The weekend at JACKALOPE Montreal was an absolute blast—sunny skies, smiling faces, and jaw-dropping performances brought together athletes from seven different countries. The massive VERT ramp showed off the skaters’ skills, while the PABST PORTAL sparked tons of buzz. From start to finish, the atmosphere was simply incredible.
JACKALOPE Montreal 2024: Highlights from the Skateboarding Competitions
September 24, 2024 / By vanessa
VERT BEST TRICK PRO
Friday night kicked off with the VERT BEST TRICK PRO, setting the tone for the entire weekend. Even though there were fewer skaters, the level of performance was sky-high. Quality over quantity, right? The athletes were on fire, and the crowd’s energy matched each trick with a level of excitement that gave us chills. A total of $1,000 was handed out for each trick that wowed both the judges and the audience.
Among the standout tricks, Derek Scott’s Finger Flip Lean to Tail was pure gold, capturing our videographer JM’s excitement—you can hear it in the recap video. Leonardo Vinicius’ Mctwist Body Varial also turned heads, as did Jada Ward’s BS 540 indy, which was both clean and massive.
One surprising aspect of the competition was the athletes’ age—most were under 20! Our youngest skater, Leonardo Vinicius, is just 12 and already a pro, while JD Sanchez, the weekend’s breakout star, is only 15!
Honestly, I don’t know about you, but at 15, I wasn’t landing Alleyoop BS Tail Grab 540s over a huge channel like JD Sanchez! Watching these young talents was a total thrill, and we can’t wait to see what kind of tricks they’ll be pulling off in the years to come!
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PRO VERT BEST TRICK FULL LIVE FEED JACKALOPE MONTREAL 2024
PABST PORTAL BEST TRICK
The PABST PORTAL BEST TRICK took our street competition to a whole new level, with a completely reinvented format that delivered a jaw-dropping show! The massive street course, shaped like a portal and designed by Spin Skate Shop & Park, turned heads as it rotated to reveal fresh obstacles with each spin.
On Saturday, we gave out $5,000 in cash for four standout tricks—dishing out cash for every exceptional move—with an additional $5,000 reserved for the top three MVPs, both men and women:
Men’s Street MVPs:
Women’s Street MVPs:
Skating the portal wasn’t easy! The athletes had to get creative and stay focused to land technical tricks on a challenging course. But with such an incredible lineup of skaters, the show was everything we hoped for!
Among those who stole the spotlight, Benjamin Garcia kept the crowd buzzing with a mix of tricks, while local legend Raphael Detienne, aka Fistule, stunned everyone with a bold FS Wallride on a ledge. Ivan Monteiro got the crowd roaring with his FS Nose Blunt Nollie Heelflip out on the long Flat Down Rail—a super technical move that was hands down the best trick of the night.
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Now, let’s talk about the most jaw-dropping moment of the BEST TRICK: Orlando Garcia pulled off a massive FS FLIP, landing on the other side of the portal, over the Flat Down Rail. After several attempts, the crowd was chanting, “ONE LAST TRY! ONE LAST TRY!” And then—boom! In the final seconds, he nailed it like a total boss! The crowd went crazy, chanting “ORLANDO! ORLANDO! ORLANDO!” and lifting him into the air. To top it off, he broke his board with his butt in celebration—Orlando Garcia, a legend in the making!
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Ricci Tres took the top women’s MVP spot, landing trick after trick and owning every obstacle with queen-level precision. Sophie Grant cruised through with flawless style, while Christine Cottam fired up the crowd with a massive gap from one side of the portal to the other.
We were also hyped to see local legends like PIF, Annie Guglia, and Gab Proulx alongside young talents like Olivier Courchesne and Zavier Matthews, who shone in the qualifiers before going up against the pros in the finals. And a special shoutout to Olivier Felton, who wowed everyone with an epic Front Feeb on the loooong Flat Down Rail!
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SPINNING PORTAL BEST TRICK JACKALOPE MONTREAL 2024 FULL LIVE FEED
FINALS OPEN VERT
We wrapped up the weekend on Sunday with the VERT OPEN, and it was nothing short of insane!
First off, what an incredible moment watching THE LEGEND Steve Caballero shred the VERT ramp like a smooth operator! If you don’t know Steve Caballero, surely you’ve heard of the fakie 360? The Caballerial? Well, need I say more? He was the first to land this trick in a pool, and that’s why it bears his name. Plus, he’s in a killer music band called URETHANE. Quick poll: would you like to see him perform at a future JACKALOPE?
Men’s VERT Finals:
Women’s VERT Finals:
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Big shoutout to all the young women who skated in the FINALS OPEN VERT! Jada Ward, who claimed two consecutive JACKALOPE titles, is a true 540 machine. Summer Rackley tore it up during the BEST TRICK and the FINALS OPEN, while Carlin Makibbin pulled off the best handplants and sick lines! Leticia Gonçalves also brought incredible style. This culture is growing so fast—it’s amazing to witness!
Leonardo Vinicius came in strong with an impressive bag of tricks: Alleyoop BS 180 over the gap, BS 540 over the gap, Front Foot Impossible Melon… he went so high, and his tricks were so technical that I can’t even name them all!
Rony Gomes nailed one of his runs! Nollie Heel 360 Indy, Switch FS Heel Grab, massive 540s, Heelflip Indy over the gap, and he even threw in a Caballerial with a Mute grab. Watching him celebrate after each flawless run was super inspiring.
JD Sanchez absolutely dominated, securing the top spot with his super clean, massive, and impressive lines, including: Alleyoop Kickflip Indy Finger Flip over the gap, Cab 720 melon, Alleyoop FS Indy over the gap. He got an unimaginable amount of air with every trick.
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MENS PRO VERT FINALS – JACKALOPE MONTREAL 2024 FULL LIVE FEED
WOMENS VERT FINALS JACKALOPE MONTREAL FULL LIVE FEED
Thank you to everyone who participated, whether on the board or in the crowd, for making this event so special. You all made this moment unforgettable. See you next year for even more tricks, laughs, and epic surprises!
