Entering its third year, the RSEO continues to open up the competition to the entire world by hosting their online VQS contest to then select and invite skaters to compete in person at the main event. This year’s VQS men’s street invitees were the very first to touch the freshly painted course purpose built at Water Front park alongside the Willamette River.

Zion Furegato. Photo: Ballard

True to the course designs released earlier, this year’s park came out with an update from last year’s loved course. And to little surprise, the skaters were very pleased.

Nels Rosen. Photo: Ballard

Returning VQS contestants like Wyatt Hammond and Nels “Gnarls” Rosen were spotted sizing up the course early in the day. Wyatt finished the 2025 VQS onsite qualifier in 3rd and went on to finish 21st in the Semi Final and he took the Nixon “Best Time” award from the Best Trick Jam, while Gnarls qualified 5th and finished 20th in Semi Final and also stomped a few during the Jam.

After his first look in 2026, Gnarls was loving this year’s setup with zero negative things to say. The rails, though, he went on to compliment as the “perfect size.”

Wyatt Hammond. Photo: Ballard

Chase Webb was another familiar face on the course, though it was his first time stepping onto an RSEO course. He looked quickly at home on the rails himself, finding places to jam into grinds for quick combos and even crowd guardrails nobody considered to be part of the course.

Koston Eaton. Photo: Ballard

As for the rest of the VQS best, you can see from the photos of last year’s top VQS qualifier Malachi Gray, Koston Eaton, Nobacel Villalobos and everyone that the course was being thoroughly inspected and enjoyed in advance of the contest to come. 

Malachi Gray. Photo: Ballard

The Men’s VQS Street Qualifier will feature nine skaters broken into two heats with each person allotted two :30-second runs with only their best score counting. The top four will advance to Saturday’s Men’s Street Semi Final.

Nobacel Villalobos. Photo: Ballard

Tune in tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 14, at 12pm (noon) PT on theplatfrm.com to watch the VQS onsite qualifier LIVE.