How does a park skateboarding contest work?
B · Beginner · The formats · 3 of 4Each skater has between two and four runs in the bowl, each lasting 30 to 50 seconds. Only their highest-scoring run counts. A fall usually ends the run. Two options may be switched on for an event: a restart after a fall on the very first trick, and an extra run for the top five.
How it works
- Runs only: "Park competitions must be undertaken by applying the Run format for every competition round."
- How many: "a minimum of two runs, up to a maximum of four runs of 30 to 50 seconds".
- It depends on: the number of athletes, the size and layout of the course and the phase of the competition.
- Best run: "the athlete's highest overall scoring run counts".
- Two ways to run it: for the full time, or "until the athlete falls".
- Until the fall: where that format applies, the clock stops when the athlete falls and the run is over, whatever time was left.
- First wall rebate: an optional rule. A skater who bails on the first trick of a run may restart it, within 30 seconds, with the clock reset.
- Only the first trick: the head judge confirms it, and no restart is given for a bail on a later trick.
- Golden run: an optional rule. After the initial runs, only the top five skate one more run, in reverse order of their ranking.
- Announced beforehand: both options must be published in the event bulletins before the event starts.
- Helmets: every park skater must wear one, whatever their age.
The glossary has park, the run, the run-based scoring entry, the first wall rebate, the golden run, the bail and the helmet.
Tricky cases
A skater falls ten seconds into a run. Can they get back on and carry on?
It depends on the format. Where runs are "until the athlete falls", the run ends there. In a full-time run the clock keeps going.
A skater falls on their first trick. Do they always get a restart?
No. Only if the first wall rebate has been announced for that round, and only for the first attempted trick.
A skater scores 85 on their first run and 60 on their second. What is their result?
- The highest-scoring run counts.
In a golden run, does the extra run replace the earlier scores?
No. It is one more chance to set the skater's highest score for the round.
Why the rule exists
Counting only the best run invites risk: a skater who has one good score in hand can attempt something harder in the next. The first wall rebate removes the cruellest outcome, a whole run lost on its opening trick. The golden run gives the leaders a last attempt with the result still open.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Park | Two to four runs of 30 to 50 seconds | WSK Rules, Competition Formats: Park |
| Street | Two or three runs of 45 to 60 seconds, and tricks | WSK Rules, Competition Formats: Street |
| First wall rebate | Optional, by event or round | WSK Rules, Competition Formats: Park |
| Golden run | Optional, top five only | WSK Rules, Competition Formats: Park |
From the rule book
World Skate, Street & Park Competition Rules (April 2025), Competition Formats: Park, and Timekeeping. Checked 14 October 2026. Official documents: Skateboarding Street & Park Competition Rules and Skateboarding Judging Criteria (PDF).