Professional skateboarder Paul Hart has shared his thoughts after X Games announced it will introduce a Scooter Park Best Trick event as part of its new Spotlight Events program.
X Games recently revealed that it is expanding its competition lineup with Spotlight Events, a concept designed to showcase additional disciplines alongside its traditional contests.
According to X Games, these events will give newer disciplines an opportunity to compete on one of action sports' biggest stages. Future inclusion will depend on interest from fans and athletes.
Not everyone in skateboarding is excited about the announcement.
Paul Hart publicly tagged X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom on social media and wrote:
"@jeremybloom don’t do it.. @xgames #MakeXGamesSkateAgain"
While the post was short, the message was easy to understand. Hart does not want scooters becoming part of X Games and believes the event should remain focused on skateboarding.
His comments also reopened a conversation that has existed in skateboarding for many years.
The relationship between skateboarders and scooter riders has often been tense, especially at public skateparks.
Many skateboarders have complained that younger scooter riders will stand on ledges, rails, quarter pipes, and other obstacles while waiting their turn or talking with friends without realizing those features are constantly being used for tricks.
Some will also sit on obstacles or gather in landing areas, making it difficult for skateboarders to keep a line going safely.
For skateboarders, timing is everything.
Landing a trick often depends on having enough speed and an obstacle that is completely free.
When people are standing on a ledge or sitting on a rail, it interrupts that flow and can create safety concerns for everyone at the park.
Those experiences have contributed to years of frustration, especially among skaters who grew up dealing with crowded parks where sharing the space was not always easy.
Of course, not every scooter rider behaves this way, and many skateparks have communities where skateboarders, BMX riders, scooter riders, and inline skaters respect one another and take turns.
Even so, the stereotype has remained part of skateboarding culture for a long time, which helps explain why some skateboarders react strongly whenever scooters are mentioned alongside skateboarding.
X Games' decision has already generated discussion online, with supporters viewing it as an opportunity to introduce more disciplines to a wider audience, while critics believe the event should continue focusing on skateboarding and the disciplines that have been part of X Games for decades.