Vert (sport)

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Vert is a term used in extreme sports (especially skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX and Inline skating) to denote a competition held on a Vert ramp which allows the competitors to fly into the air and land back on the ramp. This time in the air allows the competitor to perform moves which would otherwise be extremely difficult. An example of this would be a flip, or a spin.

The term itself comes from the word "vertical," the direction in which the competitor is moving after leaving the ramp.

Ramps used in these events are usually a type of quarter pipe, half-pipe, vert ramp, or bowl; or some combination thereof.

Outside of competitions, the term vert is not normally used. Instead, the specific type of ramp is denoted. So instead of saying "I am going to go ride vert," one might say "I am going to go ride a half-pipe." However, it would be correct to say "in competitions, I usually ride vert," in order to differentiate from other forms of competition (such as freestyle and street).

ESPN's X Games initially eliminated vert from its 2008 competition due to declining ratings over the last few years but due to a proposed boycott of the "Big Air" event, mainly by the professional skateboarders, it was reinstated. The was to be replaced by a new skate park-type event called Super Park. Even though the Vert competition was reinstated in both BMX and skateboarding, ESPN still entends on adding the SuperPark as a new event.

References http://expn.go.com/expn/story?id=3327593