Sidewalk Skateboarding

Sam Beckett, one of the UK’s top young vert skaters, is sponsored by Oakley, Vans, Team Extreme, Monster Energy and, since 2013, Route One. He is also part of the hard skating shred crew Carve Wicked, and featured in the collective’s fun and fast seven-minute Portugoons edit released at the end of 2013 .

Norwich-born Sam started skating demos with Team Extreme in 2008 and was soon winning the UK vert series, beating more experienced skaters in the process. After moving to California, he became the first Brit to land the 720 on vert, and he was soon crowned amateur world champ for the halfpipe. He took the silver medal in the Vert Ams category at the X Games in both 2008 and 2009.

Turning pro was a natural progression, and in recent years he has starred in numerous competitions on both sides of the Atlantic, finishing tenth at the ISF World Championships and thirteenth on the Dew Tour in 2010. The following year, he again finished thirteenth on the Dew Tour and competed for the first time with the pros at the X Games. His best X Games finish to date – eighth – came in 2013.

Riding with a goofy stance, Sam is a powerful and stylish skater who can destroy anything with coping and transition. His amazing array of tricks includes kickflips, backside Smith grinds and back-to-back 540s, many of which were on display as he soared into top spot in the pro/am division at the seventh annual Malmo Vert Attack in March 2013.