VIP Welcome Party Mayhem | RSEO PDX 2026

For the third year running, the 2026 Rockstar Energy Open kicked off in Portland on Thursday night with the VIP Welcome Party at the Moxy PDX Downtown, and the antics once again spilled out of the hotel and into the streets.

From left to right: Yurin Fuji, Chloe Covell, Lilly Erickson, Lilly Stoephasius, Niko Sugimoto and Secret Lynn. Photo: Ballard

In true Rockstar style, the vibes were full send and full commit inside and outside of the Welcome Party. Partygoers were getting free ink from Portland’s own Thunderbird Tattoo artists pro skateboarder Tyler Bledsoe and Sean Lanusse, Rockstar cocktails from the bar, snacks courtesy of HB Catering, all while pro skater-turned DJ Kevin Romar kept the people moving with his work on the turntables.

Photo: Dillon

Rockstar athletes (such as Lazer Crawford, who was seen getting “M🤍M” tattooed on his butt, by his mom) and other RSEO competitors joined other event VIPs for Thursday’s party where a bit of mayhem unfolded…as usual. Everyone from Chloe Covell, Lilly Erickson, Steven Vasquez and Kristion Jordan (Rockstar’s newest team rider) were rallying electric scooters down the street in front of the Moxy trying to see who could pull off the longest wheelie. To little surprise,  Chloe took the win. Tom Schaar and Yuro Nagaharo even found an awkward way to ride doubles on a scooter, requiring Yuro to lay down while Tom took the helm.

Four-five-six! Photo: Dillon

Other skate industry VIPs including magazine editors from TransWorld SKATEboarding, Blair Alley, and Closer Magazine, Jamie Owens, were seen mixing into the action as well—though, we will not confirm if they joined in on the impromptu games of dice on the sidewalk. For a weeknight on the eve of a weekend promising nonstop skate action, the energy of the people was feeling extra loose and especially thirsty for what was to follow.

From left to right: Omar Hassan, Tom Schaar, Kieran Woolley, and Jedd McKenzie. Photo: Ballard

The RSEO Culture Village opens at 11:00 am PT on Friday in Portland’s Waterfront Park, with all weekend events free and open to the public. The first event will be the Men’s Street VQS Qualifier round, featuring nine skaters who earned their RSEO PDX 2026 entries via The Platfrm Video Qualifier Series; the top-4 will advance to Saturday’s Street Semifinal.

Stoop bros Schaar, Vincent Martheron, and Tweestopher aka Chris Gregson. Photo: Ballard

The Women’s Park Qualifier, Women’s Street Semi Final, and Men’s Park Qualifier will also feature VQS invitees on Friday before things get up to full speed on Saturday.

SOTY Chris Joslin and Rockstar Energy bossman Steve Mateus. Photo: Dillon

Rockstar athletes Braden Hoban, Lazer Crawford, Paige Heyn, and 2025 Thrasher Magazine Skater Of The Year Chris Joslin will be signing autographs Friday at 6:30 pm PT, before punk bands PUP (7:30 pm PT) and Hot Mulligan (8:30 pm PT) take over the Rockstar Energy stage. If you’re not in Portland you can catch all of the events, concerts and good times down by the Willamette River LIVE on theplatfrm.com.